healthy toddler travel snacks image
madame_dra
This summer we'll be taking 2 5-hour train trips with a 2-yr old and an 8-yr old. Any suggestions for lunch and/or dinner that doesn't have to be put in a cooler or heated? Also, about once or twice a year we take a family trip that is 10 hours one way. Any new suggestions for "different" car trip food would be great. Thanks!
Answer
My grandmother used to make what I ended up calling as a child a Ga bag. ( everything good that I loved to snack on when we went on trips )
I still do that today when my husband and I travel with my 9 yr old daughter. Makes having to stop all the time because you hear," I'm HUNGRY, I'm Thirsty, I'm BORED *ggaaahh*" all the time.
Anyway some good suggestions for snack type stuff that's also healthy and won't get to tiring for them.
Apples with Caramel dip in individual tubs.
Pretzles with either peanut butter or cheese to dip in. ( I would even go so far as saying do both. You can get small individual serving size containers by Glad that have a lid easy enough for even the 2 yr old to close if you trust them to close it that is. Put like 2 tubs of peanut butter and two tubs of cheese dip so their won't be a battle of the dips.
Home made Chex Mix: you and your children can make easy home made chex mix * chexmix.com I think has the recipe but any chex cereal box has the recipe too *. You can let your children pick out what they want to add to the chex cereal to make it more personal, peanuts, almond slivers, mini M&M's and mini chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Mini colored marshmallows, dried fruit ( the type that's cut in small pieces ), stuff like that. Make it good for them but with the added "sweet treat" stuff they may not realize just HOW good it actually is for them.
Home made Trail mix: again let them pick the stuff they want in their own bag of trail mix and have them help you make it. It will be fun for them and with your 8 yr old a good way to start learning how to make their own snacks with your supervision till you can trust them to do so on their own. My 9 yr old loves to help in the kitchen and it also helps that she's in 4-H so she get's to learn new stuff at her food project meetings each month.
Make your own cracker sandwiches with what ever they want in them. Again a fun way to individualize snacks for each child to enjoy. That or purchase pre-made crackers like the peanutbutter and honey or creamcheese and chives kind.
Sandwichs as the good ol' standby though I'm betting that even you would get tired of them after a while.
Drinks:
Hi-C juice box drinks, Koolaid Cooler pouches or that new pouch out by Capri Sun that's flavored water. Better than canned drinks as less spillable. The 2 yr old should be able to hold the juice box drinks fairly well and would take a bit of pressure to squeeze it hard enough for the drink to spray out.
Another good standby is Beef Jerky, snack bars ( they have the snack bites in fruit flavors good finger food for the 2 yr old to enjoy ), mixed nuts, and snack sized packs of cookies like oreo's, nutter butter, choc.chip as well as the ones with cheese nips or other cracker type snacks.
For your 2 yr old, Gerber makes all those great finger food snacks in small servings, great for the 2 yr old and some in fun shapes to enjoy.
Top that off with Travel games for the 8 yr old and toddler type games for the 2 yr old and your set for a some what peacful trip. ( Till the 2 yr old becomes so tired and cranky and the 8 yr old becomes bored or tired of just sitting for hours at a time that is.)
Good luck and enjoy your trip.
My grandmother used to make what I ended up calling as a child a Ga bag. ( everything good that I loved to snack on when we went on trips )
I still do that today when my husband and I travel with my 9 yr old daughter. Makes having to stop all the time because you hear," I'm HUNGRY, I'm Thirsty, I'm BORED *ggaaahh*" all the time.
Anyway some good suggestions for snack type stuff that's also healthy and won't get to tiring for them.
Apples with Caramel dip in individual tubs.
Pretzles with either peanut butter or cheese to dip in. ( I would even go so far as saying do both. You can get small individual serving size containers by Glad that have a lid easy enough for even the 2 yr old to close if you trust them to close it that is. Put like 2 tubs of peanut butter and two tubs of cheese dip so their won't be a battle of the dips.
Home made Chex Mix: you and your children can make easy home made chex mix * chexmix.com I think has the recipe but any chex cereal box has the recipe too *. You can let your children pick out what they want to add to the chex cereal to make it more personal, peanuts, almond slivers, mini M&M's and mini chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Mini colored marshmallows, dried fruit ( the type that's cut in small pieces ), stuff like that. Make it good for them but with the added "sweet treat" stuff they may not realize just HOW good it actually is for them.
Home made Trail mix: again let them pick the stuff they want in their own bag of trail mix and have them help you make it. It will be fun for them and with your 8 yr old a good way to start learning how to make their own snacks with your supervision till you can trust them to do so on their own. My 9 yr old loves to help in the kitchen and it also helps that she's in 4-H so she get's to learn new stuff at her food project meetings each month.
Make your own cracker sandwiches with what ever they want in them. Again a fun way to individualize snacks for each child to enjoy. That or purchase pre-made crackers like the peanutbutter and honey or creamcheese and chives kind.
Sandwichs as the good ol' standby though I'm betting that even you would get tired of them after a while.
Drinks:
Hi-C juice box drinks, Koolaid Cooler pouches or that new pouch out by Capri Sun that's flavored water. Better than canned drinks as less spillable. The 2 yr old should be able to hold the juice box drinks fairly well and would take a bit of pressure to squeeze it hard enough for the drink to spray out.
Another good standby is Beef Jerky, snack bars ( they have the snack bites in fruit flavors good finger food for the 2 yr old to enjoy ), mixed nuts, and snack sized packs of cookies like oreo's, nutter butter, choc.chip as well as the ones with cheese nips or other cracker type snacks.
For your 2 yr old, Gerber makes all those great finger food snacks in small servings, great for the 2 yr old and some in fun shapes to enjoy.
Top that off with Travel games for the 8 yr old and toddler type games for the 2 yr old and your set for a some what peacful trip. ( Till the 2 yr old becomes so tired and cranky and the 8 yr old becomes bored or tired of just sitting for hours at a time that is.)
Good luck and enjoy your trip.
Taking a long trip with a 14 month old?
MilkMaking
We are going to Kansas from North Texas. We are staying in a hotel for a week. We are driving, but we are doing it over night when the baby is going to be asleep anyway. My question is: does anyone have any tips, tricks, reminders, things they wish some one had told them, or really great ideas concerning this trip or staying in a hotel or traveling with a small child??? I haven't taken a trip this long or stayed in a hotel this long in a really long time. And never with a toddler. I am a little nervous!!
Answer
Take along enough healthy snacks just in case, It may be night, but being in a car bubs wont have the sleep like they would if in their beds. Lots of drinks also, especially if its hot. Ample enough stops if bubs is awake for nappy changes.
Take a bag with toys, some of your bubs favorites.
Take along enough healthy snacks just in case, It may be night, but being in a car bubs wont have the sleep like they would if in their beds. Lots of drinks also, especially if its hot. Ample enough stops if bubs is awake for nappy changes.
Take a bag with toys, some of your bubs favorites.
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