Well, I've been taking notes these past few trips and I have some ideas. I would appreciate yours also.
(To make some of these ideas cheaper, you can make it homemade or watch for the sales!)
**Quick breads (I have found my daughter to enjoy GF banana bread, cranberry bread, etc for car food than any other bread. The bread tends to stay moister for a longer period of time than does the regular GF yeast breads.) Slather with butter, peanut butter, and/or jelly.
**Jell-O jigglers (Kraft brand will specify gluten containing ingredients on their food labels) or Knox blocks. Use the jiggler/blocks recipe not the regular jello recipe- it's too soft for the car. The jigglers hold together much better for little fingers.
**Chips (check ingredients, there are chips that are naturally gluten free.)
**Make your own Lunchables. Take rice crackers (or homemade) and cut up GF deli meat and cheese into bite sized squares. My four year old daughter enjoyed this as well as my six year old and my two year old. And it takes them longer to eat it, so great temporary entertainment for the car!
**Fruit (gotta love grapes! Apples, peach slices, and canned fruits are great too.)
**String cheese
**Yogurt (great for a snack or a breakfast car food, remember to bring a spoon, though, oh, and napkins/wipes.)
**Pudding (again, Kraft brand will specify gluten containing ingredients, or make your own. And again, bring a spoon and wipes)
**How about vegetables? Carrot sticks are practical, but my four year old doesn't particularly enjoy the texture. I tried the V-8 Fusion this last trip. It was a great alternative to just juice or water. My kids liked the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor. We also tried grape tomatoes. Loved 'em! Just be careful with the choking possibility. Slice them in quarters before hand and bring a fork and a bowl.
**Pre-cooked hot dogs work for a quick dinner.
**Jerky can be "if-ey", but we make our own venison jerky. Sometimes our GF daughter likes it, sometimes not...
**Applesauce
**Popcorn!
**Fruit roll-ups and fruit leather tend to be on the sticky side.
**Does your child enjoy cold leftovers? GF mac n cheese is a fav.
**How about dessert? I try to stick with fruit. Filling kids with sugar when they are stuck in a small space isn't my idea of a good time. But there is a time for chocolate or some other nice alternative. Homemade GF cookies, frosting slathered on some GF banana bread is what I did last time, skittles or starburst is GF as well as Reese's peanut butter cups.
Some tips for traveling:
Bring a cooler. Definitely a must.
Bring plastic bowls. I bring three: one for each kid.
Bring forks and spoons for each child.
Bring lots of wipes. I wipe out each bowl after eating to reduce the cross contamination issue.
Bring a sense of humor and plenty of patience.
Plan out each meal and have ideas for snacks- it makes the trip go so much smoother.
Do some research on restaurants in the area you are traveling. It's good to be prepared!
And lastly:
Enjoy the trip! I've been told over and over: these days with our kids are short, so enjoy them!
Happy summer to you!
