Family Car Trips & Ideas for Food and Snacks

by Rachel Goldstein

Are you planning on traveling for hours or even days on end? This could be a terrifying thing to imagine - being in a little vehicle for such a long time with your children. Children normally need to release their energy by running in circles, riding their bikes, standing on their head, and so forth. In a small car (or other mode of transportation), there is nothing for them to do and you might find that they complain about everything from being uncomfortable, tired, to BEING HUNGRY. Yes, food and hunger is a big thing that children on the road will complain about. Although food is something that can give a child more energy, it is also something that they can enjoy while on the road. You need to make sure that you bring foods that don't have too much sugar as an ingredient, unless you want a 'wired' child in your not-so-large vehicle. Here are a list of foods that I recommend bringing on your long travel expeditions. The foods that we chose are foods that won't make your vehicles sticky or too crummy.

FOODS TO BRING ON CAR TRIPS

(1) Miniature raisin boxes.

(2) Individual-portion sized Cereal Boxes (low sugar).

(3) Baggies of Grapes (other fruits might be sticky).

(4) Baggies of Dried Fruit.

(5) String Cheese

(6) Granola Bars or Cereal Bars

(7) Individual-portion sized Cracker Packs.

(8) Bagels or Bagel Chips

(9) Individual-portion sized box of Animal Crackers or a baggy full of Animal Crackers (low in sugar compared to other cookies)

WELL-THOUGHT OUT CAR BEVERAGES

Your kids might not like water as much as they like juice or soda, however, I recommend that you don't give your children anything but water in the car. Kids have a tendency to over consume sugary drinks because they enjoy the taste. This will mean more bathroom trips for you and a slower arrival to your destination. If you provide individual bottles of water or cups of water, your children are much less likely to over-drink. They will simply drink as much as their body 'tells' them to drink. However, I know toddlers can be difficult about this. If you plan on providing juice to your toddler, then limit how much they are allowed to consume. Otherwise, their diaper will fill up very quickly - or if they are potty trained, you will be stopping once every hour. A good tip for juice boxes is to buy a 'non-squeezable' juice box holder so that they don't squirt juice all over the car when you aren't looking. Also, avoid snack items that are too salty or your children will over-drink, causing them to have to go to the potty much more often than they would otherwise.

PICNICS TO SAVE MONEY

Packing a cooler full of peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, and other 'yummies' will save you tons of money. Also, try to pack some of your children's favorite foods to help your kids feel more comfortable on their trip. There are rest stops all over America and most of them have a picnic section. A lot of these stops also have a playground for the kids to play at. Utilize these areas to get some of your children's energy out in a productive manner.

Utilizing some of these Family Travel Food Tips will assist you in having a more relaxed and fun family vacation. Keeping your kids happy and comfortable is easy if you plan ahead. Have Fun On Your Trip!!