It’s easy to feed children well on the road in Greece. Whether you’re navigating a taverna menu for a Bolognese pasta taste-alike (quick answer: Pastitsio), assembling an easy, locally-inspired breakfast, or looking for a shortcut to dinner (skip to end of post), we list some tips and sometimes-healthy ideas for feeding first eaters and beyond in the land renowned for its culinary heritage.
BREAKFAST & SNACKS
Greek Yoghurt – with honey, walnuts,”spoon sweets” (our favourite is quince), fresh figs, walnuts… TIP – instead of FAGE (a popular brand internationally), try local brands like Complet by Delta for a more luscious taste and texture. 
Spanakopita (spinach pie) from a local bakery. If spinach is too ambitious, try tiropita, a feta cheese-filled pastry. 
Bougatsa – A sweet semolina custard pie. Nice-to-know: Filo pastry, used in most Greek pastries, does not contain saturated fat. Just flour, water and olive oil. 
Kolouri – a sesame-sprinkled giant doughnut shaped ring of semi-sweet bread. Also available at bakeries. 
Fruit in Greece burst with flavour like nature intended. Forget packaged food.
TAVERNA SIDES & MAINS (MEAT)
Kolokithakia – lightly-fried zucchini chips that rival the potato chip. Always a hit. Also try: tomatokeftedes (tomato balls / fritters) and kolokithokeftedes (zucchini balls / fritters). 
Pastitsio – Greek lasagna topped with béchamel cream sauce . 
Burger and meatball equivalents: bifteki (a burger without the bread, pictured here), keftedes (fried meatballs) and soutzoukakia (long-ish meatballs in red sauce), 
Souvlaki – pork or chicken grilled and served on a stick. Often confused with pita gyros (shaved meat in a wrap). 
Meats in red sauce options: rooster in red wine sauce with pasta (pictured here). Moschari kokkinisto is a beef stew, again served with pasta, rice or fries. 
Kotopoulo lemonato (oven-baked lemon chicken and potatoes in foreground) – the Greek-take on the classic roast chicken. 
Gigantes plaki – giant sized white beans oven baked in a tomato based sauce with a creamy, buttery texture. Easy to mash for weaning babies. 
Fasolakia, a green bean stew, (especially delicious when cooked with a broad and flat green bean variety called Romano) is also good for baby purees.
SEAFOOD TAVERNA MAINS
Grilled sardelles (sardines) – full of omega-3 fatty acids, as small fish, they also don’t accumulate as much contaminants. Sardines have one of the lowest mercury levels amongst fish. 
Fried calamari is a seafood taverna staple for us. 
Fagri (when available) – delicately sweet and a winner for my fussy-with-fish children. Best grilled. How to pick the freshest catch? Look for bright eyes, shiny scales and red gills. 
Barbounia (red mullet) – a small fish type, also on the oilier side. Typically fried and sweet to taste. 
Gavros (fried anchovies) – another small, oily and tasty fish rich in omega-3. Often fried and served as an appetizer. Again, try this in place of potato fries. 
More pasta: shrimp pasta, crayfish pasta, or lobster pasta
MEALS OF ULTIMATE CONVENIENCE: THE MAGEIREIO & PITA GYROS SHOP
Too tired to deal with the restaurant experience with kids on the verge of a meltdown? Aside from pizza, there are always pita gyros (pita bread stuffed with meat slices and fries) wraps to go. These are usually available in fast food spots, specialty stores and grill houses. Also good-to-know is the “mageireio”, a home-style kitchen with ready-cooked food (e.g. moussaka, oven backed chicken or lamb, vegetable stews) that gets dished out for takeaway.
