Family Trip Essentials: Easy Snacks for Kids

Packable Food That Goes Anywhere

Each day we highlight one item we used extensively during our trip, from entertainment to necessities like food and water. Our three kids, at ages 11, 9, and 7, now pack their own travel entertainment bags and their clothes as well. Some items, therefore, were chosen entirely by the kids, while some we packed to make our lives easier. 

Heading somewhere foreign for your next family trip? Whether your travels take you to international destinations or simply across state lines, it can be hard to know what kind of food might be confiscated when you arrive. Fresh fruit and meats top the list, so if you want healthy snacks that pack well and won’t cause any issues, try these two items.

We still swear by fruit leather. These Stretch Island Fruit Snacks come in a wide variety of flavors. Much like the popular fruit roll ups and other dried fruit snacks, kids love the taste and consistency. Stretch Island offers a healthier version of these popular treats, with more actual fruit and less sugar. We’ve been traveling with these quick snacks for years and they still do the job. They work great for quick pick-me-ups between meals when you want to switch time zones but can’t quite make it to the next meal time. And you can fit multiple strips into pockets or just about any bag for easy and convenient snacking.

Our second choice? Clif Kid Z Bars. All three kids still love these snack bars, despite how often they eat them. They pack easily, have protein and grains to keep kids going without relying solely on sugar, and make great snacks. The wide variety of flavors, like Iced Oatmeal Cookie and S’mores, appeal to kids who love treats. The packaging makes them easy to toss into a bag on the go, and you don’t have to worry about them getting squished or crumbling in transit.

We packed a bag with both of these options, and used it throughout our trip. We took a quart-sized Ziploc bag of fruit leather with us, and as many Z Bars as would fit into our favorite snack bag. By the time we got home two weeks later, we had only a couple of fruit leathers remaining. We also supplemented with a few other options, like packs of crackers and some fresh fruit options as well as what we picked up along the way. But these two snacks made up the majority of our supply for easy snacks, keeping the kids from melting when meals inevitably got delayed while we crossed the globe en route to our destinations.