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Award-winning San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins wishes American restaurants would take a page -- a menu page -- from their counterparts in other parts of the world.

"The United States is one of the only places in the world that has special meals for kids," she said. "We are conditioned to teach kids to eat differently than we do and that is a mistake." This is especially true when kids' menus are not only pedestrian, but unhealthy, serving up processed, fat-laden dishes like macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers.

Here are five ways to up your food game -- and encourage picky eaters to try new foods on your next 2017 trip:

CONSIDER A CRUISE. Families tell me cruises offer the chance for kids to try all kinds of new foods, because if they don't like something, they can simply order something else. And at the bountiful buffets you can encourage them to sample something beyond pizza or a burger and fries (a curry, for example). According to the 2016 Portrait of the American Traveler, the vast majority of those polled who vacationed with kids -- 88 percent -- said food available onboard was influential in their cruise line selection. Just be mindful of the upcharges for specialty restaurants aboard ship. (Check to see if kids can go free, as those staying in Carnival Vista's Family Harbor can, or at a reduced price.)

VISIT A FARMER'S MARKET where you can chat with local farmers about what they grow and taste varieties of fruits and vegetables different from home. One of my favorites is the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco; Barcelona's La Boqueria Food Market also shouldn't be missed. The Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles has been its city's most extraordinary landmark since 1934 when 18 pick-up trucks drove onto a large vacant lot to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to families in the growing community. Let the kids help choose picnic fixings.

TAKE A FOOD TOUR and learn about local culture through food. Most recently, I took a food tour in Athens with Context Travel, which offers themed walking tours all over the world. Another particularly good one was the "eating history" tour in London's East End with EatingLondonTours.co.uk. Another option: Designate food as your interest when you sign up for a complimentary tour led by a local through the Global Greeter Network, which operates in cities around the world. How about desserts, if you are in NYC with Sugartooth Tours.

SIGN ON FOR A FAMILY COOKING CLASS. You'll find them all around the world, from the Family Funday at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley to La Cuisine Paris where courses are taught in English.

Got your apron?

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)

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