Do you wish the phrase, “I’m hungry!” was never uttered!?  Have you gone through a drive-thru just to hear, “NO! I don’t want that!!”

ME TOO!

When we are traveling a short or long distance, I always pack snack bags.  Individual bags of snacks that I can hand out one at a time.  I like to pack the healthier items on top and the candy on the bottom.  We don’t use the candy unless we absolutely have too and when we do it is sparingly; the sugar crash can lead to tantrums and add more stress than help.

Our travel diaper bag has a built-in insulated pocket that can hold quite a bit,  so I typically pack our snacks that need to stay cold in it.  But if you don’t have a bag with a built-in insulated pocket you can use a soft-sided lunch box…they are easier to throw in backpacks or suitcases when you don’t need them.

I use, ziplock bags for everything when we are traveling.  I love the snack size bags for the kids, they are easy for them to handle and hold just enough for a quick snack.  I store all my snack bag packs in a gallon sized ziplock, so I don’t have to search my entire bag when we need them.

You know better than anyone what your child likes to snack on, but universally children gravitate toward crunchy, salty, or sugary foods.  It’s hard to get them to eat anything that isn’t flavored with a dozen seasonings, but snacks do not have to be complicated to be enjoyed in a pinch.

I always divide up the snacks evenly for each of my children and always give them the same thing at the same time (so we don’t have a meltdown over who gets what).  For me, that is two times everything I pack.

Our bag typically looks something like this:

SNACK SIZE BAGS

• Cuties (little tangerines)
• Blueberries
• Stick cheese
• Yogurt bites (freeze-dried)
• Dry Cereal (Cheerios)
• Chips/Crackers
• Gummy’s
• M&M’s

I store all of these in a gallon size ziplock, sugary snacks in the bottom and healthiest on the top.  You can use this as a guideline for picking your own foods: Fruit, dairy, crunchy, and sweet.   I like to travel with two of each over long distances (flying across the nation) and just one of each over short distances (two hours to the grandparents).

Having a go-to system for traveling will make packing for any trip easier for you and smoother for your family.  You can modify this list with whatever foods your family likes.  I hope this helps simplify your travels with little ones, or even big ones!

Happy Travels!