Culinary travel is a big trend these days. The only problem is, most kids won't eat anything unfamiliar. You can offer them authentic regional cuisine, but you'll probably end up getting them a Lunchable to eat in the car after because they refuse to touch whatever you ordered.
But I've come up with some strategies for eating with children on the road that let parents seek out interesting restaurants while making sure kids get something other than whatever's in the rest stop vending machine. I don't pretend all of them are the healthiest solutions, but they're better than fast food three times a day.
_Chicken. Most restaurants have some type of chicken kids will eat. My kids like chicken teriyaki in Japanese restaurants, chicken with broccoli in Chinese restaurants, chicken sate in Thai restaurants, and chicken shish kebab in Middle Eastern restaurants. Poules et frites, which is French for chicken with fried potatoes, is about the only thing they ate the whole time we were in Paris. Only problem was, not all French restaurants have ketchup.
One other chicken option on the road: A ready-to-eat broiled chicken from a supermarket. Buy some plastic silverware and paper plates and you have a great picnic lunch or a meal you can eat in your hotel room. Add a loaf of Italian bread and a bag of baby carrots and you have a wholesome, inexpensive family meal.
_Mexican food. You can get good Mexican food all over the Southwest, and in a pinch, Taco Bell will do just about any place else. Most kids will eat a beef burrito, and non-spicy versions are often available. Our best meal on a 3,000-mile road trip last summer was at the Wayside Cafe on Route 66 in Holbrook, Ariz., where the staff made us a huge carton of food for the car _ tortillas, rice, beans, chicken, beef, lettuce and tomatoes.
_Bacon. Hey, this is the travel column, not the nutrition column, so here's what's good about bacon: You can get a BLT almost anywhere _ diners, cafes, luncheonettes. My kids won't actually eat tomatoes, so we usually order BLs _ hold the T. While the kids are having their BLs, I like a nice big salad. Sometimes my boys surprise me and help me eat that too. Seems like they'll eat just about anything with a little ranch dressing on it.
_Parmalat milk boxes. They need no refrigeration and come in plain, chocolate and lowfat. Not all grocery stores sell them, so I tuck a three-pack in my luggage or throw some in the trunk. Chocolate Parmalats make a good protein-filled start for breakfast or a bedtime snack in the hotel to make up for the dinner your kids refused to eat. They may not want to drink the plain milk straight, but if you're taking a road trip, buy a box of cereal, plastic spoons and paper bowls, and you've got a decent breakfast or tummy-filler.
_Fruit. Local fruit in season is one of the great pleasures of traveling. We've had incredible local strawberries in Maine in July, grapefruit in Florida in the winter and apples in upstate New York in the fall. But even if you're just picking up whatever looks good in the store, you're providing a healthy snack _ or maybe even breakfast or a side dish at lunch or dinner. We've even indulged in expensive fruit platters poolside at hotels. I always rationalize: Isn't it better to spend $4.99 on raspberries than on ice cream cones?
___
This week's advice: Food kids will eat on the road includes Parmalat milk, which requires no refrigeration; chicken from all kinds of ethnic restaurants; plain beef burritos or other Mexican food; BLTs (you may have to hold the tomato); or fruit.
___
If you have a story you would like to share through this column, send it to arewethere@ap.org. Sorry, we cannot acknowledge or return submissions.
