Kids & Company Blog

Easy and Kid-Friendly Road Trip Snacks!

If you’re Canadian, you likely have something on your mind. I know I do…. The long weekend! It’s finally (almost) here! Many Canadians take this long weekend as an opportunity to drive to the lake or cottage, go camping, or take a road trip somewhere new with their family.

As you likely know, travelling in the car with little ones can be hectic. In my experience, there are two things that can make long drives easier: entertainment and road trip snacks!

Today, I’ll focus on the latter. You may wonder, why pack snacks when there are drive-throughs at every exit and en route stops right on the highway? Well, here are the top two reasons to pack a cooler full of fun, delicious snacks and skip the drive-through.

Hungry kids = hangry kids

If you’re not familiar, hanger is a dreadful mix of hunger and anger that results from a lack of nutritious snacks! With their fast-growing bodies, children’s hunger can sometimes be hard to predict. To avoid this, packing snacks in the only way to go!

Drive-throughs = sleepy, unhealthy kids

While the odd drive-through isn’t the worst thing in the world, it’s definitely not the best either. A fast-food only diet can leave kids with tummy aches or a sugar rush that is followed by sugar blues.

What to pack:

Of course, this is all depending on your child likes, dislikes, allergies and age! But, the first is key for everyone — even you. 

Water. Staying hydrated is essential, even more so on hot summer days. If you or the kids find water a little, well... blah, add some fresh fruits to your water bottle!

Fruits. Some of my favourites are apple slices, grapes, bananas and pre-cut strawberries.

Veggies. Cut up veggies are a perfect road trip snack. There is a limited mess (hopefully) and they’re amazingly nutritious and delicious. Try pre-cut carrots, celery, peppers or cucumber.

Cheese Strings. This one doubles as food and entertainment! Enough said.

Hummus, Yoghurt and Applesauce. While not exactly “mess-free” foods, their delicious taste and nutritional value may be worth a little extra cleaning. 

Raisins. Raisins are a great on-the-go food. They’re sweet, tasty and nutritious.

Homemade Trail Mix. Often, store-bought trail mix has some not-so-healthy ingredients. Make your own to choose exactly what you and your family are eating. Not sure how? Try our recipe below!

Recipe: Trail Mix

SERVES: 6 portions

RECIPE TIME: 5 - 10 Minutes

What you need:

• ½ Cup Shredded Coconut
• 1 ¼ Cup Shreddies
• 1 ¼ Cup Cheerios
• ½ Cup Raisins

What to do:

1. Make sure to wash your hands before you begin.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Toast shredded coconut until brown — approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the coconut over and bake for another 5 minutes. Keep your eye on the oven. Allow it to cool.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and serve.

Just remember, happy kids = happy road trips! I hope you enjoy your long weekend — you deserve it! 

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @kidcochildcare and on Instagram @cheflisaruscica!

Cheers,

Chef Lisa Ruscica

Chief Food Ambassador

Posted on: Wednesday July 31st, 2019

Posted by: Lisa Ruscica