As summer travel season arrives, we think food on the move can be a lot more delicious than uninspiring ziploc bags of dried out carrot sticks and miniscule packages of airline pretzels. Here are our favorite ideas for great food on the go, and as always we’re keeping it family friendly and a little globally inspired.
On the Road
We love road trips! You have a lot of eating options – no TSA restrictions and there’s room for a cooler!
iloveobento.com
Store it
Insulated Japanese Bentos are fun, practical and perfect for storing your gourmet treats and complete meals in the car. We love the hip and kid-friendly selection at iLoveOBento.com. Also check out these non-toxic, recycled, no-waste lunch kits from Kids Konserve.
Eat it
Snacks: Hummus, baked Pita chips; chopped veggies; samosas (recipe, pictured); empanaditas (recipe)
Mains: Stromboli (recipe); crunchy asian chicken salad (recipe); wedges of cold frittata (recipe)
Sweets: Funky Monkey Freeze-Dried Fruit; apple muffins (recipe); oatmeal raisin cookies (recipe); chocolate-covered caramel apples; Toblerone; Kasugai Gummy Candy
Drink It
Water with lemon slices in your reusable canteens
Bot Flavored Water for Kids – low sugar, cane sugar sweetened
Jones Zilch Pomegranate Soda – refreshing and aspartame free
Lychee or Strawberry Ramune Soda
Bundaberg Ginger Beer – real ginger flavor and great for car sickness
In the Air
If you’ve ever watched the anticipation rise in the cabin as the meal service begins on a long flight, you’ll appreciate the importance of food on a multiple hour journey. Despite the long delays, security lines, unpacking of bags and TSA food/liquid restrictions you can still make eating in the air enjoyable.
Store It
We love the Built NY Lunch Tote line. These non-toxic bags, available in lots of designs, insulate hot or cold foods without any banned gel-filling, open out to form a placemat and store flat or roll up. Their Double Thirsty insulated bottle tote is also a great way to carry two bottles of formula or juice, and it snaps onto luggage or strollers.
Eat It
Snacks: Jumbo salted cashews; wasabi peas; chiwda; tangerines; Terra chips; hard cheeses; olives
Salads: Greek Salad (recipe); French Carrot Salad (recipe)
Mains: Grilled veggie sandwiches (recipe, pictured); Grilled chicken Banh Mi (recipe); Pasta and Pesto Salad (recipe)
Sweets: Anzac Cookies (recipe, pictured); Banana Walnut Chocolate Biscotti Crisps from Sahale Snacks; La Vosgienne Hard Candy for popping ears; grapes (great thirst quencher in a dry cabin); Just Fruit Munchies (non-boring dried fruit for kids); Endangered Species Chocolate
Drink It
The options on drinks are limited, due to TSA regulations. There are lots of options available onboard and at the airport, but we still have a few suggestions!
Bring your EMPTY refillable water bottles, and refill at a drinking fountain once you get through security. We love SIGG bottles which come in hip designs for kids and parents, and can be clipped onto bags for easy access. Supplement onboard drink service with drink powders like Starbucks VIA coffee, dried miso soup, Emergen-C and Pedialyte Powder in case anyone gets air sick.
Of course you can always bring formula, juice and water for infants and toddlers – check out the guidelines here.
Hiking/Biking
If you’re hitting the trails this summer, you can still eat well. Sure, we love the traditional snacks like trail mix, but we found some delicious and different options to keep you going!
Store It
We love the Camelbak hydration packs. With a huge range of options tailored to the ergonomic requirements of men, women and children, everyone can carry their own supplies and have easy access to cool water on the go.
For families with younger children, all of the BabySherpa backpacks have an inbuilt cooler big enough to store 8 regular sized soda cans, a separate insulated bottle pocket, a changing pad AND are small enough to work as carry-on baggage!
Eat It
photo: Scott Peterson for Bon Appetit
Snacks: Smoked Almonds; Dried Cherries; Mini Larabars; Sahale Snacks Ethnic Flavored Nut Blends; All-Natural Trio Bars; Clif Kid ZBars
Mains: Mini Cuban Sandwiches (recipe); Waffled Ham and Cheese sandwiches (recipe),;Turkey Wraps with Curry mayo (recipe, pictured)
Sweets: Nutella cookies (recipe); chocolate macarons; tropical fruit salad (recipe)
Drink It
Water, water, water
Zico Coconut Water (natural electrolyte drink)
Gatorade G2 Powder Sachets (for adults)
Lemon or lime slices, stored in a Ziploc, to refresh water.
We hope you’re now feeling a little inspired to pack an interesting spread for your upcoming trip, and we’d love to know what your favorite family travel snacks are!
* Be sure to check out the current TSA rules on food and drink before you fly, as they are subject to change at any time (at the time of writing, powdered drink sachets were allowed on planes in the US).
–Fiona VanAlstyne is a Hip Travel Mama contributor and Luxe Food&Wine editor.
If you are passionate about food like us, stop by Wanderlust and Lipstick each week for WanderFood Wednesday, where you will find amazing pictures and food that will inspire you to travel the world and bring the world’s cuisine a bit closer in your own kitchen!