3 Must-Have Tips for Eating Out With Baby
Your baby is now part of family mealtime, but they're definitely not ready to order off the restaurant’s kids’ menu! In fact, kids’ meals are sometimes the worst foods on the menu, and your baby doesn’t need a “big-kid” portion.To make the restaurant experience healthier and more enjoyable for everyone, try these tips for eating out.
In this article:
What to bring to the restaurant
Hungry babies don’t like to wait! Put some easy food in your diaper bag or handbag so you can feed your baby at the restaurant if they're hungry before the meal arrives.
Food ideas for babies:
- Ripe banana
- Sliced or chopped avocado
- Frozen peas
- Unsweetened applesauce cup
- Unsweetened fruit cups (packed in 100 percent juice or water, not syrup) or veggie cups
- Dry cereal or crackers
- Jar of stage 3 baby food (look for jars that are combos of veggies/meat or beans/grains and are not sweetened with fruit)
Other things to bring:
- Disposable bibs and placemats for easier cleanup
- Baby spoon and bottle or small cup
- Little toys or books (that are easily wiped down) to keep your baby busy while they're waiting or when they're finished eating
What not to bring to the restaurant
Skip the junky “toddler snacks.” These are products that look like regular junk foods (cheese puffs, cereal bars, yogurt drops, etc.). Many toddler snacks are full of sugar and offer very little nutrition, making them unhealthy for your child.
Nix the pouches. They’re just drinkable stage 1 baby food. Even the pouches that sound healthy (with ingredients like kale, beets, quinoa) are almost always sweetened with fruit. That means your baby isn’t really learning to like the flavors of vegetables and could become pickier down the road.
Stick to bringing real foods or get something at the restaurant.
Ordering food for your baby
These wholesome foods for baby might not be listed on the menu, but many restaurants will be happy to serve them anyway:
- Sliced avocado
- Steamed veggies
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced fruit
- Plain baked potato or sweet potato
- Tortillas, plain toast or other soft breads
- Plain beans or lentils
- Pulled meats
- Plain rice or pasta
- Scrambled eggs
Your baby may even be able to share some of your meal, depending on what you order. Look for a healthy option; keep it as simple as you can for your baby, and separate their share before adding anything extra, such as ketchup, hot sauce, salt, syrup, etc.
