• Bring some familiar food. The Pasta Pickups and other meals I brought were a godsend, not only because I knew Luca would eat it (even though they have vegetables and meat!), but I think it brought a little bit of familiarity back to him while staying in strange hotels, bed & breakfasts, and other places for two weeks. I even brought a meal to a restaurant in Galway, Ireland, with me, and hesitantly asked the waitress to heat it up for me after Luca rejected the first three options we offered him from our plates.

• Get a room with kitchen facilities. If possible, choose to stay in a place with a refrigerator and microwave, at the very least; a kitchen is, of course, ideal. I was able to buy groceries and make Luca pasta, toast, and other meals I otherwise would not have been able to because we stayed in an apartment with a kitchen. I could also store reliables like yogurt. Not only did it make more foods available for him to eat, it also saved us a lot of money! (Hint: Vacation Rentals By Owner – vrbo.com – is a great resource when looking for places to stay for more than a few days.)

• Choose the buffet breakfast. If you’re staying in a hotel, opt for the buffet breakfast, where available. The buffet breakfast at the hotel we stayed at in Dublin, Ireland, was fantastic, since there was a plethora of food we could offer Luca to make sure he at least ate a good, hearty breakfast. You also may get more for your money than going out for breakfast (especially if you have to buy several different breakfast foods after having your picky eater reject each and every one). Plus, I was able to stash away a banana or two from the buffet for Luca to eat later during our travels.

• Have a lot of snacks on hand. While traveling around London and Ireland during the day with Luca, I always brought snacks in my bag – snacks from home (familiar items like animal crackers and yogurt melts), and snacks I bought there (veggie puffs and sticks, which he loved!). If you meet fellow moms on your travels that are native to that country, ask what snacks are popular with their kids at the local markets or stores. Then at least you know the snack has traction among some of the local toddler community. My mind was at ease that no, he would not starve.

• Eating out - Don't be afraid to ask. When going out to eat, ask the waiter/waitress what they can make for kids, even if there’s not a separate menu. We had several waiters in London and Ireland tell us that their cooks could make kid staples like pasta or chicken fingers, or grilled cheese, even though it wasn’t on the menu. This gives you more restaurant options, instead of hopping from one to another, looking for a good kids’ menu (like we did). Just ask the waiter or host/hostess what’s available if you find a restaurant mom and dad don’t want to pass up.

• Relax. It’s obviously easier said than done, and I still haven’t mastered the craft (many moms can’t!). But keep reminding yourself that they will eat when they’re hungry, and, hopefully, this, too, shall pass!

Next: Introducing new foods to toddlers