inspiration365: Family Travel Snacks

July 14, 20132 Comments

On the road again…it’s summer, time for vacations, beach trips, sporting tournaments, trips to see friends and family, and picnics.

While vacations and trips are a fun time to try new foods (especially regional and local specialties) and indulge in “we’re on vacation” treats, it’s also important to feed your family healthy, nutritious meals and snacks to keep up stamina and health during the travails of travels.

Relying on snacks available on the road will probably mean mostly highly-processed foods loaded with sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar – a mix that leads to less than ideal moods and behavior.

Knowing which snacks to pack and how to find them on the road is just as important as getting the car filled with gas to keep everyone running on optimum performance.  From Sharon’s kitchen:  we like to use Sigg water bottles with eco-liners that are BPA, Phthalate, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds)-free, for water while traveling.

In the car:
(You can pack a small cool-box or bag for the car)

• cubed cheese
• hard boiled eggs
• carrot and celery sticks
• raw veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, bell pepper slices
• orange slices
• apple slices
• raisin snack boxes
• jerky sticks
• salami slices
• rolled deli meats

On the train or airplane:
(When space is at a premium and you can’t take a cool-box)

• dried fruit
• nuts
• bananas
• grapes
• string cheese
• oatmeal, raisin, chocolate chip cookies

At the hotel:
(Most hotels will provide a refrigerator cold enough to keep milk if you ask when making your reservation.)

• individual yogurts
• instant oatmeal
• hummus and pretzels
• fresh fruit plate
• popcorn
• nut or seed butter and crackers

And of course, you can always say, “Oh, forget it all for a week or weekend.”

Happy Travels!