Here’s a list of nutritious, simple, and easy to store and carry travel snacks for toddlers. These ideas will be great not just for traveling, but also for playdates, picnics, and school lunchboxes.
I so wish the husband and I travelled more before having our little man. It’s incredible how much stuff the tiny human needs (or I should say what I feel like he needs haha)!
I’m not the type to overpack, quite the opposite actually, but now that I’m a mom, even the weekend trips look like we’re flying to the other side of the world. Making sure I pack adequate snacks is always on the top of my list because who wants a crying, hangry toddler as a travel companion?
We mainly do road trips at this point, and I simply pack everything in a cooler. There are many great prepackaged options out there, but these just happen to be our most reliable go-to snacks. They don’t make much mess and C loves them!
I’ve separated them based on the food groups so hope this is helpful!
FRUITS & VEGETABLES:
- Fresh fruits: banana, blueberries, clementines, avocado (not too ripe), grapes (cut lengthwise)
- Dried fruits
- Squeezable or individual cups of applesauce
- Matt n Mike’s Superkid Bars
- Raw veggies: cucumber, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots (I cut them into fun shapes using cookie cutters bc Caleb’s much more prone to eat them vs. chopped or sliced. Yours may too!)
- Cooked veggies: particularly root veggies and winter squash (I personally love to pack sweet potatoes. I like to roast them whole with skin on and just take the whole thing)
- Dehydrated veggies: LOVE Rhythym Superfood‘s beet and carrot chips!
- Veggie-packed baked goods
- (all of the baked goods in my e-cookbooks are packed with veggies. Pictured: veggie chili bread, and broccoli pizza muffin)
- from the blog: Blueberry Blender Baby Muffins, Beetroot Muffins, Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies
DAIRY:
-
As you can see, I need some ideas when it comes to dairy! I take a cooler, but I’m paranoid about spoilage too when it comes to this category. And why is it so hard to find plain whole fat Greek yogurt in single serving containers! Everything has fruits mixed in.
PROTEIN:
- Nut butters: individual packets are super convenient as it allows you to simply squeeze some right on top of raw veggies, bread, etc.
- Individual portions of hummus
- Roasted tofu
- Edamame
- Beans
- Canned seafood: I almost always take a can or two just in case. I like to ask for avocado at our pit stops and then mash it along with sardines and spread on top of toast or mix into pasta.
GRAINS:
- Bread
- Cooked pasta
- Cereal
- Crackers
- Rice cakes
I pack all these foods in containers with a lid, paper bags, and reusable bags from Lunchskins and Bumkins (these are affiliate links) and place them in a cooler. While I try my best to be well-prepared, there were times when getting out the door was a miracle in it of itself. And if I’m having Goldfish, that’s what my toddler is having also. We mamas need all the grace we can get, but I will say, it sure helps to have well-balanced snacks on hand to keep tantrums at bay!
If you’re traveling abroad, check out my recap of our trip to Korea when C was 2.
