DiningBuzz! - Surprising foods kids eat while traveling

NBC Today: Surprising foods kids eat while traveling (http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/30/11472870-surprising-foods-kids-eat-while-traveling?lite)
"I dare you to eat that..." ;)

With limited options, children are sometimes willing to eat a new dish out of sheer hunger. Other times, they see local kids gobbling up escargot or sushi, and therefore take a bite, too. Or they get so swept up in the thrill of eating something outlandish, they chomp right into a fried cricket and then giggle with delight when Mom and Dad recoil.

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Whatever you do, Rowell says parents should avoid a food stand-off, which could take away from the fun of vacation. It is tempting to insist children take at least one bite of new foods, but she warns this may have the opposite effect. “Abundant research shows that pressuring kids to try new foods backfires,” she says. This is especially true of extremely picky eaters. These children, Rowell says, tend to be, “stubborn, cautious and don’t like to be told what to do.”

I could not help but recall our youngest daughter, then 9, ordering Steak Tartare in a Paris Bistro. But then, by 10, she was always grabbing for one or more of my oysters on the half shell.

I remember going to Europe with my Mother and younger brother in the mid-90's. I must have been about 10 when we spent a few days in Paris. Every day for dinner my brother who was incredibly picky would eat french fries and rolls. Meanwhile I, always the foodie, went straight for rack of lamb. The waitstaff were often quite taken aback by my choice :D

My youngest would eat every meal at Mcdonald's if he could ... but he's actually the more adventurous eater of my offspring and is willing to try a lot more new things.

I was 13 or 14 when my family visited Frankfurt. On our first night, the restaurant offered sweetbreads on special. I ordered them thinking..., well, what a lot of people mistakenly think the first time they ordered sweetbreads. About halfway through my entree, my Mom finally asked me if I knew what I was eating. Yeah, I'd just figured it out. (FWIW, they were in a cream sauce. Ugh. I've since discovered the deliciousness that are pan-fried sweetbreads.)

On another trip in my early teens we were flying trans-Atlantic business class, and I was served shrimp cocktail. I'd always avoided shrimp, because I didn't like its texture. Much to my parent's dismay, I ate the shrimp cocktail on the plane and loved it. (Until that point, my parents would occasionally cook two dinners--or something with >1 protein--if they wanted shrimp. I'm sure the extra work was incidental given that it meant they could save on the cost of shrimp.)

You need to make sure while traveling with kids that you have to do something which create fun for them as they mostly feel nervous when enter the vehicle for a long journey. You have to arrange some energy snacks which provide them energy and let the children prepare to eat because they become hungry and thirsty from time to tome and can ask you anytime. Kids mostly like colorful snacks and of new shapes. When I was a kid, my mother used to give me huggies, sushi, chicken mole and any type of noodles. Spicy hot Italian sushi was adorable.

As a child I pretty much always ate what adults were having, and was happily munching hot curries, seafood, rare steaks etc while other of my peers were limited to fishfingers!

My baby brother has always been adventerous, and certainly in part, did many things to gross his big sister out (her, me, being veggie for all the time he has known) and would go out of his way to eat gross or not run-of-the-mill things - I recall him ordering wild boar when he was 4 years old (he always wanted to order himself too!). He even once asked a restaurant if they had monkey brains (the fine dining establishment in asia declined his request - Indiana Jones had much to answer for). He has eaten pretty much everything now I suspect, and peversely ended up with a girl who is the least adventerous eater I know, really really fussy, they are the funniest, mismatched pair!

For whatever reason when I was pregnant I would have sushi 5X per week (I only ate cooked fish). This stayed constant after my son was born and we when out for sushi almost every week and always brought him with. At about 8 months of age he started pointing to my ikura (salmon eggs) and grunting. I figured once he tasted the fishy little things he would spit them out. Imagine our surprise when he smiled and opened his mouth like a little bird for more. An ikura monster was born. From that night on he always got two pieces of ikura sans wasabi of course. People sitting next to us at the sushi bar often watched in wonderment as our 1 year old slammed fish eggs. FWIW at 18 he still loves his fish eggs.

