Traveling is part of our life!
My husband and I could not imagine life without exploring, and the kids enjoy it as well. Because we go on the road often, the kids need to be fed constantly in order to stay quiet and happy.
I know, I know, looking for healthy snack ideas and packing them requires energy.
However, maintaining good health is our priority, and that goes for our kids too. It’s so easy to be tempted to find the nearest McDonald’s, Burger King or Taco Bell while on the road. But because we want to be mindful of the kind of foods they (and we) are eating, fast food isn’t really an option for us.
Even though these fast food joints do have healthier options on the menu, I would still rather stay armed with having healthy food stashed away in the car whenever hunger (or boredom) appears.
Aside from living a healthy lifestyle, there is another reason we put a strict limit on junk food. Especially when it comes to candies. Can you imagine your kids being on a sugar high for hours on the road? Driving can be stressful enough, and having wired kids in the backseat will certainly add to the stress!
Don’t get me wrong. I am not the type of mom to forbid unhealthy snacks either. Once in a great while, I will give the kids a small sugary treat – just never while we are on the road. A sugary treat will not harm anyone if it is eaten on occasion, and it is important to allow your kids to enjoy it sometimes. Otherwise, they will find a way to sneak it and binge on it when they are older because deprivation is not the way to go!
Below are some ideas for healthy and fun snack ideas for kids while you are traveling on the road:
Tasty Snacks
Snacks such as goldfish, pretzels, and cheese strings are not the healthiest options. However, in small amounts, they are fine. These snacks always satisfy kids and they don’t need a lot either.
In order to keep costs down when traveling with these snacks, we buy them in bulk and put them in reusable snack bags.
If you are traveling on the plane, these are ideal snacks as well, and it is best to pay more for individualized packages, as it makes going through security easier.
Trail Mix
Kids absolutely love raisins, yogurt covered dried fruit, and cashews mixed together, or separately. If they have nut allergies, obviously the cashews have to be left out. Fortunately, our kids don’t, so they enjoy nuts as well as peanuts.
Fruit stips and bars they dig too! Just beware that these trail mixes, fruit strips, and bars can contain a lot of sugar. Again, the last thing you want is your kids to be on a sugar high while you are traveling!
This kind of snack can be taken on the plane as well, but if you are concerned about a child or adult nearby with nut allergies, you may want to leave the nuts at home and bring everything else.
Fruits and Veggies
This is the healthiest type of snack you can give your kids! However, you don’t want to bring peaches or plums due to the fact that they can be squished.
Also, grapes are not the best idea due to the fact they can be a choking hazard.
The best kind of fruits and veggies to bring are carrots, clementines, apples, and bananas. For smaller fruits such as berries, we put them in Ziploc containers.
However, fruits and veggies are not recommended for plane travel.
If you are on a road trip, you can have a break and serve your kids some colourful vegetables in cups. Add fruit yogurt or any kids friendly dip to add more flavour. They will sure love vegetables in a cup!
Applesauce
If your kids like applesauce, then you can bring the non-refrigerated Applesauce Crushers for the trip (though if they aren’t finished they will have to be refrigerated after opened).
Trader Joe’s makes these, and they are tasty and low in sugar.
Flavored Water
Staying hydrated especially during a long trip is so important. Kids don’t like to drink a lot of water, so this can be a challenge.
However, you can bring water in those amazing Sigg bottles since they keep water cold.
In addition, bring flavored water sachets in the kids’ lunch bags. This way, they can mix it into the water so it becomes tastier and more exciting, and not a drag to drink. These are great to take on the plane too.
Final Thoughts On Snack Ideas
I hope me sharing my snack ideas will help when choosing which foods to bring and how to avoid anything too sugary. You will also want to avoid messy foods that require spoons (unless there is a baby involved of course, then there is no choice).
However, if you are traveling on a plane, you will need to bring chewy candy and lollipops along because that will help your kids pop their ears easier while taking off, and landing. You can always get the organic kinds of those candies.
The goal is to keep traveling on the road/or plane as pleasant and smooth as possible. That includes the type and nature of snacks brought for the kids!
