I think most of us know, especially for short haul flights, that airlines don’t always include meals for free anymore. What I hadn’t realised is that there’s not always food to buy either. I’ve been on a flight with my son where they’ve run out of meals and we have been left with a ‘hangry’ toddler. Who wants to be on a pane with a hangry toddler? Not the other passengers, not the flight attendants and certainly not the parents!! That’s why I make sure we always pack some kid friendly snacks for a plane journey. I also make sure these snacks are well balanced and nutritious.
Keep Hydrated
When you’re flying, the cabin pressure and dry recirculated air can leave you feeling dehydrated and also dry out skin so make sure you all stay rehydrated.
Buy water in the airport once your through security before your flight. Alternatively take an empty water bottle which you can fill up at a water fountain at the airport.
Avoid Sugary Foods
Try to avoid too many sugary foods as it will mess with your little ones blood sugar levels leaving them potentially feeling tired, irritable and agitated. All things you don’t want them to be on a plane!
Steer clear of gassy foods
It’s best to avoid gassy food which will leave your little one feeling windy – not just because you don’t want to stink out the other passengers, but as the pressure in the cabin drops any gas in the intestines expands and this can leave them feeling bloated and uncomfortable.
Don’t make a peanut butter sandwich
My son loves peanut butter and although this would be the best choice of food for him on a plane, I avoid making this as I have heard that sometimes if there’s a person with an allergy the airline will announce that it is a peanut-free flight. I’m not saying avoid nuts and peanut butter, but make sure you have something else if you need to throw away. This happens very rarely but I don’t want to put other passengers at risk so avoid peanut butter sandwiches when flying, just to be on the safe side.
No mess
Ideally you want snacks that don’t make too much mess. If you have a toddler or younger kids, take a snack cup to keep crumbs and mess contained such as the munchkin snack catcher.
So here are my top 35 kid friendly snacks for a plane.
- Red pepper sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Cucumber sticks
- Sugar snap peas
- Crackers
- Celery Sticks
- Bread Sticks
- Small pot of hummus
- String cheese
- Babybell
- Mini-cheddars
- Dairylea lunchables
- Marmite sandwich
- Ham sandwich
- Pitta bread
- Olives (not all kids like olives but my son loves them)
- Cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Hardboiled egg
- Cocktail sausages
- Quorn cocktail sausages
- Pasta salad
- Mini pizza
- Rice crackers
- Savoury muffin
- Pretzels
- Banana (keep this at the top so it doesn’t get squashed)
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Apple Slices
- Fruit pouches
- Raisins
- Muesli or low sugar cereal bars
- Popcorn
- Buttered hot cross bun
- Yoghurt pouch
- Sweets
I normally avoid too many sweets and cakes on a plane because I don’t want my son bouncing off his seat! However, I have found the odd sweet here and there can work wonders to bribe a three year old to sit in his seat and not on my lap when there’s a bit of turbulence (quickly followed by a game on the tablet to keep him distracted). Sweets are also good for take-off and landing. Too many sweets on the plane though and you could be heading for a melt down!
Keep cool
It’s worth noting I’ve included some dairy items in the list but this might not be practical depending on the length of your flight. A cool bag is ideal for keeping food fresh. You can always freeze yoghurt pouches to keep them cool. I love this small insulated lunch bag from Amazon, perfect for flights.
Remember to also make sure you take plenty of wipes and some bags you can use for any rubbish.These are always handy!
I hope this helps you enjoy your flight and keep the hangry monsters at bay!
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Keeping hydrated on a flight is so important, especially for the children. They tend to focus on the snacks but they need to drink too
Some great suggestions here. My go to travel snacks are jam sandwiches (you don’t need to worry about keeping them cool and both kids love them), low-salt kid’s crisps, crackers, raisins or real-fruit sweets (1 pack each!) and fruit (although I’m yet to arrive at a destination without a banana squashed in my bag).
Great tips for healthy snacks – nothing worse than a sugar filled child in a confined space
I am loving the snack ideas here. So true.
Excellent tips and ideas, thanks!
These are great ideas, I always take an empty water bottle to fill up once through security
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