Food is a key component of your trip. You don't want to deal with all the travel arrangements and have to deal with a very hangry toddler, am I right? After many trips, and way more mistakes than I would like to remember, I now know what snacks work great and what doesn't work so great with Arthur. Here are some of my favorite snack ideas and suggestions on how to pick the best options when traveling with kids:
- Pick food that is a little bit harder to eat. That's right; you want your little one to spend some time doing the chewing. After all, the more time they spend eating, the longer they will be entertained with it. For that, we loved some dense bliss balls made with nuts, dried fruits, cocoa, you name it. The possibilities for this one are endless, and it works like an awesome sugary treat with low sugar content.
- Pick foods that they can also play with: we love having little snacks that can be transformed into beads so they can make their own "edible" bracelets and necklaces. If you are in Australia, Messy Monkeys have a great variety of those, with savory and sweet flavors.
- Variety, variety, variety. You don't want them to get bored with the same snacks over and over again, especially if you are on a long journey. So make sure you do the ultimate snack hack and use one snack organiser. You can find them here at Travel Tots! They are affordable and the perfect travel lunch box. Their compartments can adjust to whatever you are serving, and it can cater to a lovely spread for your little ones with lots of little portions of everything and anything. Is there anything better?
- Save the favorites for an emergency moment. If your toddler ABSOLUTELY loves something, don't put it straight away in their snack organizer or give it to them as soon as they get hungry. Offer everything else and save this special treat for when nothing else satisfies them. Believe me, I've been there. This moment arrives even for the calmest toddler, and you want to be ready for when it comes.
- Pack in advance. Don't underestimate the importance of food on your travels. They are as important as the number of toys you are taking. So please, do yourself a favor and pack them in advance. I have left it until the last minute and ended up just bringing all the packages in my bag because I didn't have time to put them into containers or separate them beautifully. Guess what? It made my life SO MUCH HARDER. Having to find everything I needed, unpack it while my toddler screamed "I'M HUNGRY" next to me definitely taught me a lesson (be more organized, Ana, was my mantra then).
I hope these snack ideas and tips help make your next family trip a little bit easier and a lot more fun. Always remember, when it comes to traveling with kids, things can get a little chaotic and unpredictable, but that's part of the adventure. Embrace the chaos, laugh at the unexpected, and make the most of the time you have together as a family. Happy travels!