Taking a road trip with kids does not have to result in eating junk food. There are quite a few snack options to keep you and the kids full and healthy. Here we have a few quick and easy suggestions for healthy road trips snacks.
- Sweet Potato Chips
Toss out the salty, greasy, preservative filled potato chips at the gas station and opt for a great alternative: the sweet potato chip. These can be made at home by thinly slicing a sweet potato and baking them in the oven until they are crisp. Simply add a little seasoning and you’re done.
- Homemade Snack Mix
A snack mix is easy to make with the things that you already have in your kitchen. You can choose ingredients like dried fruits, nuts, popcorn, granola, and any other combination that sounds good together. Just combine what you have into a bowl and transfer the mix into lidded containers for the trip. It doesn’t get much quicker than that.
- Fruit Leather
Fruit leather is pureed dried fruit. This snack can be found in your local grocery store or can be made at home if you already have a food dehydrator. Just puree your choice of fruit, spread it out on a fruit leather or jerky tray and allow it to dry in the machine until it is pliable but not crisp. Fruit leather is delicious, naturally sweet, and a lot of fun for kids to eat. Just make sure not to add unnecessary sugars.
- Shelf Stable Organic Milk
These are available in single serve boxes similar to juice boxes. Milk is a nutritious option for snacking because of the vitamins and minerals. Shelf stable organic milk does not require refrigeration so it is ideal for road trips. Add fruit or whole grain crackers, and you have a snack that will keep little tummies full for hours.
- Whole Grain Crackers
Whole grain crackers are nutritious and are an easy, filling snack for kids and adults. There are many types and flavors to choose from so plain crackers don't seem so boring. You can also choose to spread a bit of organic peanut butter onto the crackers and create mini peanut butter sandwiches by putting two crackers together and storing them in an air tight container.
- Fresh Fruit
There’s nothing quicker or more convenient than taking a bang of fruit on a long road trip. Fruit is portable and naturally full of nutrients that kids need. If you run out of fruit prematurely, you can stop at a grocery store or even gas station, many of which are starting to sell basic fruits.
Having healthy snacks on hand for a road trip doesn't have to be boring or time consuming. A little creativity and planning can create a favorable experience and make the trip that much easier on you and the kids.
