✈️ From Chicken Nuggets to Confidence
How Trying New Foods Helped Us Travel with More Freedom
If you’ve been following our journey, you know that Avery’s Autism Adventures is all about making travel more accessible, joyful, and doable for neurodivergent families like ours. But what you might not know is that before we could explore the world — or even enjoy a weekend away — we had to first face something much closer to home:
🍽️ Food challenges.
The Real Reason Many Autism Families Don’t Travel
It’s not just the flights.
Or the hotel beds.
Or the unpredictable schedules (though those matter too).
For many autism families, one of the biggest barriers to travel is food.
When your child only eats five very specific things — and they’re not available at your destination — it can feel downright impossible to go anywhere. And even if you do pack food from home, it adds stress, planning, and pressure to what should be a fun experience.
We’ve been there.
For years, we stayed close to home because Avery’s food preferences were extremely limited. We knew where to find the right brand of nuggets, the crackers she trusted, the exact temperature of smoothie she’d actually drink. It was frustrating.
Why Trying New Foods Became Part of Our Travel Prep
We realized that if we wanted more freedom — to see new places, visit family, go on adventures — we had to slowly expand Avery’s comfort zone around food.
It wasn’t about forcing anything. It was about gently encouraging exploration at home so that we’d be ready to explore the world.
And it worked — not overnight, but gradually.
Now we travel with more confidence, knowing she’ll eat a smoothie in the morning no matter where we are, and that she’s open to trying local pizza, hotel breakfast buffets, and new treats we find on the road. In fact, she absolutely loves to try new foods now.
✨ Here Are Some Tips That Helped Us:
1. Start at Home, Not on the Road
We practiced trying new foods when things were calm — not during busy weeks or while already stressed. We called them “Bite Checks” and kept it playful and low-pressure. Just a thumbs up/thumbs down response neeeded.
2. Use “No, Thank You” Bites
Just one bite — that’s it. If she didn’t like it, she could say “no thank you” with no consequence. But she had to try. This gave her agency and helped reduce anxiety around new flavors and textures.
3. Make Food Part of the Adventure
Instead of dreading restaurant menus, we started building excitement: “Let’s do an Avery’s Bite Check on this!” or “Let’s make our own travel snack taste test!”
4. Involve Her in the Process
Avery helps shop, prep, and blend her smoothies — especially her Skillsville Smoothie and Xavier Smoothie, which are packed with the supplements that help her thrive. Ownership has made a big difference.
5. Have a Few Safe Wins Ready
Even now, we travel with some familiar items: capsule versions of her probiotics, popcorn she likes, or her favorite fruit snacks. Having those “safe foods” on hand gives her confidence to try something new.
💡 Food and Freedom Go Hand-in-Hand
Working on food flexibility didn’t just help Avery eat more — it helped her experience more. It gave us the confidence to explore new places without worrying about every single meal.
It also helped us turn eating into a shared experience — from farmer’s market snacks in Maine to pasta bolognese in Ojai, and berry smoothies everywhere in between.
🧃 Explore More on Avery’s Bite Check
If you’re just starting this journey, check out this Avery’s Bite Check blog — where we share recipes, food reviews, and tips for helping picky eaters take one brave bite at a time. Thumbs up or down only!
And remember: it’s not about eating everything. It’s about taking one small step toward something new — and celebrating the adventure that follows.
