Your Favorite Travel Snacks?

[Nasubi77]

Hello Mamas!

In two weeks, I'm heading to Florida to see the very last shuttle launch.  It's about a 10 hour drive, one way, and I'm taking my 9yo dd and 11yo ds.  I'm wanting some ideas for travel snacking!

I'm going to make some granola, some chex snack mix, PB sammiches, and probably take some fruits and cheese and cracker type items. 

What is your favorite stand-by for a long trip?  And any ideas for eating on the cheap while we're there for about 3 days?  I'm sure we'll get tired of baloney sandwiches, but our room may or may NOT have a mini fridge so our options are kind of limited in that respect. 

Also, any creative ideas for keeping the kids entertained also welcome. . .

Thanks in advance!

[homemademom]

Besides what you mentioned, we take hummus and pitas and hard-boiled eggs.

Good luck! Sounds like a fun trip :)

[martaluna]

Nuts and dried fruit are always a good travel food. You can also pack some smoothies in a thermos.

I would call to check if the hotel room has a fridge or how much it would be to add it. Some people also bring things like a rice cooker, slowcooker or foreman grill to hotel room in order to be able to cook their own food. Something to consider. Otherwise, I would check on the internet for places to eat. Many restaurants now post menu and prices on their websites.

[Nasubi77]

Originally Posted by martaluna 

I would call to check if the hotel room has a fridge or how much it would be to add it. Some people also bring things like a rice cooker, slowcooker or foreman grill to hotel room in order to be able to cook their own food. Something to consider. Otherwise, I would check on the internet for places to eat. Many restaurants now post menu and prices on their websites.

The "hotel" (more like motel) has fridges in SOME rooms, but you can't reserve one.  If I get one just depends on whether or not there is one available at check-in.    I almost bypassed this motel because of that, but the room cost was half of what other rooms with better amenities would cost so I figured I could afford to eat out on what I was saving per night!  We'll have a cooler, so replenishing with ice won't be that big a deal.  And we'll be on the beach...I can always take our little camp grill and we can cook out burgers or wienies on the beach! 

[AnnieA]

I pack lots of snacks in the little snack-size ziploc bags for road trips so the kids can munch at their leisure. It keeps the fights down!

Snacks include:

-fruit leathers

-sesame sticks

-cheddar bunnies

-graham bunnies

-granola bars

-pretzels

-chips

-almonds

-cashews

Usually I pack one of each for each child so they know that when they eat their bag of cheddar bunnies, when they go to choose another snack, they can't have any more cheddar bunnies because the rest are for their siblings. Pack refillable water bottles so you don't have to keep buying more. I also keep all kinds of crazy flavored chewing gum in my purse for trips because that's usually the only time I give it to them so it's a novelty.

For stuff to keep eating out costs down, definitely try to eat breakfast in your room at least. I would keep yogurt in the cooler and buy bagels and cream cheese, poptarts (big treat for my kids since I only give it to them on vacation), string cheese and fruit cups. Then you only have to worry about lunch and dinner. Lunch for us would be a sandwich, chips, fruit and possibly some cookies or something. That just leaves dinner that you would need to eat out for possibly.

For the drive, my kids LOVE books on CD/tape. Our last big trip we listened to Peter and The Starcatchers. All of my kids loved it. Dragonrider was also a hit on one of our trips.

[Nasubi77]

That's a great idea about dividing up the snacks.  I've been working on a travel bag for each kid with different activities, so I could throw their snack allotments in there as well!

Your breakfast and lunch sound like what I had planned.  I'll have a coffee maker so I was going to include oatmeal since I will have very hot water to add to it.  I've spent more time planning food than any other aspect of this trip!