Ever notice how things are going great, or a least moderately decent, then suddenly the sky is falling for your young humans?
We have noticed a strong correlation between our kids blood glucose and meltdowns! It has amazed me how when the tanking begins, or even before you think it might begin, taking time to sit down, drink water and eat a snack magically fixes the most dismal gloominess of an attitude. So just eat like a hobbit: breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch...... and you'll be fine! It's all about staying ahead of the Hangry!!
Here are some tiers of food packing that we have:
Errands around town
A nearby outing. (zoo, splash pad, field trip)
2-8 hr Car ride
A weeklong trek
Errands around town:
Pretzels, graham crackers, oatmeal bars, cheez-its, raisins, applesauce pouches, more pouches for baby, fruit snacks (gummies), peppermints/suckers, a few apples and cutie mandarins. Water bottles.
Outing:
I add peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Plus a change of clothes and usually a second pair of shoes so each kid has a tennis shoe and a water shoe.
Car rides: All the above plus add in some hummus, cut up pineapple, grapes, cheese sticks, sliced bell peppers, pepperoni slices, beef jerky, and hard boiled eggs.
Weeklong treks: We've taken to packing one large crate of dry food and one large cooler of cold items. It contains all snacks mentioned plus meat, cheese, avocados, squeeze mayo, oatmeal packets, milk, cereal, bananas, pita bread, some cookies, and tuna fish in the pouch. For longer adventures, especially with hiking or a lot of walking, we invested in some camelbaks for our two older boys. It gives them constant access to water so no one gets dehydrated and they drink soooo much more through a straw attached to their bodies than with just a water bottle!
Our secret weapon besides millions of PB&J's is.....bags of popcorn. Rarely can we not find a microwave at a gas station, hotel, or airbnb. Sometimes we pop some before we go on an adventure.
I'd love to hear what other ways you've found to feed your brood. Email us @ freeandfrugalfive@ gmail.com.
~ K