Cooking at home with picky eaters can turn you into a short-order cook fast. If you’re cooking multiple meals for family suppers, it might seem easier to head out to a restaurant. But what happens if your child won’t eat anything on the menu there either? These restaurant tips for families with picky eaters will save you a little sanity – and get those kids fed.
This post is sponsored by Blaze Pizza, who provided a discount on our meal.
Once upon a time, my daughter would only eat macaroni and cheese. No matter what restaurant we went to, that’s what she ordered.
Except once, it wasn’t made the way she expected. I’m not sure what the difference was – cheese and noodles – but when she got her meal, she refused to eat. She nibbled on free crackers and I paid for the $7 kids meal that had one bite taken out of it.
Does that sound familiar?
If you’ve tried to feed a child who’s a picky eater, it can be a real challenge. While there will probably always be times when you just can’t convince your child to eat, hopefully, these tips will make most meal times go more smoothly.
Restaurant tips for families
1. Forget being spontaneous.
Most kids thrive on routines. They like predictable. That means they’ll eat better when dinner is at the same time every day and there’s a certain amount of familiarity. Plan dinner out ahead of time so that you’re eating at the usual time and there aren’t any big surprises.
2. Read the menu before you go.
Most restaurants have an online menu. When you’re trying a new place, make sure they have several things your child is likely to eat. You can even let them plan what they’re going to order.
3. Make sure they’re hungry.
When my kids have been snacking all day, it doesn’t matter what is for dinner. They’re not hungry, so they won’t eat.
4. Stick to familiar favorites.
It’s helpful to have a few restaurants that you know your child loves. Even if you’re trying a new place, pick one that has familiar choices and save the adventure for date night without the kids.
5. Bring entertainment.
Sometimes dinner is boring. If your child gets restless sitting and waiting, they’ll be ready to run by the time food gets to the table. A stash of crayons and paper for scribbling or a fidgety toy can keep everyone calm until food arrives.
6. Personalize when possible.
Choose restaurants that cook your food to your specifications when you order it. You might think picking the tomatoes out of a salad is easy, but for picky kids, the fact that the tomatoes even touched the salad is a deal breaker.
Dinner at Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza just opened two new locations in DFW and invited my family to come check it out. The premise is somewhat unique. You can build your own pizza with whatever toppings you like for a flat price. They cook it in a crazy-hot oven for just three minutes.
All of their pizzas are 11-inches {personal sized, but small children who can agree could split one} and the crust is made from scratch daily in each restaurant location. It’s a thin and crispy, California-style crust and they also have a gluten-free version.
Blaze also has salads, fountain drinks and local beer, and a dessert pizza called s’more pie.
My experience
When we got to the restaurant, there were a handful of people in line ahead of us and a line quickly formed behind us too. Somehow it moved really fast though because we were eating within what seemed like maybe 15 or 20 minutes. When you get to the counter, someone writes your name and a number on a ticket, then put the crust on top.
You move down the line, choosing what sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetables you want on your pizza. You can choose from a few pre-selected combinations or pick as much as you want for a flat price.
I opted to build my own with pesto, mozzarella, grilled chicken, onions, bell peppers, olives, and a pinch of sea salt.
The rest of my family also went for the build-your-own pizza. You can see that some of us like vegetables more than others.
Everyone was really friendly and helpful. Since it was our first visit, we were all pretty indecisive about the toppings. You’ve got 30+ choices here.
My husband’s choice was traditional red sauce and mozzarella – plus pepperoni, salami, onions, and peppers.
At the end of the line, someone pops your pizza in the brick oven. You can see the whole thing from the register. By the time I’d paid for the four of us, the two in front of me were ready and mine was going in. No sitting and waiting.
Almost everyone finished their pizza, but nobody was hungry afterward either.
The prices were nice too, and comparable to just about any other fast food restaurant. {Less than $8 per pizza.} I like to think a fresh pizza is at least little healthier than a cheeseburger and of course, I loved that everyone could choose exactly what they wanted – right down to the sauce.
The only downside that I noticed was that my fingers got pretty messy from the flour on the bottom of the crust. Thank goodness for napkins.
If you go
Blaze Pizza has eight restaurants in Texas, including the two that opened in DFW in Fort Worth and The Colony. You can also find them in a whole bunch of other states.
While I love how fast it was to get our food in the restaurant, I know there are times when I want to just order something to go. You can place an order online and they’ll cook your pizzas when you arrive.
Check out the menu online – it also includes all the allergy info you might need.
I like how you say that you would want to find a restaurant’s menu before you go if you have picky eaters. It would make sense to go somewhere that is going to support your child’s habits. My sister is looking for a restaurant for her kids, so she’ll have to check the menu first.
Most restaurants have their menu online, so it saves some frustration at the table. Sometimes I check the menu ahead of time for myself so I don’t take too long to decide too!