I would love to say that I only feed my son in his high chair at the dinner table, but that would be a flat out lie. He is growing like a weed and he can turn into a little monster when he gets hungry. It's what toddlers do! My best defense is to not leave the house without a couple snack options packed for the road. Just because food need to be portable, doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy though. If you aren't prepared with something healthy, you might just get a meltdown in the candy aisle at the store... and even if you are prepared, you might get a meltdown anyway.
Diaper Bag Ready Snacks
Trader Joe's is one of our favorite places to shop for kid food because you can find great snacks that have smaller ingredient lists of things you can actually pronounce! They have a wide variety of freeze dried fruits (our favorite is the strawberries). They have dehydrated fruits as well, but these can be hard for younger toddlers to chew. The freeze dried strawberries almost melt in your mouth and my son LOVES them! Beware the powder of crumbled strawberry powder at the bottom of the package. It can get a little messy, but if you're creative, you can put it in your yogurt or roll a banana in it or any other number of options.
One of our other Trader Joe's favorites is the baked green beans. I keep a small container of these in the diaper bag at all times.
Our son also really likes the roasted coconut chips that Trader Joe's sells and I think they taste great too!
Our other Trader Joe's favorite that is probably one of the most processed things you'll find in there, but they work great in a pinch is the fruit bars - similar to NutraGrain brand but with names like "A Blueberry Walks Into a Bar" - they also have apple, fig, and seasonally pumpkin - all delicious!
If you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, Costco sold a great variety pack of freeze dried apples in snack size pouches. Some packs had apples only and others had strawberry and banana chips as well.
One of our other Trader Joe's favorites is the baked green beans. I keep a small container of these in the diaper bag at all times.
Our son also really likes the roasted coconut chips that Trader Joe's sells and I think they taste great too!
Our other Trader Joe's favorite that is probably one of the most processed things you'll find in there, but they work great in a pinch is the fruit bars - similar to NutraGrain brand but with names like "A Blueberry Walks Into a Bar" - they also have apple, fig, and seasonally pumpkin - all delicious!
If you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, Costco sold a great variety pack of freeze dried apples in snack size pouches. Some packs had apples only and others had strawberry and banana chips as well.
Fresh Fruits & Veggies
Fresh fruits and veggies can take a little longer to prepare and aren't always as easy to get in & out of the diaper bag if you're in a hurry, but there are a few options that are pretty quick and easy if you do a little planning ahead.
Here is a list of some of our favorites. Older toddlers may be able to eat larger pieces and younger toddlers may need some items sliced, halved or quartered for safety.
Here is a list of some of our favorites. Older toddlers may be able to eat larger pieces and younger toddlers may need some items sliced, halved or quartered for safety.
- Grape Tomatoes
- Grapes
- Berries (all kinds!)
- Apples (slice up quick with an apple slicer!)
- Oranges or Cuties
- Bananas
- Baby Carrots
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Sliced Bell Peppers
- Cocktail Cucumbers or Sliced Cucumber
Refrigerated and/or cooked
There are a few snacks/meals you can cook in a short time or just pull straight out of the fridge. They can go in the diaper bag, but only for a limited time.
- Cheese (cubed) or cheese sticks
- Pasta (cooked ahead of time shaken with a little sauce - long for fun & messy snacks, short for cleaner ones - If possible coordinate the shirt with the color of sauce - red shirt for marinara & green shirt for pesto, etc.)
- Macaroni & Cheese (I know this is pasta too, but Trader Joe's also sells individual microwavable servings- Yum!)
- Deli meat (there are some brands that are less processed than others) and other processed meats such as pepperoni, canadian bacon, salami that you can buy pre-sliced.
- Bacon (cook some ahead of time or use the microwavable kind for a quick bit of protein)
- Any meat (again cooked ahead of time and just shredded or chopped for small hands to grab)
This list is by no means exhaustive. Get out there and shop around! Try a new food with your toddler. Check out the local farmers market and see what's in season! You may find your toddler's new favorite food or you may find yours!