by Ed van der Lande, founder of More Toddler Meals
Ah, summer. You’ve planned the perfect family holiday. Sun cream packed, travel cot assembled, toddler outfit game strong. You picture lazy lunches, new flavours, perhaps even a child who eats their vegetables without negotiating.
Reality, however, tends to arrive with a major meltdown at a motorway services.
Because here’s the thing, nobody tells you about summer with toddlers: the heat, the disrupted routine, the sheer relentless novelty of it all plays absolute havoc with mealtimes. Picture the child who reliably ate their pasta on a Tuesday evening at home – in a holiday cottage with a two-ring hob – an entirely different creature.
As a dad of two toddlers, founder of More Toddler Meals and former Army Officer, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to feed small children well when you’re far from your own kitchen. Here’s what’s actually worked for us.
Tip: Don’t abandon your standards just because you’re away
It’s tempting, when you’re tired and the supermarket options are limited, to reach for whatever is quick and familiar. And yes, sometimes that’s fine. But the meals your toddler eats in their first few years genuinely shape the eater they’ll become; the textures they accept, the flavours they enjoy, the breadth of what ends up on their plate at age five.
Summer doesn’t have to mean a nutritional holiday. With a little forward planning it can be a brilliant window for adventurous eating. New places, a relaxed pace and a picnic blanket is a surprisingly powerful combination for getting a toddler to try something new.
Tip: Think about texture (it really matters)
One thing I feel strongly about: toddlers need something to actually bite into. An over-reliance on smooth pouches, convenient though they are, can genuinely slow down early chewing development. Chunky, textured food builds oral motor skills and food confidence in ways that purée simply doesn’t.
At home this comes naturally when you’re cooking from scratch. When away, it takes a bit more intention. Look for options that offer real texture, not just something to squeeze out of a packet.
Tip: Keep it savoury
Summer brings an abundance of naturally sweet things; ice creams, fruit, yoghurt pouches and, while there’s nothing wrong with any of those, a strong preference for sweetness built up early on can make savoury foods a hard sell later.
Aiming for a proper savoury meal as the anchor of the day, even on holiday, is a simple habit that pays dividends long after the tan has faded.
Tip: Pack like you’re going on expedition
There’s an old military principle: proper planning prevents poor performance. It absolutely applies to toddler mealtimes too!
Our summer adventure food checklist:
• Flask of hot water – more useful than you think, even in the height of summer.
• Snacks beyond rice cakes – fruit, cheese, savoury bites.
• A proper meal option that doesn’t need refrigeration.
• Water bottles – hydration drops off fast in the heat.
• Spoon, bowl and wipes (always the wipes).
Fresh air and excitement dramatically increase toddler appetites. Pack more than you think you’ll need. Rationing oat bars on a beach is nobody’s idea of a good holiday.
Tip: Let the setting do the work
A toddler who flatly refuses pasta at the kitchen table will sometimes eat the exact same thing enthusiastically from a plastic pot on a picnic blanket. The novelty of eating outside, in a different place, with different sounds around them, is genuinely powerful.
Use it. A foreign supermarket, a farmers’ market, a new café. Frame it as an adventure rather than a mealtime and you’ll often be surprised what they’ll try.
Final thoughts: Good food travels
Feeding your toddler well over the summer isn’t about perfect picnics or colour-coordinated lunchboxes.
It’s about:
• Planning ahead so you’re not making desperate decisions when everyone is tired and hungry.
• Keeping texture and variety in the mix even when you’re away from your own kitchen.
• Not letting convenience become the enemy of quality.
Some days will feel effortlessly wholesome. Others will end with emergency snacks in the car and the quiet acceptance that you did your best. Both are completely fine.
The meals your toddler eats this summer won’t just fuel their adventures – they’ll help shape the eater they become. And that’s worth a bit of forward planning, wherever you end up.
More Toddler Meals are freeze-dried toddler meals that just need water added to be munch-ready in minutes. Nutritious, wholesome and genuinely travel-friendly.
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot and available on Ocado and www.moretoddlermeals.co.uk
