Bring outside food to restaurant for child

[Anonymous]

Do you do this for your child and up to what age?

We've done this for our child who is now 5, and it's never been an issue, but we were told at a BBQ place that it's a health code violation? I never knew and didn't think it was an issue for a young kid to have their own food or snacks.

When possible we order off the menu for him. In his specific instance, he has a sensory issue with foods and will gag/retch/vomit/turn red to new foods or even familiar foods served in different ways. So we try to order off the menu if we can and have a backup bag just in case. In this instance, the BBQ place didn't have a kids me u and the one option of mac and cheese for him was very spicy.

[Anonymous]

If your kid has food issues, why are you going to restaurants with him?

[Anonymous]

It is technically. Feed before you go.

[Anonymous]

If the purpose of taking your kid to restaurants is exposure to new foods, I get it.

But feed him before you go, and if you have to feed him while you're there, somebody has to take him into the parking lot.

My kid has extreme allergies, and he's eaten many a meal in the car or sitting on the sidewalk adjacent to the parking lot.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thank you. And yes we keep up with exposing him to new foods and will try to order off the menu if remotely think it might work, but have backup in case. It just doesn't always work out that there's something he'll eat.

We'll feed him in the car from now on if we must. We just never had a restaurant bat an eye at a young child having outside food and didn't know it's a health code violation. I get that it would be rude for an older kid or adult to bring outside food, but have seen young kids with outside food at restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you. And yes we keep up with exposing him to new foods and will try to order off the menu if remotely think it might work, but have backup in case. It just doesn't always work out that there's something he'll eat.

We'll feed him in the car from now on if we must. We just never had a restaurant bat an eye at a young child having outside food and didn't know it's a health code violation. I get that it would be rude for an older kid or adult to bring outside food, but have seen young kids with outside food at restaurants.

I think 5 is considered an age where a child could be expected to eat off the menu if the parents choose to visit that restaurant with their child. It’s understandable when a 2 year old eats outside food, but a 5 year old is school aged and the restaurant wouldn’t be wrong to expect that the child will eat food offered by the restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has food issues, why are you going to restaurants with him?

+1

[Anonymous]

We have friends whose children (now 12) only eats about 5 foods. At any restaurant, they order him a bowl of rice and a glass of milk, and that's his meal. Restaurants accommodate that type of ordering.

[Anonymous]

*child* not *children*

[Anonymous]

I've seen lots of people bring bottles for infants and those applesauce/veggie pouches or some rice puffs for small children (under 2). But that's basically it. Haven't seen it done for older kids than that.

[Anonymous]

I think giving a toddler some goldfish or those pouches for infants while waiting for food is fine, but you bring an actual meal for a five year old?? I can totally see why that would be a health department violation and you shouldn’t do that. If your kid is so restricted in his eating habits, don’t take him to restaurants where there is nothing he can eat. I can understand if he is reluctant to try sushi or something unusual, but if he will vomit at BBQ, don’t take him to a BBQ restaurant! Or ask for some plain noodles. Whipping out a PBJ is super weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you. And yes we keep up with exposing him to new foods and will try to order off the menu if remotely think it might work, but have backup in case. It just doesn't always work out that there's something he'll eat.

We'll feed him in the car from now on if we must. We just never had a restaurant bat an eye at a young child having outside food and didn't know it's a health code violation. I get that it would be rude for an older kid or adult to bring outside food, but have seen young kids with outside food at restaurants.

He's not that young. He has to adapt or stay home.

[Anonymous]

Check the menus online in advance. If there’s nothing your 5 yo will eat, choose a different restaurant that has something on the menu your kid will eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you. And yes we keep up with exposing him to new foods and will try to order off the menu if remotely think it might work, but have backup in case. It just doesn't always work out that there's something he'll eat.

We'll feed him in the car from now on if we must. We just never had a restaurant bat an eye at a young child having outside food and didn't know it's a health code violation. I get that it would be rude for an older kid or adult to bring outside food, but have seen young kids with outside food at restaurants.

I feel like OP is one of those parents who calls their 5 year old “a toddler”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has food issues, why are you going to restaurants with him?

+1

Because it's not an anaphylactic allergy issue, it's an occasional, might not eat off the menu issue, which could happen with the best eating of 5 year olds.

And I guess I felt it was easier on the restaurant than making a weird request for cooking something off the menu or asking them to accommodate our kids needs. Maybe not considering the person who said the kid gets rice in every restaurant.