Traveling with toddlers involves a degree of uncertainty, even with the best-behaved kids. You can leave a lot of the planning by the wayside when it comes to your itinerary, but you should always plan nutritious snacks. Here are some tips on packing travel snacks before your trip, especially if you are traveling internationally.

If it already seems like a hassle and you’re asking yourself why bother, here are a few situations when having snacks on-hand will be a life saver:

• Your flight is delayed and airport stores are closed (or too expensive)
• The kids are hungry on the flight and meal service is over
• Your destination doesn’t have your toddler’s usual snacks
• You can’t read the local language, so you don’t know what ingredients are in the available snacks
• It has been a very long day and you still have a while to go before you get to your next stop

Packing travel snacks gives you peace of mind knowing that no matter what happens, you will be able to provide nutritious food for your toddler. Giving your children healthy snacks can help their energy levels, ensure they will get the nutrients they need, and can come in handy when they need a little mood boost.

How Quickly Things Change

Now, before I get into the details, let me say that I have always been a minimalist when it comes to packing. I don’t bring a bunch of toys for our kids because I believe that when they’re younger they can be entertained by just about anything and when they’re older they can get by with a few things of their choosing. And you know what, unpopular opinion here, but I think sometimes it’s good for kids to be bored. It gives them a chance to use their creativity.

Along the same lines, I used to think that we didn’t really need to bring a bunch of snacks because the kids would be fine eating whatever we had available. I would see these memes and reels about how toddlers are such picky eaters and I thought, “Well maybe that’s how some toddlers are, but not mine. He eats anything and everything!”

Then one day, I handed him his favorite snack (string cheese) and he turned up his nose. Now he is exactly like the memes. He sends back fruits and veggies because I cut them the wrong way. He will specifically ask for something and then change his mind after I open it. Sometimes he won’t eat dinner because it’s called “dinner,” regardless of what food he is given.

So though we also have a one-year-old who is still in the ‘eats anything’ phase, I am now 100% in on not just packing travel snacks, but packing lots of them.

Has anyone else ever thought they had the exception to the rule only to have their toddler prove them wrong? Tell me your stories in the comments. I can’t be the only one! 😀

Planning Ahead

Maybe you do have a toddler who will eat anything, but what if that changes mid-trip? It can literally happen overnight, and you want to be prepared. Similar to packing your suitcase, it is best to plan ahead and prepare your snacks thoughtfully to make traveling with your toddler as smooth as possible.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that toddlers should eat roughly 1,000 calories a day, but toddlers are not necessarily known for consistency. Pack familiar snacks that you know your toddler will eat most of the time, and pack a variety of snacks for those times when they are not in the mood for a certain kind. Planning ahead can also save you money. Purchase your snacks in bulk and portion them out yourself rather than buying pre-packaged snacks.

Remember that if you are flying, it’s good to double-check TSA’s latest guidelines for what food is allowed through security.

Nutritious Snack Ideas

When packing travel snacks, be sure to bring a variety of healthy snack options so that you can offer a balanced mix of nutrients. It’s also helpful for those times when your toddler is not in the mood for a specific snack. Here are some suggestions:

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Don’t pack too many of these, as fresh produce does not stay fresh for too long. Of the fruits and vegetables you do bring, make them snacks that are easy to eat on the go like halved grapes, carrot sticks or apple slices. To make life easier, avoid things that will leave you holding waste like peels, seeds or stems.

Dried fruit and veggie chips

If you don’t want to worry about fresh produce going bad, go with dried produce instead. They still have nutritional value but with a longer shelf life.

Trail mix

The best thing about trail mix is that it is easy to make your own! You can choose from tons of ingredients like nuts, dried fruit, cereal and maybe even a little dark chocolate. Just make sure everything you include is small to avoid choking hazards.

Granola bars

These are another snack that you can make yourself, but if you don’t have time there are also plenty of store-bought varieties that don’t have a bunch of added sugar. We like KIND Minis.

Whole grain crackers

Crackers are convenient sources of vitamins and fiber, but watch out for the sodium content. Our kids like Triscuit Thin Crisps. Bonus points if you find crackers in fun shapes!

Cheese snacks

There are tons of nutrients in cheese snacks like Babybel or Frigo Cheese Heads. Pair your cheese snacks with the crackers if your toddler is feeling fancy. 🙂

Homemade cookies

Pick your favorite “healthy” cookie recipe and make your toddler’s day when you let them snack on cookies during the trip! Here is a recipe we like.

Your main objective should be healthy and nutritional snacks that will keep your toddler energized and satisfied during long journeys, but don’t be afraid to pack a few less healthy treats. We usually bring fruit snacks, animal crackers and a few other candies for when the munchkins are being particularly good.

Please share your favorite healthy cookie recipes. I love baking and would love to find some new favorites!

