Eating En Route

Snacking on the Go

• What: Feeding kids away from home
• When: Six months until they pack themselves
• Why: Keep snacks handy while containing messes
• Where: On the road or in the air

If you have ever left your house with kids, you’ve probably packed some snacks. Whether you go for an hour drive and or a 48 hour flight ordeal, some products make traveling with well fed kids easier.

Munchkin snack containers: I love these containers not only because the flaps on top let little hands out while keeping the  mess in. But the translucent sides let both you and any security personnel you might encounter see the contents at a glance. If you pack multiple containers, grabbing the right one quickly comes in handy.

Baby food pouches: While they might not have clear sides, the pictures on the front help both kids and adults know what’s inside. Better yet, they compact down to next to nothing afterwards when you’re stuck holding all your trash for several hours.

Sippy cups: I travel with my Nuk hard sided cups or a 360 cup almost exclusively on airplanes. I hate getting sprayed with liquids with straw cups and bottles, and the see through sides mean I can tell how much liquid remains without having to open the lid. At airports, I can take them through security empty and fill them for free at a water fountain. On board, I can easily add juice to any remaining water (or get a little extra hydration myself before topping the cups off).

Snack bowls: For bowls, I use Sassy snack bowls or IKEA containers to pack more complex items once my kids get bigger. I can make my own snack mix tailored to each kid’s preferences, or keep things like apple slices and orange peels contained.

Of course you can’t beat plastic sandwich bags for convenience. I also like to have several empty Ziploc bags with me, since they take up no room, weigh next to nothing, and come in useful for trash or portioning out snacks.

I favor apples and bananas for on board snacking, since they come in their own packaging and don’t leave much behind. Apples work better for tight quarters than squishier bananas. My kids like to munch on them, and eating one will keep them entertained for almost half an hour, but slices work well, too.