
Whether you have a child with allergies or one who is just fussy, having plenty of food on board can make the difference between a smooth transition from home to holiday or a meltdown in the airport. So it is vital that you get the pre-trip grocery shop right. Even if you are staying in a first-world resort, it’s inconvenient to have to order room service every time someone needs a snack. Having plenty of food also means you don’t necessarily have to plan your commuting or transitions around children’s meal times – while it might make more sense for you to wait for a restaurant or café to sit down and eat, they can eat on the go. Here's some suggestions for the kinds of foods to pack when traveling with kids.
Packing snacks is a skill and requires some
forethought. Opt for foods that don’t require refrigeration, are light and come
in “squashable” packaging that will survive the rigours of the journey (not
explode in your suitcase). If you can buy family packs (one big pack with
multiple smaller packs inside) these will help avoid waste or storage issues
once the pack is open. Snacks that can be eaten by hand and aren’t too messy
are also preferable.
(Don’t forget to always pack each child’s own non-spill water bottle. This way you can wash it and ensure that it’s contents is always safe, boiled, bottled water.)
Here are some ideas for what to raid from your supermarket shelves before you leave home.
· Dried fruits. Items like sultanas, raisins, apricots, mangoes, bananas and apples makes for healthy, easy-to-eat snacks.
· Muesli bars. These are great breakfast substitutes when you need to eat on the go.
· Unsalted nuts. A healthy protein alternative for parents and kids.
· Dry biscuits. Filling for tummies, yet light and easily portable.
· Zip lock bags to store all the opened but uneaten snacks along the way.
· Biscuit-and-dip packs. Whether they are breadsticks and cheese or biscuits and chocolate, these school lunch box staples will whet an appetite for a few minutes til you can get to a better food source.
· Fruit and vegetable pouches. While these are technically marketed at infants, they are a good source of vitamins and fibre for kids of any age if you are worried about what they’ll be eating while on holidays.
· Children’s multi-vitamins. These will give you peace of mind if the resort kids’ menu only features pizza and chicken nuggets.
· Kinder Surprises. They are a small amount of chocolate, but the thrill and entertainment value of the toy inside more than makes up for the refined sugar. (Beware the toys may be a choking hazard for very young children.)
· UHT milk in individual “primas” or “poppers”. While this is a little heavy for plane travel, it is perfect for road trips over extended periods as it’s non-spill, can be produced at a moment’s notice and is not perishable.
· Infant formula. If this is your baby’s main diet, it’s best to bring the amount you will need for the entire trip with you. While the tins may be bulky, carrying it does save the stress if you can’t find the exact brand or type you are after at your destination.
·
Party bag lollies. If you can
manage to save them, all those sweets you inherit from the multiple birthday
parties are a great source of bribery for when you need kids to behave on cue
while you are travelling. Alternatively, buy individual family packs of sweets –
they are particularly useful at take-off and landing because the sucking will minimise
the possibility of sore little ears as the cabin pressure changes.
If your kids have allergies, don't miss the suitcases&strollers travel guide to Travelling With Allergies (& Dietary Requirements).
For more travel tips on healthy eating for kids while on family holidays, see the suitcases&strollers interview with a nutritionist here.
For ideas on introducing kids to foreign foods, see the suitcases&strollers interview with celebrity chef Emmanuel Stroobant here and kids' food expert Annabel Karmel here.
Donna Patterson
27 Jun 2014, 12:42pm
On a site that references food allergies and the challenges that affected people face when travelling, I am dismayed to see you recommending people take nuts with them on their travels. We are going on holiday in a couple of weeks, and my one year old son has anaphylaxis to peanuts. I am currently in the process of requesting that the airlines we travel with are aware of his allergy and do not sell nuts on the flights. Even so, I’ll be terrified that someone might have eaten peanuts, or open a packet onboard. Ironically, I found this article while looking for safety tips on travelling with a peanut allergy.
Aimee
30 Jun 2014, 2:20am
Thanks for your comments Donna. suitcases&strollers; is a site that tries to address the needs of all travellers - those with allergies and those without. This specific story is meant in this vein - it is a list of ideas which we hope readers will amend and edit according to their specific needs (including allergies). To provide more information and assistance specific to parents travelling with allergies or special dietary requirements, there is another article elsewhere on suitcases&strollers; and it does indeed link back here. We did not in any way mean to suggest that parents coping with serious nut allergies should be taking nuts with them. Apologies for the misunderstanding and - if you haven’t booked your flights yet - do look out for Swiss Air which has special allergy-friendly flights now. Good luck.
Donna Patterson
30 Jun 2014, 5:33am
Thank you. I do think, though, that in general people should be cautious about what they bring on a flight. The cabin brings implications for those with severe allergies; airborne reactions happen, so my point was that nuts are not a responsible snack to take on a flight (even if you yourself do not have an allergy!).