Turning road trips into food travels

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Are you ready for food travels?

When it comes to taking a family on a road trip, the moaning, groaning and complaining begins. From how much longer to he’s touching me, the cramped quarters can make even an hour seem like a lifetime. To break up the boredom of being stuck in confined quarters, our family makes a road trip into food travels.

Talking food, kids and food travel with Chef Graham Elliot, Chicago
Talking food, kids and food travel with Chef Graham Elliot, Chicago

 

As big fans of the Food Network, Top Chef and other cooking programs, I enjoy sharing my love of food and cooking with my family. I have found that watching these shows and my work has helped my family be more adventurous in your food choices. When we travel, our food stops aren’t at the nationally recognizable chains. We seek out the unusual, unlikely and unique places to eat in our food travels.

In trying to find our food travels adventure stop, I often turn to shows that we watch. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives or Man vs. Food provide lots of restaurants throughout the nation. It can be fun to try the dishes that our family has seen highlighted on the television shows. After all, when you are on vacation, diets are thrown out the window and indulgence is allowed.

Old Salty Dog, Longboat Key, Florida. Man vs. Food hot dog challenge
Old Salty Dog, Longboat Key, Florida. Man vs. Food hot dog challenge

For example, the Old Salty Dog in Longboat Key has a hot dog that was featured on Man vs. Food. It was a fun food travel destination. My husband thought that they deep fried, fully loaded hot dog with fries was a great idea for lunch. This food item isn’t for the vegetarian or light eater. It is definitely a plateful and more but a fun choice for a food travels option.

Even when your family isn’t traveling, a fun break from the norm can be seeking out different restaurants in your area. Going to a new restaurant can be the perfect way to introduce your kids (or your husband) to new flavor profiles, styles and ingredients. In our household, my kids must try a new food every time we go to a new restaurant (dessert doesn’t count). From a seasonal veggies like beets to ethnic ingredients like lemon grass, trying a new ingredient or dish can help expand a child’s palate. Slow exposure to new items can help reduce the fear and avoid the ick factor.

Next time your family is on a road trip think about making it food travel.

written by Cristine

Topic: food travels