My sister had a few rules before I could take my eleven year old niece, Aubrey, to Paris & London.  The first rule was to feed her every few hours even if she says she isn’t hungry (this seemed easy?).  The second rule was no empty calories like I normally eat! (yeah thanks for the dig at my lack of nutrition!  but this one made me laugh -it’s Paris, there would be empty calories in the form of yummy temptations like macarons & chocolate and baguettes & croissants everywhere).  I would learn that my niece is part foodie (eating her body weight in cheese) and still a little kid enjoying her ice cream (lots of ice cream).

The majority of time I’d spent with my niece had been family events where it seemed she ate like a normal child.  Prior to this ten day trip, I had only one dinner with her that was just the two of us and I had some insight to the quantity of food she would consume and thought it was a fluke.  In fact, I said “do you have two stomachs, like a cow?” and was promptly told that a cow has four stomachs! This one dinner here in Philly after our movie adventure to see “Frozen” was $120 (I thought she was a kid and would get a burger?  Nope, apparently she is a little foodie!).

My sister’s first rule of feeding her every few hours became quite apparent before we left the U.S.  We had dinner in New York City before our trek (amazing race) to JFK airport.  When we reached the British Airways lounge just two hours after our meal, she found the mini-sandwiches which she inhaled and then went back to the food area for hummus, vegetables and pitas.  Me?  I wanted wine but settled for water and cookies (my normal empty calories).

On the flight to London, just two hours after the lounge food, Aubrey, ordered and finished an appetizer, salad and entree with dessert.  She watched “Frozen” and with a flat bed fell asleep (how could she not, she was full of food).  Prior to landing, she had a breakfast sandwich, smoothie and muffin and then less than an hour later joined me for breakfast in T5.

I was starting to think I got the wrong end of this and that my sister was laughing at home as she enjoyed the cost savings of not having Aubrey home.  In fact, I would learn that she ate at their favorite sushi restaurant twice during our holiday as it was so affordable without my niece.  Growing up in Philly, I remember three meals a day and maybe a treat.  The food wasn’t fancy and we would go out for pizza or fish on Fridays as a family treat.  My nieces started requesting their favorite takeaway and restaurants when they were toddlers!

Feed Me Seymour! Feed Me!

So back to the food in Paris and London, my niece would eat at least five times a day!  At one point on our Seine cruise, I bought her a snack on board, she then ate the snacks in her bag and then eyed up my snacks  (my paltry cashews and M&Ms) with sad eyes which I felt selfish for not sharing because I’m the adult so I gave her some as if her life depended on it (not that there weren’t a million food kiosks/vendors in Paris). Later at midnight, when I ready to sleep after dinner (my third meal of the day), she asked if she could eat her baguette – happy that it wouldn’t cost me anything, I said “of course”.

So here are just a few of her eats on our trip – does your eleven year old child eat like this?  I should probably eat more like this, but then again, I’m a fan of empty calories!

Feeding her inner child foodie

 

Aubrey wanted to eat lots and lots of cheese which she easily accomplished with the many Brie sandwiches and the French Onion Soup.  She wanted to eat French foods which we did at the restaurant near Hotel Fabric with only French menus. With the mushroom amuse-bouche and the warmed artichokes in foie gras, she was able to check that off her list.  When we visited London, she continued on the cheese quest with a Goat Cheese salad, Truffled Mac and Cheese and a Croque Monsieur.

 

Enjoying the Kids’ Foods

Despite the many foodie selections, she made me smile with the kid choices especially the ice cream (sorry Mom – more empty calories!) – I had to forget the actual cost once the fx was applied (the brownie sundae was about $30!).  It was the ice cream that made her happy so how could I say no – I’m the aunt!