Depending on the time of day, that familiar, “Mom…. I’m Hungry,” can be a nice tone or if it is when your child hops in the car after school, it can be downright ugly!
Even though it’s been a few years since I’ve had smaller kids coming home from school and/or being picked up – I have yet again entered this season. I am picking up my three year old who attends on in-home Montessori school a few miles away. He is funny and probably a lot like most kids – I pack a great lunch for him, although probably on the small side since I know he will be wanting to finish to go play. So when I arrive to pick him up at 3 PM, he is famished!
I’ve done a pretty good job at keeping snacks in the car all the time, along with some water, but now that I have a starving three year old arriving almost daily in the car, I needed to get a plan to keep everyone’s blood sugar level in check.
Whether you are picking up kids from school, on the go driving kids to and from activities, eating meals and snacks in the car can be messy. In addition, many of the ‘on the go’ snacks are just plain unhealthy. I am in the process of changing my own eating habits to a more Paleo friendly diet, which I imagine will also mean my family ends of changing, whether they intend to or not, so some of the snacks I share may in fact change for our family – but they may work perfectly for your family.
Before I go into snacks in the car, it is crucial to have some type of wipes and antibacterial, our favorite is the Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier, which is an all-natural hand purifier designed to cleanse and refresh the hands made by Young Living. A tiny amount works like a charm. We have an pack of baby wipes for sticky messes, but I am looking for a new alternative to that.
The following car friendly snack ideas will help keep your car clean and your children happy and healthy.
Sliced Fruit and Vegetables
Most children enjoy fruits and certain vegetables. It’s certainly a healthy snack. Discover what your child enjoys and create a few snack packs to take with you when you’re in the car. A little lemon juice on fruit will help prevent browning. Cut the slices small so they’re not a choking hazard for little ones. If you’re going to be in the car for a longer time, consider adding protein to the snack. Cheese slices or cubes are a good bet and will help your child stay full and energetic for a while.
I’ve been bringing a whole apple for my son cut in half and then in the middle I’ve placed some Almond Butter {I use this} Almond butter actually is a new one in our home that will soon replace peanut butter. I’ve also placed the Almond Butter in celery too – he loves that.
Dried Fruit and Nuts
We are lucky, no nut allergies for us – so we can have trail mix. I buy a big bag from Costco and then depending on how much I think we will use, I either place a portion of the bag in the car, or divide it up in smaller snack bags for easier distribution while on the go.
You get a good bang with trail mix, it’s packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals. Additionally, the snack is quite filling so you don’t need to pack much of it. Or you can buy bulk dried fruit and nuts like, cashews, pecans, and walnuts which are a nice change from peanuts. Dried cranberries, apricots, apples, and bananas are fun too.
Jerky
Head to your supermarket’s health food section and you can often find a wide variety of jerky that is free from many of the chemicals traditionally found in this product. You can also find a huge variety of jerky, from turkey to wild boar. Jerky is rich in protein and makes a nice snack for the car. Be sure to pack something to drink because jerky is often high in sodium. You can also buy a food dehydrator and make your own low sodium jerky at home, I haven’t tried that yet!
Energy Bars
There are a few energy bars on the market that are healthy and taste great. Look on the ingredients list to make sure it’s not packed with added sugars and fats. You can also make your own energy bars and customize the flavors for your personal tastes. A staple in our pantry right now are these KIND Minis, everyone loves them. When you combine this with a few other amazon items you can get the 20% off for subscribe and save, making these $.80 each. We’ve also began eating Larabars – they are Paleo, which is great for me, and getting them sent to the home with amazon subscribe and save makes them $1 a piece. Love a good price and convenience.
Packaged Fruit
I like to keep some snacks in the car for those times I have not thought ahead. Energy bars are great ideas, but also packaged fruit is too. I have to admit, I resisted buying these ‘on the go’ applesauce packs because I didn’t like the wasted packaging, but I finally gave in. I also just picked up some Stretch Island fruit leathers in my subscribe and save order and it is yummy!
A little planning and preparation can help you make family car travel more enjoyable. When you can choose healthy options in small packages it makes things easy on mom and everyone else!
What are your favorite snacks for the car?
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase we receive a portion of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Confident Mom.