Packing and Storage

Choosing your snack containers can be crucial. On one of our more recent trips, I was in a hurry one day and threw a package of cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers in the diaper bag on our way out the door. Later that evening on a plane, our son asked for the crackers. When I pulled them out of the side pocket of the diaper bag, I found the crackers quite smushed. The conversation didn’t last long:

Me: “The crackers got a little smushed in the bag, but they still taste good.”
Toddler: “They’re broken!”
Me: “Look, I can put the pieces back together. See, you can still eat the whole cracker.”
Toddler: “No, it’s broken!”
Me: “Here, how about this cracker? This one is not broken at all.”
Toddler: Stares at me, marveled by my audacity

Thank goodness the flight attendant had a couple extra bags of pretzels, or I would have been in big trouble. All because I incorrectly thought that broken crackers weren’t a big deal. The audacity, indeed!

Food safety can sometimes be overlooked when you are traveling. Check out the CDC’s pointers for keeping your snacks safe and make sure you have appropriate containers.

When we are packing travel snacks, we designate one carry-on bag for all snacks and drinks. We know to keep it close for easy access and we can easily take inventory of what we have throughout the trip. Here are the smaller storage containers we pack in our snack bag:

Hard, plastic air-tight containers

• Pros: easy to portion the snacks, food doesn’t get crushed
• Cons: small containers don’t hold much, larger containers take up a lot of space

Bottles and/or sippy cups

• Pros: can use anywhere and your child can drink from something familiar to them
• Cons: you may end up having to wash them a lot during the trip, also can take up a good amount of space

Bonus: Small container of dish soap and sponge/bottle brush

• If you have the space, we recommend bringing these so you can easily wash your containers in the nearest sink.
• Remember to keep your dish soap to 3.1 oz. or less so you don’t have any trouble getting it through security.

Ziploc bags of varying sizes

• Snack and sandwich size bags are great for portioning snacks
• Quart and gallon bags are what we use to hold used containers that we need to wash. The air-tight seal keeps anything from spilling out into the rest of the bag. We also use these to hold our cleaning supplies mentioned above.

Small cooler bag

• We use this the most on air travel days. We will buy milk, water, etc. on our way to or at the airport and put it in the cooler bag. Once we are settled on the plane, we will the kids’ bottles/cups so they have a drink ready for takeoff.
• Other times we find ourselves using the cooler bag is when it is particularly hot outside and we purchased something like chocolate that we don’t want to melt.

The main goal here is to have your snacks in tact, easily accessible and as easy to clean up and dispose of as possible.

Snack Time Strategies

Having snacks available at the right times can make such a huge difference. You will know the best strategies for your specific children, but here are a few basic tips to keep in mind:

Plan for regular snack breaks to prevent hunger and crankiness

You don’t necessarily need to write them into your itinerary, just remember to offer a snack break every once in a while, especially if you have been out and about for a long stretch. As a general rule, you should plan to feed your child every 2-3 hours. Try to think through your day and bring enough snacks to last each child for as long as you are out.

Offer snacks and drinks during takeoff and landing to help alleviate ear discomfort

Children are at a higher risk of ear pain during a flight than adults because the tubes in their ears are smaller and can more easily be blocked. The act of swallowing helps those tubes to open and adjust to the air pressure. KLM has an article that explains far better than I can.

Have snacks at the ready in case you have long waits or delays

Unexpected travel delays happen. Sometimes they are only a matter of minutes. Other times, they can be hours or even days. The longer the delay, the more likely your kids or you will get hangry. Snacks can stave off at least a little bit of the frustration.

Don’t let your children see the whole snack stash

This may not be necessary for everyone, but both of our toddlers already enjoy playing mind games with us. I wholeheartedly believe that if they knew exactly how many snacks we had available, they would act in whatever way they thought would get them all the snacks. If you only pull out one portion at a time and don’t show them what else is in the big bag, they will only know that they finished the whole small bag of snacks. And yes, it may be sad finding small victories in outsmarting your toddlers, but I’ll take it—especially when traveling.

Cultural Considerations

This one may not apply depending on where you are traveling, but do take a moment in your snack planning to consider any local regulations or customs that you may need to respect.

For example, we were recently in a predominantly Muslim area during Ramadan. While we were there, we tried to be more conscious of eating in public during fasting hours out of respect for those who were fasting. That said, no one had any issue with our small children eating snacks whenever they needed.

Another thing to think about is that the place you are visiting may not have your child’s favorite snacks. Our toddlers both love pretzels, but it is surprisingly difficult to find a bag of snack-sized pretzels in Australia. If you are banking on being able to purchase snacks on your trip, make sure there will be places to buy them. Of course, on the flip side, you may also find opportunities to try fun new snacks (just check the ingredients first to be safe)! Our kids especially love trying different fruits in various parts of the world. The only downside there is not having the exotic fruits easily available once you get back home.

Wrapping Up

Any time you plan to take a trip with young kids, packing travel snacks can be as important (if not more) as packing your suitcase. If your usual strategy is to go into your pantry the day you are leaving and toss what you can find into the diaper bag, do yourself a favor. Start a few days earlier. Make a list. Be smart about your containers. Think about the potential mess and how you can minimize it. Having the right snacks and enough of them can prevent those dreaded meltdowns. And don’t forget to pack some snacks for the adults, too!

What are your strategies for packing travel snacks? Anything you never travel without? Did you ever pack a snack that turned out to be a disaster? Share your tips and experiences in the comments!

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Want to know what else you should bring for your child when traveling? Check out Peace Out, Paperwork Panic: Essential Documents for Confident Airport Check-In.