Snacks - toddlers love them! It can be hard enough to keep up with the requests for snacks at home, let alone on the road! Plus, there is the added complication of keeping perishable items cold and trying to avoid sticky gooey messes along the way. We recently took a 17 hour road trip, and found the following snacks to be both satisfying and varied enough for a long day (or more!) of travel.

Before we get to the snacks, let’s talk strategy! I had considerable anxiety in the days leading up to our multi-day road trip. I personally do not love traveling long distances by car, mostly because it is hard for me to sit for extended durations, and I get car sick easily. I was worried it would be the same for our son. I asked my momma friends for suggestions and researched online before coming up with a plan for our roadtrip with a toddler. I am happy to report it went much more smoothly than I anticipated! Here are our best tried-and-true tips:

• Make snacks an activity. If your child is content playing with a toy, listening to music, or taking a nap, leave them be! Use snacks as a way to change things up, instead of munching mindlessly while doing something else. If your little one can make a game using their snacks, such as sorting out the pieces in a Chex mix, even better!

• Hand your toddler only a small portion of a snack at a time. We use small containers that fit only about 15 goldfish. I found this slows down my toddler, as they see a finite number of items and they savor each one.

• Let your toddler tell you when they want more. Instead of immediately filling their container up again, allow them to determine if they are still hungry (or more likely - bored).

• Make it very clear when a snack is gone. As I hand our son the last portion of a particular snack, I will say “All gone! No more! All done! There are no more goldfish.” in hopes that he isn’t upset the next time he wants some.

• Offer water before offering another snack. Ensure they are well hydrated, especially traveling to places with low humidity or high elevation. That also means checking diapers, or stopping for potty breaks fairly frequently.

• Only offer snacks you know your toddler loves. Think a travel day is a good time to introduce raisins? Probably not. Your little one is already putting up with so much, and a new snack may send them over the edge, resulting in those raisins dancing all over the ground.

• Practice before you go. If you want your toddler to be able to open a snack container, open and close their water bottle, and eat from a pouch with confidence, you will need to practice these skills prior to your trip. These exercises will also help you determine what will work well on the road, and what pitfalls you can avoid!

• Prepare in advance. If you are taking a long road trip, train, or plane ride, take some time to portion out some of the snacks in advance, and have more snacks to replenish as needed. On our 17-hour road trip, I had a bin of goodies by my feet in the front passenger seat, while we had a bag of non-perishable items, and a small cooler in the back seat. I was able to reorganize and replenish when we stopped for gas.

I urge you to watch your children eat, as a change in turbulence, a bumpy road, or a loud noise can startle your little one and could lead to a choking situation. Only offer food your toddler is comfortable eating, and you are confident they can chew and swallow easily. It is best to avoid trying new foods that contain known allergens while on a short trip, as it may be more difficult to reach a hospital or other services in a rural or unfamiliar area (or 37,000 feet up in the air).

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Fruit: Applesauce, Bananas, and Blueberries

The most travel-friendly fruits are those that are “poppable” - you can pop the in your mouth without needing to bite a piece off. So while our son loves watermelon, we have found it to be too juicy and sticky for travel days. Instead, w we bring blueberries because they are rich in antioxidants, aid in constipation relief, are bite-sized, mess-free, and can be left at room temperature. If you are able to keep an eye on your little one, bananas are travel friendly - just eat them early in the trip so they don’t become mushy. We hand them to our toddler half-peeled so he can hold onto the bottom. We generally avoid pouches at home but find them both novel and convenient on trips. Our son sucks the applesauce down in less than a minute! I just double-check that he has it in his mouth before squeezing it - learned that the hard way! Practice at home before you, your seat, and your toddler are covered in what looks like vomit only 5 minutes into a trip.

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Vegetables: Carrots, Broccoli, Bell Pepper, or Snap Peas

Before we head out on a trip, I look in the fridge to see what vegetables we have for the road. Almost anything will do just fine; just spend some time steaming hard veggies for your toddler or cutting them into appropriate-sized spears. Offer hummus or ranch alongside if your little one prefers to dip their veggies in a sauce. Ensure to include veggies in your snacks as they offer different textures and chewing resistance, which can provide interesting sensory input while seated for hours.

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Dairy: Yogurt and Cheese

If you can keep some snacks cold, either with an ice pack or frozen water bottle, individually wrapped cheese is an excellent source of calcium and a hearty snack. Opt for swiss or cheddar as they are lower in sodium. If your little one likes yogurt, it can be a refreshing snack or meal replacement. If you can find them, get squeezable yogurt and practice with your toddler before your trip.

Pack these items next to other cold food and serve them within two hours of refrigeration.

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Protein: Beans and Nuts

The best protein for travel are vegetarian options like beans or nuts. You can occasionally find steamed beans in the store, but otherwise either steam beans from scratch or rinse out a can of beans and put them in a Tupperware. Our son loves peanut butter, so I will often make oatmeal peanut butter energy balls a few days before our trip. This no-bake recipe is simple and it is easy to modify depending on what I have on hand. If your toddler is adept at eating whole nuts, trail mix is a go-to for parents and toddlers alike! Try to avoid mixes with m&ms or other candy as they can melt and create a sticky situation! Chopped-up dried apricots or raisins add plenty of sweetness.

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Grains: Crackers

This is the easy part! There are so many great travel snacks in the carb category! We always have Goldfish, Cheerios, veggies straws, and multi-grain crackers along for the ride. Sure, you end up with crumbs in every crevice of the seat, but they are easy enough to vacuum up. 

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Packaged: Fruit Leathers, Olives, and Seaweed

Packaged items are the best to have on reserve in case all else fails. I have also offered them to other kids we meet in the airport terminal or on the train - it is kid-nature to feel hungry as soon as you see someone else eating! Fruit leathers, packaged olives, and dried seaweed are equally adored by our son. It is best to limit these snacks as they are usually higher in sugars and sodium. But you gotta do what you have to in order to make it through the trip - no judgement here!

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Water

Air travel and drier climates can lead to dehydration, which in turn leads to a lowered ability to fight off sickness. Make sure your toddler (and the whole family) is drinking enough water, even if it means an extra stop for a potty break.

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Extras: Baggies, Chip Clips, Wipes, and Containers

Depending on how long your travels will last, you may want to bring extra ziplock bags, chip clips, wipes, and containers. Chip clips, baggies, and tupperware help to avoid spills when shuffling things around in the car. Though you likely already have wipes in your diaper bag, consider stashing some in your center console or personal bag for easy access during snack time!

Save this list to your phone! Copy the simplified list below, and bust it out when needed!

Best Toddler Travel Snacks (by Toddler in Tow)

1. Fruit: Applesauce, Bananas, and Blueberries

2. Vegetables: Carrots, Celery, Bell Pepper, or Snap Peas

3. Dairy: Yogurt and Cheese

4. Protein: Beans and Nuts

5. Grains: Crackers

6. Packaged: Fruit Leathers, Olives, and Seaweed

7. Water

8. Extras: Baggies, Chip Clips, Wipes, and Containers

If you found this list helpful, you might also like our “Travel Toddler Grocery List” post, curated explicitly to help you get through the grocery store upon arrival to your destination. 

What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!