5 Road Trip Ideas for Kids With Autism and Picky Eating

The sun is out and the road is calling you! You’re ready to leave your cares behind. (Can’t you just feel your hair blowing in the wind?!)

If your honey with autism struggles with picky eating, the thought of being miles away from your kitchen, (and maybe your freezer full of chicken nuggets or other beloved favorite) is likely stressful. Kids with autism and picky eating often struggle to eat at school or during visits to grandma and grandpa’s, let alone an excursion taking them any number of miles away from home.

So, today, let’s talk about a few steps you can take to plan a road trip for your picky eater with autism that will set you and your child up for eating success – on the road! 

1)    Step one (you guessed it!), honor the mealtime schedule. 

By now, you’ve heard me bring this up almost a zillion times. I’ve talked about the importance of mealtime schedules here, here, and here. A mealtime schedule is soooo important! Yes, even on the road trip.

• A mealtime schedule can prevent or improve constipation, and let’s be honest, nobody wants to be constipated in the car!

• It can keep your child’s day predictable – which is extra helpful when you’re traveling and away from your regular routines.

• It can help your child come to the table hungry and ready to eat in a new environment.

• Most importantly in the context of the road trip: It can keep your child from being hangry on the road!

If your child is eating car snacks the whole way to your meal stop, they aren’t going to eat well when they get to the meal stop (in other words: your kiddo will be full of crackers and refuse to eat anything nutritious…nor will there be another chance to for many miles). Likewise, if your child is eating nothing for hours on end, they’re not going to feel their best (read: unpleasant car experience).

2)    Be prepared with alternatives when your child asks for a snack.

Because we are going to try to put some time, and in this case, miles, between your child’s mealtimes-per their schedule, you’ll want to be prepared with a few things up your sleeve. You know, for that moment when your honey is bored and wants to pass the time with a snack. As anyone would!

You want to be able to say, “It’s not time for a snack yet, but you can…” and insert an activity that they can do in the car as they wait.

Fill a basket with a few fun distractions for moments that get hard. In your basket, you could include sensory toys, a book on tape to pop into the CD player, or travel versions of common board games. (Tip: Raid the dollar section at Target before the trip!)

3)    Use visual schedules.

I suggest having a visual schedule for your kiddo: 1) to show your child how much farther to your destination and 2) to show them when meal stops are coming up - not to mention any other fun stops along the way. This kind of predictability will keep the ‘are we there yets’ to a minimum and help your child stick to their mealtime schedule.

BIAS Behavioral has an adorable - and practical! - visual schedule for tracking progress to various destinations for purchase here.

Thrive has a fantastic post on how to create your own visual schedule – both for everyday car rides as well as special road trips - with landmarks and pit stops along your way.

4)    Keep utensils and other feeding tools your child needs in the car – even when you get to your final destination.

Your child might need a certain cup or prefer a specific fork. Maybe they use a refillable squeeze pouch to eat pureed foods. Whatever special things your kiddo needs to eat, make sure these things, and extras, get packed and come along on your trip.

Aaaaaaand, when you get to your final destination, keep one of the extras stored in the car. That way, when you’re out on a day trip, later on, you can’t forget them. There are a lot of moving pieces, people, and parts on a family road trip, so, fool-proof the things you can, Momma!

5)    Pack, and stop for, preferred items on your child with autism’s food list.

Because your child is a selective eater, you’re probably already planning to bring as many of their favorite, familiar foods along as possible. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention it, right?!

Don’t forget to take advantage of grocery stores as potential rest stops, too. They might be a better opportunity for finding your child’s favorite foods than a gas station or quick stop.

If your child eats foods with modified texture, you might also consider purchasing a small bullet or another compact blender to bring along. Packing a full-size blender takes a lot of real estate in your vehicle. Plus, a compact one can come in handy for other future trips – including when you travel by plane.

Pack it up and hit the road for a summer trip with confidence using these 5 tips for planning a road trip with your picky eater!

What are your tried-and-true tips for planning a long car ride with your child with autism and picky eating? Write a comment to share!

Like these ideas for a road trip? Get some of my best tips for picky eaters with autism in this free resource.