Packing to leave the house with the kids is a big project, whether it is a quick run to the coffee shop or a 7 hour road trip, I can guess that you are packing snacks. I surveyed over 100 moms and over 90% of them said that they pack snacks when they leave the house!
This is what they had to say:
“They have gotten in a habit of immediately asking for snacks in the car. Like a car ride automatically equals snacks.”
“Half usually end up on the car floor”
“We try to stick with natural sugars. But it can be hard to tell how much they should eat of each snack. Trying to keep a toddler balanced in their diet is hard.”
“The less mess, the better”
“I try to do easy and least messy snacks.”
“The variety of kids snacks now versus when I was little is crazy! Especially because you might be “judged” for giving your kid the wrong snack.”
WOW! There is a lot to talk about when it comes to snacks!
My go to snack is graham crackers, but they just disintegrate in the baby bag! They can also make a big mess at the library or on the church carpet, or at your sister’s house where they have an ant problem! I wanted to up my snack game.
The moms I surveyed named over 47 different snacks that they frequently pack. They seemed the most concerned with three things when it comes to snacks: the mess, the nutrition and the cost.
The key to any outing in my house is snacks, and I am not alone. We can make it through almost anything if the snacks are right. (I give you three great plans at the end of the article!)
Let’s break these down to find the ultimate baby bag snack!
The Mess
The moms in my survey had lots to say about the mess!
“I like ones that don’t crumble and one bite so I don’t end up with a mess in the car seats :)”
Me too mom, me too.
So which snacks are the least messy?
The ideal snack would leave ZERO mess! The problem is
Wrappers
Crumbs
Sticky Fingers
The best way to reduce the mess is to have a plan, here is mine:
- Do not pass back wrappers:
If you can unwrap any snacks in the front seat and then pass back only the edible parts this will really help keep the mess to a minimum.
- Back seat trash can:
Add a small basket with a plastic grocery bag in the back seat for kids to throw away their trash. This is really going to cut down on trash getting thrown on the floor. Just remember to empty the bag frequently.
- Stop and snack:
Whenever possible make snacks a picnic when you are out! We like to tailgate. We sit on the back bumper and eat our snacks in the parking lot!
- Baby Wipes
Pass those back for those sticky fingers and make sure they throw them in their trash bag.
I think we all know that not eating in the car at all would keep the car clean, but it is not realistic for many of us. These tips can help keep the mess to a minimum. I also keep this car vacuum in my van to clean up any major crumbs quickly.
The Cost
I checked the prices of all the snacks! These prices are going to vary based on where you live, and if you choose organic and brand name vs. generic options, but it should give you a good idea.
| $ Under .20 a Serving | $$ Under .50 a Serving | $$$ Over .50 a Serving |
| Pretzels | Banana | Strawberries |
| Graham Crackers | Gogurt | Grapes |
| Animal Crackers | Goldfish | Teethers |
| Apple Sauce Cups | Cheerios | Rice Crackers |
| Fruit Leather | Pirates Booty | |
| Baby Puffs | ||
| Meat Sticks |
The Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist or a health professional, I am just sharing my experience based on my research and experience as a mom.
In my circle, healthy can mean a lot of things. I thought the best way to determine if a snack is healthy would be to ask some experts.
I went with two extremities, the government recommendations of low fat, lots of dairy and grains, and the Paleo/Keto/Traditional high fat, lower carbohydrate recommendations. I know most people will fall somewhere on this scale.
Mayo Clinic (The Government Standard)
According to this article by the Mayo Clinic all kids from age 2-4 need about 1100 calories and should include protein, fruit, veg, dairy and grains. Since most of us are not counting our kids calories I think it would be better to just focus on getting things in from each category. The MyPlate tool here is a good visual, and includes some activities you could do with the kids.
So, most snacks listed here are the starchy, crunchy kind. Those are the big kid pleasers in my house, and with the moms I surveyed. The trick is to think of the day as a whole and try to spread out the variety of essential nutrition for you littles.
