Adventure Snacks

We’re all parents of tiny people here so we know this truth: snacks are life.

What snacks should you bring on an adventure? It depends on your and your kiddos eating preferences. But here is what we like to bring. These ideas can get you started.

We’ve been through many iterations of adventure snacks, but the two main ways I’ve packed are:

• Team lunch

• Individual lunch boxes

However I pack our food, I make some effort to include at least one fruit and vegetable, a carb, and some kind of protein. I also make sure to include some high-calorie back up snacks like a protein/power bar and an extra, extra something in the car, often a banana.

Team Lunch

For a team lunch, I use a bunch of tupperware or reusable Ziploc bags (like Stasher or cheaper ones that also work just fine like these or these [have not used these last ones, they are an example]).

In each bag I put enough of each food item to share. For example if the kids and I are going to be gone from 10AM to 1PM I might pack:

• 1 bag of Grapes

• 1 bag of Pretzels

• 1 bag with Cucumber slices + bell pepper slices

• 1.5 PB&J sandwiches

• 2 Yogurt pouches

• 1 Apple

• Back up snacks: 2 apple sauces, 1 Lara bar, 1 Z-bar, gummies in case of emotional emergency (hers or mine lol)

• Car back up snack: 2 bananas

Individual Lunch Boxes

Individual lunch boxes include the same kinds of foods but split into boxes, duh. We have little bento boxes. Somedays I share with Q, some days we bring 3 lunch boxes. Just depends. Here’s another example. Each lunch box might include:

• Cheese stick or sliced cheese

• Salami (skipped for Q)

• Crackers

• Carrot sticks

• Sliced nectarine + strawberries

• Yogurt pouch

• Treat for R (and me!) like a little chocolate or something

In this case, I still carry some back up snacks like apple sauces, bars, granola bites, fruit leather, and emergency gummies and have a back up snack in the car like chickpea puffs.

Pocket Snacks

On hikes with a kiddo (or two) in a carrier, make sure to keep a couple snacks accessible. I call them pocket snacks! They can go in accessible carrier pockets or pants pockets and they make life easier when your kid inevitably wants a snack mid-hike and you don’t want to set a carrier down or pull out a backpack. They can also be used to distract an unhappy rider, at least for a little while.

My favorite pocket snacks include:

• Fruit leather

• Apple sauce/fruit and veggie pouches

• Granola bites

• Granola bars - I especially like Lara Bars since they are made with 5 ingredients and I can understand what all of them are

Other Ideas

Other lunch and snack ideas:

• Bagel and cream cheese or hummus

• Half an avocado + spoon

• Hummus with pita bread and veggies for dipping

• Sandwich with hummus, avocado and cheese

• Make your own trail mix - with toddler help of course!

• Have your toddler pick a new fruit at the grocery store to try

• Chips and guacamole

Water

Always bring more than you think you need. I have certainly been caught without enough because its heavy and I don’t want to and sometimes we hardly drink any and others we pound it. But when in doubt, pack more.

One of my top tips, which feels a little silly to say, is to always keep a full water bottle in your car. I keep a big metal one in there at all times so we always have a way to refill after a hike or even if I just forget water on a trip to the grocery store or something.

The Full List

The full list without all the fluff. Here are our favorite foods to take adventuring. For each meal I try to bring at least one food item from each category, plus a treat of course!

Main Course

• Bagel and cream cheese or hummus

• Half an avocado + spoon

• Hummus with pita bread and veggies for dipping

• Sandwich with hummus, avocado and cheese

• Nut butter and jelly

• Nut butter and honey

• Salami, cheese and crackers

Snacks & Sides

Pre-packaged

• Fruit leather

• Apple sauce/fruit and veggie pouches

• Granola bites

• Granola bars

Vegetables

• Carrot sticks

• Cucumber slices

• Bell pepper slices

• Edamame

• Cold peas

Fruit

• Sliced nectarine

• Strawberries

• Grapes

• Apple (slices or whole)

• Blueberries

• Watermelon (beware of leaking)

• Pineapple

• Mango

• Bananas (best as a car snack imho since they bruise easily)

Dairy

• Yogurt pouch

• Cheese stick

Crackers/carbs

• Pretzels

• Goldfish

Happy snacking.