Discover 6 tips for feeding kids while traveling.
Traveling with kids can be an incredible experience, but ensuring they eat well during trips is often a concern for many parents. The question, “What snacks to pack while traveling?” is a common one for families planning vacations.
Whether the thought of traveling with your kids fills you with excitement or worry likely depends on their age and your chosen destination. Here are 6 tips to ensure your children maintain proper nutrition when eating on the go.
Understand Your Child’s Stage
Children’s willingness to try new foods can vary depending on their age and developmental stage. It’s normal for vacation eating habits and home-cooked meals to take a backseat. And that’s okay. What kids eat during a few days of travel isn’t as important as their overall daily diet at home. So, relax and enjoy the trip.
Many kids tend to eat a little less when away from home, and it’s important to respect that without pushing them. Exploring new cities or countries often means trying the local cuisine, an essential part of travel. After all, discovering new flavors can be an enriching experience for everyone.
Tip: Use travel as a way to learn about culture through food! Your kids may surprise you and be more adventurous than you think!
Eating on the Go
1. Plan Ahead
A helpful practice is to visit a supermarket or local market upon arrival at your destination. This ensures a good stock of fresh fruit to offer your kids during outings.
Bring a fruit and vegetable sanitizer for easy cleaning of produce.
2. Choose Convenient Foods
Opt for foods that are easy to handle, don’t make a mess, and won’t spoil quickly. Combine carbohydrates, proteins, and fruits/vegetables to keep kids fuller longer.
Examples include bread, muffins, pancakes, mini quiches, cheese, yogurt, shredded chicken, nuts, and dried fruits like raisins, prunes, and apricots.
3. Easy Fruits and Veggies
Bananas, grapes, plums, pears, and strawberries are excellent choices as they’re easy to carry and mess-free.
Cooked corn, carrot sticks (cooked or raw for older kids), and pre-cut cucumber are also convenient options.
4. Food Storage
Use insulated bags or containers to keep food fresh. Bring chilled water in thermos bottles or freeze it slightly before heading out.
5. Recipes and Healthy Snacks on the Go
For practical recipes, try muffins, mini quiches, pancakes, cheese bread, veggie chips, plain mini cakes, and cookies. Many of these recipes are available on the BLW Meals app, featuring over 650 easy and healthy recipes. Use the “Mess-Free + Snack” filter in the app for extra convenience.
6. Healthier Store-Bought Options
Try to read nutrition labels on packaged snacks and look for options with lower sodium or sugar if possible. Rice cakes, dried root vegetable crackers, and 100% fruit purees are viable options. The BLW Meals app offers guidance on selecting the best packaged foods. Click here to download it!
Remember to Enjoy the Journey!
Travel is an opportunity to create unforgettable family memories. Don’t stress too much about feeding your kids during trips. Involve them in selecting and preparing food, turning it into part of the fun. Trying new flavors and local dishes can be both educational and exciting for them.
Ensuring kids eat well while traveling can be a challenge, but with a bit of planning and creativity, you can maintain a balanced and healthy diet.
Cherish every moment and make meals an enjoyable part of your adventure!
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