The difference between a fussy trip and a calm trip is simply bringing toddler approved foods to keep those little tummies full. Because when those toddler tummies get empty no one is going to have a good time. Being prepared with familiar foods will make your travel easier.
The Best Toddler Food for Plane Travel
Traveling with a toddler on a plane not only means they will need to mostly sit for several hours at a time, but they may also miss snack times or even regular meal times.
But toddler food on a plane can be tricky because of the rules for bringing food on a plane. You can’t bring liquids or scissors to open anything, so you’ve got to plan ahead. When packing your toddler’s plane snacks, you also need to consider how much space you have to spare.
Best Simple Toddler Foods for Plane Travel
Simple foods you can bring on the plane that need very little preparation include:
- Yogurt Tubes– Freeze them before you leave and by the time you are on the plane they will be melting again. This also helps keep things cold that you’re taking with you.
- Cut up fruit and veggies- since you can’t take sharp objects on the plane make sure you cut up any fruit or veggies as you pack them away.
- Fruits that hold up well: kiwi, oranges, sliced grapes,
- Veggies that hold up well: broccoli, celery, carrots, bell peppers
- Snack items– pretzels, goldfish, raisins, and cereals are great small pack items as well
Best Recipes for Toddler Food for Plane Travel
Snack Boxes: I really like making these little snack boxes to take with you when you’re flying. Make sure to include a variety of things with little bits of each, a few strips of bell pepper, a few cubes of cheese, a few pieces of fruit, some bread, and a sweet treat.
Roasted Chickpeas: These are a great filling snack for kids. I adore this recipe from My Little Moppet. Chickpeas are the perfect travel food because they are high in protein and fiber that keep your toddler full longer.
Breakfast Oatmeal Cookies – These gluten-free, low sugar cookies are great to bake and take with you. They are very filling and don’t take up that much space.
Best Toddler Food for Road Trips
Snacks are an essential part of road trips. I rounded up my favorite foods to take on road trips. The nicest thing about toddler food for road trips over plane travel is you have so much more space.
We often take a cooler with everything to eat at a park on the way. I’ll give you some of my favorite road trip foods that will make traveling with your toddler much easier.
Best Simple Toddler Foods for Road Trips
In addition to yogurt tubes, chopped fruits, veggies, and cheese, convenience snack foods, you can take things that need to be kept cool and liquid.
- Large jugs of water or juice– instead of buying individual bottles, opt for a larger bottle that has many servings and bring your child’s favorite sippy cup.
- Waffles- I heat them up in the toaster before we go out. I also usually cut them into four pieces.
- Sliced apples and peanut butter- I love this combination of a sweet apple with the protein and filling power of peanut butter. You can also add in some raisins and the kids can make some ants on a plank instead of a log.
Best Recipes for Toddler Foods for Road Trips
- Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins– This is my recipe for my kids favorite little snack. I love these for take and go snacks. My kids think they are getting a treat but they are pretty healthy for them too.
- Kiddie Crunch Mix– Made with animal crackers, pretzels, TeddyGrahams, m&ms, and yogurt covered raisins this is a really fun road trip snack.
- Oatmeal Energy Balls – These 4 ingredient energy balls are a good healthy choice to help your kids stay full until your next rest stop.
Best Products to Make Travel Snacks Easier
My biggest complaint about travel snacks is the amount of single-use plastic that is used. Here are some of my favorite multi-use items that actually will make your snacks more secure and end your plastic guilt.
This 4.5 cups sealable rectangle container is my favorite way to transport cut up fruit, veggies, and trail mixes. It snaps shut so you don’t have to worry about leaks and it is easy to clean when you arrive at your destination.
My favorite way of taking snacks for each child is this cube lunch system. It has multiple compartments to keep your food separate. You can easily pack a sandwich in one part and individual snacks like cut-up fruit, yogurt-covered raisins, even a dip without having to worry about it getting mixed together in another part.
Thinking ahead and making travel snacks will help make your plane travel or road trips much more smooth. So many times when a child is fussy or cranky during travel it’s because they are either tired or hungry. And a little snack can actually help with both, with protein giving a boost of energy and fills their little tummy up. Don’t forget to pin this for the next time your travel with your little.