Hey guys!
Although the summer is almost over, I am happy to say that I have become way more comfortable traveling with my kids. In the past it was always a stressful situation which made me want to avoid travel altogether! Now that the boys are 3 and 6, things are a bit better and I have learned that the best way to having a great trip? Preparation!
Today I am happy to host Sally Kuzemchak of Real Mom Nutrition as she shares 6 Healthy Snack Ideas For Road Trips. I had the honor of meeting Sally at the Stonyfield event where she shared her tips for raising a picky eater. The event was so awesome and she was so great, I am so excited to have her expertise here today!
Be Prepared. I’ve learned the hard way that fresh food is often at a premium on road trips—so bringing your own is important. Fill a small cooler with lots of fresh fruit, plus cheese sticks, and yogurt cups (I like organic for my family – Stonyfield Organic YoKids and YoBaby come in snack-size serving cups and even Squeezers for on-the-go. You can even toss frozen Squeezers in the cooler, and they’ll slowly defrost but still stay cold). Include some single-serving nut butters and whole grain crackers and you’ll have wholesome snacks and even in-a-pinch meals you can eat at a rest stop. If you’re traveling with a baby, don’t forget to bring some pre-cut finger foods like cubes of tofu, very ripe fruit, and bites of whole wheat pasta.
Start off on the right foot. Before I load the family into the car, I make sure we start the day with a filling breakfast that includes protein to keep hunger at bay till lunch (you’ll avoid any pleas for drive-thru donuts that way!). My kids really like yogurt parfaits, and I use fancy glasses to make it more fun. We start with Stonyfield Organic Yogurt and layer on homemade granola for crunch and fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries.
Make a game out of it. Make eating healthy snacks on the road a fun endeavor. Pack colorful snacks in advance like carrot sticks, blueberries, strawberries, green grapes, etc. For each vehicle or site you pass that matches the color of a snack, the “winner” gets a corresponding bite! It gets everyone involved and engaged with their surroundings—and young kids can work on their color recognition, too.
Let them dip. For the older kids, slide fruit pieces onto popsicle sticks or thread fruit onto skewers to make car-safe kebabs that they can dip into yogurt cups. Bonus: It also makes for easy cleanup since they avoid getting their hands too sticky!
Reuse! Once kids are done with their yogurt cups, rinse them out and fill them with trail mix or granola for the trip back. It’s a good lesson in recycling and keeps portions under control.
Be Safe. Be sure any perishable road trip food is packed safely in a cooler with ice or ice packs. Also, always monitor kids carefully whenever they’re eating in the car, in case of choking. And unless there’s an adult sitting next to baby to watch for choking, avoid letting baby eat while the car is in motion.
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What are your favorite healthy snacks for kids? Any road trips planned?
Hi! I’m Nellie. I am a busy mama of three, wife to my high school sweetheart who loves to cook, workout and stay organized! I love to share helpful printables, the best recipes and fitness tips for the modern mom. I strongly believe that every mom can feed their family well, take proper care of themselves and have fun along the way! Read my story.
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leslie
Saturday 29th of August 2015
Love The recommendation to bring frozen yogurt cups/tubes. We haven't been on a really long road trip in a while, but I see more of them in our future!
Tamara
Monday 17th of August 2015
These are GREAT tips! We've been road-tripping all summer and have made mistakes of skipping meals and having Des scream for doughnuts! My mom used to pack a cooler for the five of us with five sandwiches, five cheese sticks, five apples, five bags of veggie sticks. Then we'd drive for hours without having to stop once. I need to do that because we have another trip coming and food is EXPENSIVE on the road.
Kita
Monday 17th of August 2015
I do a lot of chips or granola bars that usually works. I don't normally do fruit too sticky unless I have wipes and even then I try not too even my 9 year old will get it all over the place.
Terri
Monday 17th of August 2015
This couldn't have come at a better time. I'm actually preparing for a road trip tomorrow and was just trying to figure out what to eat along the way. I grew up eating grapes and apples on road trips, but never thought to bring organic yogurt. Thanks!
Britt
Monday 17th of August 2015
These are great tips! Cooper is still on bottles and purees so I just make sure I have a lot of that on hand! Car trips are ok, for us, plane trips are getting difficult because it messes up his schedule and it is harder for him to sleep. We just flew from the US to Brazil and it was no picnic!