They recommend carrots, yogurt, banana, cereal bar or string cheese with a focus on low fat, low sodium choices.
Paleo/Traditional
This is another approach to child nutrition that prioritizes fat as a major part of the diet, you can read about it in this article from Weston A Price Foundation. Snacks with lots of fat are now a lot easier to find thanks to the Keto movement. These snacks tend to be pricier, but might be a better fit for your family’s nutritional goals.
Because Paleo excludes dairy, grains and peanuts (and all other legumes), this is also a great place for ideas for moms with allergies in their families
They recommend freeze dried berries, silver dollar pancakes, raw cheeses, coconut chips, beef jerky, hard boiled eggs, olives and pickles.
According to a Pro
A great friend of mine Bethany is a certified health coach through the Institute of Integrated Nutrition. I asked her a few questions:
What do you look for in a snack for your kids?
“Balance, I want any snack I have my kids to have protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Even if it is two snacks, like an apple and a boiled egg.”
How often do you think kids should be snacking?
“I like to see kids eating within 30 minutes of waking up.” This was very specific and she went on to say this was important to balance blood sugar. She gives her 4 year old 3 meals and 1 snack on a normal day and tries to limit snacking so that he will eat more at meal time. Bethany does say that younger kids should not be limited with snacking, but should always eat when hungry.
What snacks do you pack in the baby bag?
“When we are out, I want my kids to have full bellies!” According to Bethany helping kids regulate their blood sugar can help them have a happier day! She says that she packs refrigerated snacks like:
- plain yogurt in refillable pouches
- apple sauce
- sourdough cheese crackers
- boiled eggs
- cold cooked breakfast sausage
The Bottom Line
Good news, I think everyone agrees that the key to a solid diet for your kids is variety.
So that is it!
When you are packing snacks, as long as you have a good variety of carbohydrates, protein, and fats, then you are good.
We often have fruit and veggie smoothies with breakfast and I try to always offer a vegetable with dinner. So, in my house there are rarely vegetable snacks. Just one way I dodge the mom-guilt.
Snacks for Adventure
While on most days it is fine to give mostly crunchy starchy snacks and fill in with variety elsewhere, if you will be doing a longer adventure that will overlap a meal you need to be more strategic with your snacks.
Almonds, sunflower seeds, and raisins are all good sources of iron while cheese and beans are great for calcium. (Are my kids the only ones who love to snack on black beans right out of can?) Most cereals are also fortified with calcium.
So, when choosing snacks for your kids, try to make sure they are getting variety!
SNACK CHOICE MATRIX!
If you are heading to the grocery store this week, grab something from each column and you’ll be set with a great mix of snacks for the week!
| Protein | Fat | Starch | Extra |
| Meat Sick | Cheese | Graham Crackers | Fruit |
| Boiled Egg | Peanut Butter | Goldfish | Dried Cranberries |
| Almond Butter | Animal Crackers | Fruit Leather | |
| Tuna | Boiled Egg | Muffins | Fruit Snacks |
| Yogurt | Trail Mix | Veggie Straws | Raisins |
| Protein Bar | Sunflower Seeds | Cheez-its | Cucumbers |
| Breakfast Sausage | Pirates Booty | Cookies | |
| Hot Dogs | |||
| Lunchmeat Roll Ups |
Snack Plans for Perfection
Best Budget Plan
Apple Sauce Cup, Boiled Eggs, and Pretzels (about .29 per serving)
Best Convenient Plan
Apple Sauce Cup, Graham Crackers, Larabar (about 1.01 per serving)
Best Mess Free Plan
Granola Bar, Cheese Stick, Cut Up Strawberries (about .81 per serving)
Best Adventure Plan
To keep in the car: Fruit Leather, PB Crackers, Graham Crackers (about .55 per serving)
To keep in the baby bag: Fruit Leather, Wheat Thins, Meat Stick (about 1.09 per serving)
Phew! That should help you up your snack game! I know I have a stronger plan now! If you would like to download the full list of snacks with their cost per serving you can enter your email her and I will send it right along!
So, what are your favorite snacks to pack?
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