The Importance of Food

Having traveled with children at varying ages, one thing is clear: having nourishment on hand is a must. Just because the kids are off the bottle does not mean you can neglect this area. Sure there is food for purchase everywhere you go, but that doesn't mean your little one will eat it.

Kids enjoy routines and their own comfort zone. Bed time routines along with mealtime rituals/familiar foods are at the core of that comfort zone. Take a child out of there usual environment and you have to find a way to provide some stability. So, it is with food. Mikayla, my good eater, tends to enjoy reliable favorites on trips. While she still tries new things, the familiar foods are comforting while away from home. For my picky eater, Nicholas, familiar foods is all there is.

The best products for good portable snacks are those small Glad snack bags, half the size of those sandwich bags. You can fill them with just about anything. I usually pack animal crackers or graham crackers, pretzels, chex mix, etc. Granola bars and raisins are also great snacks to have on hand. But, what I feel is a great portable meal for kids is the Uncrustables. If you are not familiar, these are round crust-less sandwiches pressed at the edges and filled with peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, and cheese for a grilled cheese. They are frozen. I pop them into my backpack before any trip and by lunch, they thaw out and are ready to eat.

If your kids have outgrown the bottle and sippy cups, water bottles are great alternatives to make sure they stay hydrated. And even if they don't drink, you don't want to get caught without a drink on hand if there is not a water fountain to be found. Just make sure the water bottles are empty prior to going through security. After that, just buy bottled water and fill them up.

And if you have food, there is likely to be a mess somewhere, so make sure you have enough wipes for both diaper changes and clean up, a bib if appropriate, and a change of clothes as a bonus.

Bon Apetit!