Help with a picky eater

[Scarlet_J]

I have a 10 year old picky eater, but is not your typical picky kid. It is very difficult, even at home when we can plan better for her. I'd like to throw out there all the things I can usually get her to eat, and would love anyone's input of where to find it, or ideas you have. I'm not planning to do any grocery order, but I'm fine picking up some items from the food court/resort shops. I haven't done this in the past, but think I'll bring a small lunch bag so I can have a few things on hand for her. Most sit down restaurants are fine since she will always eat pasta with butter, but quick service is much harder. She will also eat things like potato chips, french fries, and popcorn, which are fine as snacks or sides, but would like to get her more substance before she eats these.

She will eat:
yogurt as long as it is blended with no chunks - preferably not a light or low fat yogurt - greek yogurt is best because it has more protein, danimals and go-gurts are fine but tend to not be as filling
fruit except bananas
raw cucumbers and carrots
hot dogs that are boiled (soft skin)
Sabra hummus and pretzel cups (I know some places have this)
steamed broccoli and carrots (as long as it is plain and not too soggy)
mac and cheese but only if it is the shell kind of pasta with a creamier sauce (not kraft or anything like kraft)
waffles
a turkey sandwich but only if it is small, plain, and with a slice of tomato
hard boiled eggs, but only fresh or ones I could warm up - she won't eat the cold ones you can get prepackaged in the cold case

I've been scouring menus and making notes, but any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TwoMisfits]

I know you don't want to, but with food availability the way it is and menus always changing and the ease that you can get and carry a lot of your list from the grocery, I'd order a grocery box for your child.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Ditto, as TwoMisfits mentioned, menus change all the time and it's hard to predict what they'll have.

However, you can find fresh fruit at the liberty market in MK and also at Harambe Market in AK but you can usually also find it in the QS/Food courts at resorts too in baskets and sometimes in fridges if it's precut. I have seen sabre pretzel and hummus at the resorts but not sure where and that may be hit or miss. You can def get waffles at Sleepy Hollow and very easily at many restaurants at breakfast time.

Not sure how the hot dogs around the parks are cooked but I would venture to guess most are not grilled outside of say ronto roasters so that could be an easy find there.

The mac and cheese at WDW for kids is some of the worst mac and cheese and I'm not sure if any are even shell shaped. And even if it is, the day you go it may be elbows, darn supply chains.....

Good luck. I hate to say it but for a place designed to delight kids, the food for kids is bad. My children like Disney food now that they're teens and eat more of a variety of food but when they were little, I packed a lot of snacks for them.

 

[TOBS2010]

My oldest is a pretty icky eater as well. Looking at menus ahead of our trip in a few months I feel like it is more challenging than it was back in 2019 when we were last there ahead of the pandemic. We are picking TS and even QS locations based on what I know if there for my kids to eat. If there is nothing there for them, then we are ruling it out. We usually do a grocery order in WDW, but I am nervous this time around because where we are staying they have swapped out mini fridges for a beverage cooler. So the usual cheese, yogurt, milk, cream cheese and even uncrustables that I typically get I am nervous if they will keep safely for multiple days. The important thing to remember is that even if you are there for a week--it's only a week. As long as your kid is eating something they will be ok. Still I try to plan where we are eating out on paper to try and make sure my son gets something healthy/with protein every day as best as I can. But he has successfully lived off of french fries, pizza and uncrustables for a solid week and survived in WDW.

 

[disney castle days]

I was a super picky eater as a kid (and still am).

I definitely agree with doing a food order so you have some safe foods, some hotels (it might be only the ones with dvc attached but not sure) do have food in the gift shops if you need something quick and don't want to order from the grocery store.

For table services, I always recommend doing buffets when possible, it gives the best chance for them to find something to eat. It is a more expensive option (especially when I was like 12 and got only a plate of grapes), but there are usually fruits and veggies at all buffets, and most breakfasts tend to have yogurt. They also almost all have mac and cheese just not sure the type, I personally like Disney mac and cheese but I haven't had it in a few years now.

Hollywood Studios - look at ABC Commissary. It usually has the best options for plain eating, and they should have a turkey sandwich on the kid's menu. Backlot Express should also have options. Anaheim produce also has fruits and yogurts.

Magic Kingdom - Columbia Harbor House has greek yogurt on their menu as a side and I believe Pinnocchio's should as well.

Animal Kingdom - Restaurantosaurus usually is the safest option, not sure what they have on the menu currently. The Harambe Market area also has a stand with a bunch of fruit

Disney Springs - Earl of Sandwich and there are a bunch of different stands with options.

For Epcot, I would recommend taking a boat over to one of the nearby hotels and going to their quick services. The Land Cart and the Refreshment Port should have some options (like fruit) but if you want a full meal the surrounding hotels are probably a better option.