For whatever reason when I was pregnant I would have sushi 5X per week (I only ate cooked fish). This stayed constant after my son was born and we when out for sushi almost every week and always brought him with. At about 8 months of age he started pointing to my ikura (salmon eggs) and grunting. I figured once he tasted the fishy little things he would spit them out. Imagine our surprise when he smiled and opened his mouth like a little bird for more. An ikura monster was born. From that night on he always got two pieces of ikura sans wasabi of course. People sitting next to us at the sushi bar often watched in wonderment as our 1 year old slammed fish eggs. FWIW at 18 he still loves his fish eggs.
Mullet eggs, salmon eggs (ikura), cod eggs, caviar my toddler would also eat as much as she could and demand more since she was 6 months old.
I'm not sure how unusual this is for kids exposed to this kind of food before learned prejudices start to interfere with their choices as ikura sushi and spaghetti with cod eggs are children's favourites in Japan.
If you haven't already see if your boy likes nori seaweed. I've still not encountered anyone under 18 months who doesn't go crazy for crisp roasted sheets of this seaweed.
I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in Japan whilst I was pregnant and went with the advice given there to pregnant women. I wouldn't eat raw fish in London but I had plenty of it in Tokyo. My sister in law certainly didn't and is grossed out by sushi and sashimi, my parents feed my little nephew fish egg and seaweed snacks (he's 8 months old) and he's another fan, so I'm not sure your cravings are actually the cause. Your boy likes what millions of other small children like, and probably many others would also if their parents didn't decide for them that fish eggs were too challenging. He's lucky you're his mom!

As a kid, my family took many trips including several to Mexico. I'm thankful for the appreciation it gave me for such delicious food at a young age as well as encouraged me to always try new foods! ^

Mullet eggs, salmon eggs (ikura), cod eggs, caviar my toddler would also eat as much as she could and demand more since she was 6 months old.
I'm not sure how unusual this is for kids exposed to this kind of food before learned prejudices start to interfere with their choices as ikura sushi and spaghetti with cod eggs are children's favourites in Japan.
If you haven't already see if your boy likes nori seaweed. I've still not encountered anyone under 18 months who doesn't go crazy for crisp roasted sheets of this seaweed.
I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in Japan whilst I was pregnant and went with the advice given there to pregnant women. I wouldn't eat raw fish in London but I had plenty of it in Tokyo. My sister in law certainly didn't and is grossed out by sushi and sashimi, my parents feed my little nephew fish egg and seaweed snacks (he's 8 months old) and he's another fan, so I'm not sure your cravings are actually the cause. Your boy likes what millions of other small children like, and probably many others would also if their parents didn't decide for them that fish eggs were too challenging. He's lucky you're his mom!

Thanks for the compliment. And right back at you. I envy you eating sushi in Japan. It must have been quite the experience.

You are right about exposing children early to different tastes. The funny thing is my son hated and still dislikes Mac and cheese and peanut butter. The things that normal (ie American) kids like he didn't. But he has never met a fish he didn't like. He loves broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. He also loves Indian food and will eat any dish with lamb or goat.

BTW fish eggs are loaded with healthy fish oils that are associated with brain development in small children. Obviously your little one already displays good judgement.

When I was a kid I liked to eat rice noodles and hot dogs with condensed milk. Sometimes my mother used to give me some homemade foods like egg sandwiches, chips and many more.

Mrs. Philly and I didn't have parents that traveled so no personal stories.
Now we frequently travel with another couple who expose their kids to as much as possible.

Restaurant conversation:

7 year old: What's ______?
mom or dad: It's kinda like______, I'll get an order and you can try it.

Those kids are way more adventurous than we are. They've learned that color, texture and appearance mean nothing.

I love the part about "picky eaters". When we were growing up, I never met a picky eater. Nowadays, we are overrun with these kids.

My feeling is picky eaters = lazy parenting.

My daughter eats at least three fruits a day, fish, veggies, meat and everything else in between. She had to try everything once and if she does not like it, it is okay, but at least she tried it.

She even eats raw fish at the sushi restaurants, and has tried duck. Some of my friends kids never get farther than pizza, hot dogs and mac and cheese. Wonder what is going to happen to picky eaters of today in 30 years ??