The Perfect Snack for Traveling Kids
The best road trips are when the kids sleep through most of it. That's Charlie and Doug on a six-hour drive through Spain last February.
by Wendy Perrin
Tomorrow my family and I hit the road for a last-gasp getaway before school starts again. I've written before about car trips with kids -- backseat activities that minimize mess, geography games to expand their brains, stops to make en route -- but I've never written about a key element of family journeys: Snacks.
I've found what I consider to be the perfect snack for my 4- and 6-year-old boys: It's healthy, organic, yummy, requires zero prep, and -- key for hyperkinetic kids like mine -- doesn't dump too much sugar in the bloodstream at once (and dumps no high-fructose corn syrup whatsoever). I'm talking about the Z Bar.
Unlike cheese sticks, they require no refrigeration. Unlike raisins, they don't roll off little fingers and onto the floor. Unlike apple slices, they don't turn brown and yucky-looking. Unlike bananas, they don't get smushed in carry-ons. Unlike peanut butter and jelly, they don't smear all over carseats. Unlike Cheerios, they don't get crushed by Power Rangers. Best of all? I can give my boys a Z bar on the plane and they'll still fall asleep an hour later! Nuff said.
What's my other favorite snack for youngsters? And where am I headed on vacation? Read on.
Along with Z Bars I pack Twisted Fruit, which is honest-to-goodness yummy fruit, twisted into a kid-friendly shape and sealed in wrapping so it won't rot in transit. It's a godsend if you're headed to a country where you need to worry about whether the fresh fruit being served is safe to eat (was it washed in bottled water? was it touched by dirty hands when being sliced? etc.) How much easier is it to throw 10 or 20 pieces of Twisted Fruit into a carry-on bag instead?! Charlie likes Mixed Berry. Doug likes Tropical Twist. (I like Pineapple.)
I've been a fan of Clif Bar, the makers of Z Bar and Twisted Fruit, ever since my first trip to China ten years ago. I pack both Clif Bars and Luna Bars (Clif Bars for women) every time I'm off to a developing country where the food is iffy or any place where my schedule will be so packed that I know I'll have to skip some lunches. I'm also addicted to Clif Nectar (the equivalent of Twisted Fruit for grown-ups). Yum! And much cheaper than a hotel breakfast.
Now, you might not hear from me for the next week while I'm on vacation in St. Michael's, Maryland, where my mom has rented a house on the shore. But I'll be back August 25. That's the week when I hope to announce the six clever winners of our Airport Layover Contest. See you then!
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Thanks for the tips. I love that picture!
Our family brings spoons and packets of Quaker Lower Sugar instant oatmeal e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. We can almost always get our hands on a cup and some hot water.
Posted by: jamiepea | August 15, 2008 at 11:12 AM
I don't have kids (yet) but this sure does help on how to get those "ARE WE THERE YET" kids to sleep :-).
Posted by: ecortes | August 15, 2008 at 12:33 PM
We're leaving on a car trip tomorrow, too. Driving from Cleveland to Quebec.With a 13yr old boy, the key to snacks is QUANTITY. We like Clif bars. Hubby and son are vegetarians and they're great in a pinch when there's not much for them to eat while traveling. We'll have to try the fruit things. Have a great trip. Looking forward to the results of the contest (although I don't think it'll be me.)
Posted by: maryliz1 | August 15, 2008 at 04:09 PM
We love freeze dried fruit (Trader Joes sells a good variety), puffed rice (it doesn't crumble like o's) and baby gouda cheese
Posted by: debbied | August 16, 2008 at 07:03 PM
I love that picture too. We have been on a world road trip for two years, so have gotten the snack thing down to a science. We have not been back to America in two years, so most of the snacks you mentioned are not available to us.
Carrots, raw almonds, apples, raw walnuts, dried apricots are things we always have with us because they are easy, portable, and my little fussy eater loves them all. We parents dig into them with her too from time to time. ;)
Have a great trip!
Posted by: Soultravelers3 | August 17, 2008 at 06:10 PM
Thanks for the great suggestions! I wish our daughter would pass out like that sometimes. She's the one that is always looking around and soaking it in, while the rest of us are tired!
Posted by: jessiev | August 18, 2008 at 12:43 AM
Ok, the picture made me laugh out loud -- I have several similar vacation shots of my triplets (three girls age 6, 6, 6 -- oh, if you are Catholic, that's a tricky number). I wanted to say that I should have invested in ClifBar when my pal was there and hooked me on the Z (aptly named as it magically induces sleep ;) Wendy, thanks for the great post. This multi-tasking, avid-travelin', mom of triplets adores you!
Posted by: tresgrls | August 29, 2008 at 01:02 AM