Easy & Healthy Travel Snacks for Kids
Finding mess-free travel snacks that actually satisfy kids needs and picky eaters is the secret to a stress-free trip.
Travel Lunches
Nothing beats a simple bento box style lunch in the car. Fortunately these are pretty quick to make most of the time and take very little planning depending on how fancy you want to be. We tend to pick no-cook options when possible so we don’t have to worry about making time for one more thing to do on vacation or when trying to leave for vacation. (We used these kinds of lunch ideas on our recent trip to the Redwoods to save time and money.) Some quick and easy ideas include:
Bagel, hard boiled egg, veggies
Lunchmeat sandwich, preferred chips, cut up veggies/fruits
Apples, peanut butter, trail mix
Charcuterie style: meat, crackers, pretzels, fruits, veggies
Prepackaged Snacks
Every family will have their favorite preferred prepackaged snacks, and budget can greatly impact what a family deems is best for their needs as well. With this in mind, here are a few mentions of general items that travel well. If you are flying rather than driving, I highly recommend planning to have some kind of grocery shopping on your timetable day of arrival to stock up on some easy prepackaged snacks for your trip. Having a few items in my bag has saved us more than once on long journeys when a child’s hunger (or an adult’s) is threatening everyone’s good time.
Jerky Sticks (we like the Chomps or Archers, often can be found in bulk at Costco)
Granola Bars (a little more pricey, but we like the Kodiak brand with added protein for longer energy)
Applesauce/Fruit Pouches (easy to keep kids feeling refreshed and hydrated)
Yogurt pouches (some like the GoGoSqueeze ones are shelf stable, or purchase a GoGurt style if you can bring a cooler)
Fast Desserts
Sometimes you just want a quick delicious dessert on the go without worrying about purchasing them. These are some easy options that have been kid friendly, can usually be made in an Airbnb kitchen easily, have allergy friendly ingredients or swaps, and are car and stroller friendly.
Pumpkin Cookies
One of my favorite places for kid-friendly recipes from a registered dietitian, Feeding Littles has been a huge help to our family over the years. One of my favorite recipes they ever shared was a quick pumpkin cookie recipe: one vanilla cake mix, one can of pumpkin, one bag of mini chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients well, use parchment paper to keep them from sticking to the pan, separate into cookie sizes, bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes. They can burn so watch for that. The texture of them is very soft and gooey. Always leave them on the pan after coming out of the oven for a few minutes, they will continue to bake and solidify. Store in airtight container on their parchment paper.
Energy Bites
Thanks to Build Your Bite for this recipe that has become a regular in our home. Easy to make well ahead and freeze, I often keep these on hand for local adventures and quick mornings too. Sub peanut butter for a different butter if needed for allergies. Also I have used chocolate flavor protein powder and they are still great.
Rice Krispy Treats
Simple, delicious, easy to make, allergy friendly, very storable, self contained. I love this recipe from Countryside Cravings.
Tips for Packing Travel Snacks
Depending on your trip, packing food can be a difficulty. For flights, I like to focus on prepackaged nonperishable items to keep in a bag. For road trips, we always make space for a cooler with food. Sometimes we shop ahead for the whole trip, other times we will plan a grocery pickup at a local store. For individual lunch packing food safety, we utilize the below lunch box recommendations and they fit great in a PackIt Freezable Lunchbox. We also use this for our kids’ school lunches so they are dual purpose and going strong after years of use.
For serving food in the car to kids, we highly recommend a bento box with a lid that is easy to wash. For dry snacks, we love the LunchBots stainless steel bento. Dishwasher friendly, easy lid for kids to manage on their own, does not work for liquids or dips as the sections are not closed off from each other. For food with dipping sauce or needing to stay contained, we love the Bentgo Kids bento boxes. The lids can be tougher for kids to open solo, so purchase and practice ahead of time. Also the inside is dishwasher safe, but the outside will warp in the dishwasher (can attest) so it will need to be cleaned by hand.
However you feed your family during your vacation, remember that you are doing great! Eating on the go is one of the highest costs of traveling so we work to reduce that cost when possible, especially with kids who have a hard time with new foods at every meal during an upheaval of their regular life. Finding a way to make this part of life feel normal while they explore new places will greatly increase everyone’s ability to adventure successfully. Enjoy!
