Travelling with children can often be a challenge. Travelling with hungry children takes things to a whole different level. The ideal solution is obviously to factor in rest breaks on your journey for food, the toilet & to let off steam. However, it isn't always practical to do this and you may need to eat en route. Finding the right kind of foods for children to eat by themselves without too much assistance can be tricky. The best food & snacks are ones that will fill, sustain & entertain your children, without causing a huge mess or sugar rush. Here are some favourites of mine which I hope you will find useful - please join in and share yours!
- It may sound obvious but having experienced cream cheese and houmous smeared around the inside of my car I generally try and avoid anything too messy like dips or sandwich fillings that will drop out all over the place. Call me a control freak but I now cut cheese into slices instead of grating it for fillings and often use pitta pockets or wraps instead of sandwiches to 'hold' the food in place more.
- Wrapped packs of crackers/oatcakes are another good alternative to crisps and even sandwiches if your children will eat them. Mine are not so keen on plain crackers but really like the cheesey oatcake variety and I always carry these as healthy snacks when we are out and about.
- I ususally like my children to still have some veg en route and the best I have found is to slice cucumber & carrot sticks into tupperware pots. Avoid tomatoes unless you like squirty pips everywhere!
- Pack small tupperware pots with dry cereal snacks as a good alternative to crisps or sweets. My children like cheerios & the mini cereals variety such as the 'blueberry wheats' from Sainsburys.
- If your child suffers from travel sickness avoid fatty foods altogether. In this situation you may find your child is better without any food at all while you are travelling, or perhaps with just a few of the dried snacks mentioned here to sustain them.
- Dried fruit is often less messy than normal fruit and children enjoy having their own small carton or box to open and shut - thumbs up for added entertainment value here!
- If you prefer fresh fruit grapes are a good one to bring - not too sticky & nothing to peel.
- Yoghurt or fromage frais pouches are a good way of children still having a yoghurt without having to worry about a spoon. We call them 'drinky yoghurts' and favour the ones with the screw on lids as the opening is quite small (fewer spillages!) and sometimes my daughter won't finish a whole one in one go so the lid can be put back on and saved.
- If you don't have a cool pack or prefer not to take foods which need chilling, fruit pouches are a great alternative for a 'pudding'.
- Drinks - try and avoid sugary drinks as children tend to guzzle these quickly and you'll find yourself stopping more frequently for toilet stops. If your child complains water is boring you could try popping their drinks bottle in the freezer the night before - children love having a cold bottle to hold and waiting for the ice to melt will add interest to the experience and keep them entertained.
Do you have a favourite travel snack or food tip to share? We'd love your feedback...
