Be nutrition savvy when traveling with baby
Children and traveling abroad can be so much fun! With a little forethought and careful planning, a foreign vacation can be an enjoyable break for both you and your baby. The chance to taste a new cuisine in a new environment is one of the great delights of foreign travel. However, most babies and toddlers are fairly conservative about food, so it makes sense to provide a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar.
Before you go:
• Choose your accommodation carefully.
• Self-catering gives you more freedom to create a home away from home and to cater to your baby's food tastes. Babies do not like change. Check if the hotels provide children's menu.
• Spend some time to check all you can about your destination. If you are staying in a hotel, you may no need to take much food or feeding equipment. If you are self-catering, you may need more. Make sure you have a checklist.
• If your child is a picky eater, the change of environment may sometimes help to break a pattern, although it is good idea to pack some jars of food that she likes just in case.
Food safety and hygiene while traveling with children in tropical areas
When traveling in a tropical climate, getting hydrated especially for infants and children is crucial. Those countries that offer healthy alternatives such as fresh fruits and salads, along with broiled/ boiled/ steamed meats and fish are excellent choices for the whole family. Nevertheless it is important to pay attention to safety and hygiene since there is a greater risk of food poisoning in hot climates as bacteria likes to thrive in moist or humid conditions.
• Always wash thoroughly and peel any raw fruits and vegetables
• Cook meat, eggs, poultry, gravies, custards, cream and other foods thoroughly
• Treat milk and milk products especially ice cream, with particular caution. All milk should be boiled.
• If you eat out in restaurants, check out the sanitation permit or grade usually posted outside the restaurant. This gives you an idea whether they practice hygienic food preparation
• Avoid shellfish and spicy foods
• Avoid street foods
• Keep milk formula and any open jars of baby foods chilled in an insulated bag
• Never feed your baby milk that has been allowed to stay warm
• Boil all drinking water or use bottled water.