How to Eat More Veg on Holiday

Picture your kids eating on holiday and what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Scoops of ice cream? Chocolate croissants? Anything with chips?

Going away with small children requires so much hard work and organisation that their nutrition may be the last thing on your mind. But with a few simple steps you can ensure that veggies stay part of their day to day, keeping up their energy, immune systems and (hopefully) preventing any post holiday pizza/chicken nugget/insert other bland 'children's menu' item food ruts.

1. Pack for the plane. Packaged snacks are easy to transport but spend a couple of minutes slicing the night before you travel and you can have a tupperware full of veggie sticks and dips to keep little ones entertained as they fly.

2. Plan for snacks. If you pack a tupperware for the plane, you can wash and reuse it throughout the holiday. Even if you're in a hotel, most rooms have a fridge or mini bar and there are often local markets within walking distance which sell basics like carrot, cucumber and pepper. Slice them up, store in the tupperware and bring to the beach/water park/tourist attraction of your choice.

3. Eat together and order off menu. Ditch the kids menus which often focus on a fried protein source plus chips and share dishes or order smaller versions of other offerings. Sides are a great way to incorporate some veg into a meal at smaller portions, especially in places like Spain and Greece. Ask the restaurant to pop scary sauces or dressings on the side.

4. Veggies for breakfast. Spanish bread rubbed with tomato, green smoothies, avocado toast, sweetcorn fritters, full English with mushrooms and beans. Look for veggie based options on hotel menus or make them yourself to start the day with a vegetable boost.

5. Find a market. Foreign markets are often so much more exciting. Take your kids, browse the rainbow stalls, then let them choose one fruit and one vegetable they like the look of or are keen to try. Take it back to self catering accommodation or even your hotel, slice it up and have a taste!

6. Pack a Veggienauts Club subscription box. If you're heading to self-catered accommodation, why not pack one of our boxes and test out the local produce? We recently took our June AUBERGINE box to Portugal and the kids had a blast testing the activities in the sunshine and making the recipes to eat together as a family.

7. Relax. Yes it's great to incorporate more veggies into your children's diet and eating a rainbow is where we want to be, but a week of beige plus the odd synthetic rainbow here and there isn't going to do much harm in the long term.