How much pizza should my kids order ?(a weight issue)
 

My high schoolers will be leaving in 8 days for a trip to Italy with the school choir. All of the lunches are "on their own" and with the sad shape of the US dollar, I'm trying to tell them ways to save money on food.

When we were in Rome as a family, we stayed just off the Campo dei Fiori and got a few snacks from a bakery (probably not the correct name for it.) Anyway, all of these types of places seemed to sell yummy looking pizza cut in squares, which they sold by the weight. We didn't ever order any because we didn't know how much to order. If a kid wanted one or two squares of pizza, how many [insert metric term] would they order?

(Additional money saving tips are welcome!!!!!)

I've been in that bakery many times. You don't have to pay first so your children can show the people by "hand language" what size they want and then they weigh it. They are very nice in there so there shouldn't be a problem.

Am I understanding what you're asking?

In Florence my daughter went to out of the way restaurants. When there was confusion, the waiters would act out the menu...like cluck like a chicken, etc. Your children shouldn't have any problems as long as they try to communicate.

I'm no expert, but would point and hold up 1 finger and smile & see what I got and how much it cost. Then I'd know for the next time.

Hi M

454 g = 1 lb.

200 g = 1/2 lb (about)

100 g = 1/4 lb (about)

50 g = 2 oz (about)

((I))

Un etto is 100 grams. That's about right for one person. We ordered this way and always had enough.

Yes, have them point at what they want and hold up how many fingers for the amount of slices. Is this what you are asking?

Don't let the counterperson switch and give them a bad piece, you have to watch to make sure it is the one you wanted. I was once a victim of bait and switch pizza slice!

I have such meal fears for them. When they are "on their own" for meals they are never really on their own, but rather, in a small group headed by an adult chaperone. I know that for many of these adult chaperones, it will be their first trip to Europe. I just KNOW they're mostly going to end up in the type of places everyone here warns against...you know, the places with the laminated menus with pictures of the food and descriptions in English and 12 other languages.

(I'm also concerned that the multiple Coca Colas they will order is going to wipe out their entire food budget!)

Missypie!!!! Relax!!! Take it from a mother of a grown daughter who has been all over Europe many times since she was young.....What they eat, they eat! You have no control when they're away from you. You can give them as much information as you can. They will learn lessons (as will the adult caperones) They are young. They will return to Europe in the future with more knowledge. They will have a wonderful time no matter what.

The Cokes are a real issue LOL!

I took a group of teens to Europe a few years ago. I had pretty much told them it was ONE coke only. So at dinner in Paris I let them go wild (we were well under budget) The check comes and they passed it around. I heard the GASP as they realized they had spent MORE on cokes then on food. (After that I noticed they drank a lot of water!)

On my trip I was the only person with any exposure to Europe. One of the other chaperones had been 20 years ago and that was it. We did fine.

Now when I turned them loose.... where did they eat? KFC, McDonald's etc... It's just part of being a teen. But they learned a lot. By the end of the three weeks they had it down. (I saw them diligienty working this all out in Swizterland. I gave out lunch money and they were pretty broke otherwise by then... They priced out thier food, thier ice cream and thier cab back to Our Chalet which I would not pay for since you COULD walk and they were in good shape! And they had to be more creative here. The small town doesn't have American fast food!)

I'm pretty confident that my kids, if it was just the two of them, would do fine choosing a restaurant and ordering food. I'm more worried about tourist traps to which the tour company might steer them, or to which the adults might gravitate. I really don't care if they eat at McDonalds...better that than paying 3 times the price for "authentic" spaghetti and meatballs. I'm going to remind my daughter how much she liked the margherita pizza when we were there and encourage her to have that as her stand by. My son is a more adventurous eater....he will be disappointed if they don't have any decent meals. And, of course, I want them to have money left over for gelato!

I don't have kids so perhaps I'm not the best to suggest, but...

Have you established a food budget for each day with enough money to cover just that budget? It may keep them from ordering too many cokes or too much expensive food.

I've eaten at these pizza by the weight/slice. Very easy, just go in, point to what you would like and they will put the knife down about where a "normal" sized slice would be and then look at you for direction. If you don't speak the language, use the thumb and forefinger to indicate more or less (just like we do here). Or you can say "mas" (more) or "meno"(less) to guide them. Like SeaUrchin says, make sure you get the slice you want.

They will then weigh it, give you a tag, you then take the tag to the cashier, pay for the food, and then you can pick up your item(s).

This was in Rome and I noticed that most people would then fold the slice and then eat it. Less messy if you are trying to walk down the street.

Since your kids have been to Rome before they should have no problems picking up on the protocol. Besides, this is a good time to let your children learn on their own to budget that money.

The Coca Cola prices are shocking to adults as well. I warned my ex that the soda would be more expensive than the meal if he wasn't careful. I can still see the expression on his face when he got the bill.

Yes, it's easy to buy the pizza and we had ours warmed in the microwave at one place. The server cut the piece and pointed at the microwave we nodded and the pizza was heated, ta da!

How will they handle the money? Cash or ATM? If cash, give him/her 8 envelopes for each day not to be hungry.

Are only lunches on their own? What about breakfast/dinner?

I like the envelope idea. They are on their own for all lunches and 3 dinners.

When they go our tour with the church youth choir, the leader tells thenm exactly how much money to turn into her, even in what denominations, then she divides it into envelopes and doles it out for each meal. The school choir is a much larger, and slightly older group, and they have been given little guidance on how much money to bring and how to handle it. I fear that there will be kids in the same group with widely different food budgets.

I am sending each kid with about 185 Euro in cash. They each have a credit card and the oldest has an ATM card.

Last night at the caucus I was talking to a mom who is one of the adult chaperones. She has never been to Europe and has traveled very little anywhere. I hope my kids get in a group, if not with someone well traveled, at least with someone who might possibly listen to them.

How/where are they each carrying the 185 euro/cash? Money belt, wallet, or... ?

Tip: If you hold up one finger to indicate one portion, use the thumb. The index finger will signal two portions.