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Car snacks for long journey?

45 replies

Heathofhares · 09/02/2022 20:20

Please O lovely Mumsnetters! What can you recommend for car snacks for a long trip.

Dcs are 5 and 9 and we will be travelling for about 12 hours. DH is a bit precious about crumbs and sticky stuff in the car... and I would like to avoid sweet stuff.

What could we pack to keep everyone happy?

What are good nibbling things for such a trip

OP posts:
xyzandabc · 09/02/2022 20:26

When ours were that age and we did similar length journeys a couple of times a year, we tended to mainly keep eating as a thing we did outside the car when we stopped. 3-4 hours, break, 3-4 hours, break, 3-4 hours, you're there, or near enough there that you can just push through.

Now they are older (and the car is older) they are cleaner and we don't care as much!

ItsDinah · 09/02/2022 20:27

Grapes. Carrot sticks.

CMOTDibbler · 09/02/2022 20:32

When ds was 5 or so, I'd do a mix of cereals in a resealable plastic bag along with various dry fruits - so shreddies, mini shredded wheat with apricot centres, cheerios, cornflakes, raisins, dried banana, dried pineapple, dried cranberries, all sorts really. He'd be very happy picking through it all and it passed the time like pic n mix but not sticky at all.

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thistimelastweek · 09/02/2022 20:33

Dried apricots fit the bill but your kids might not agree.

Either invest on in-car entertainment, in-car snacking that pleases a child or resign to frequent stops.

tattychicken · 09/02/2022 20:33

Brioche

DartmoorChef · 09/02/2022 20:36

Just stop for food regularly. No need for constant snacks.

Scarby9 · 09/02/2022 20:39

When we were little, the only snacks we ate in the car were seedless grapes.
And we had Tunnock's caramel wafers when we stopped for a break.
That was it for snacks (and lunch picnic too, if needed) - eating either reminds me of holidays.

AppleKatie · 09/02/2022 20:41

Apple/cucumber
Breadsticks

Or you know what give them a fruit pastille every 10 miles 😂

fishyfishyfishy · 09/02/2022 20:41

Fruit, things like yoyo rolls, lunchables, sweets. Take a damp washcloth / handywipes for fingers and it will be fine. Tell your DH to unclench a bit 😉 and you’ll all be happier!

reluctantbrit · 09/02/2022 21:30

We did stops every 3 hours and had a snack if necessary. There is no need to constant eating in the car in my opinion.

We may eat some grapes or clementines but only if we have them anyway, I don’t buy them on purpose.

Mrsjayy · 09/02/2022 21:50

We always just had car sweets and passed them round I don't think you need to snack in the car all the way just have something when you stop.

womaninatightspot · 09/02/2022 21:52

Cashew nuts and apples.

BeefSupreme · 09/02/2022 21:58

Surely you'll be having a couple of stops anyway? You won't be driving for 12 hours straight?
Have a picnic lunch when you're taking a break from driving.

LubaLuca · 09/02/2022 21:59

Greggs sausage rolls and Hubba Bubba.

If you're on the road for 12 hours, you can just eat when you stop. Have the obligatory tin of car sweets to pass round when you're bored.

Sacada · 09/02/2022 22:01

How about HOT dogs ? Wrap sausages in aluminium foil, and wedge in a hot part of the engine....when you stop take out and eat in bread rolls.

LubaLuca · 09/02/2022 22:03

@Sacada

How about HOT dogs ? Wrap sausages in aluminium foil, and wedge in a hot part of the engine....when you stop take out and eat in bread rolls.
Peak Mumsnet Grin. It's all downhill from here.
Yuckypretty · 09/02/2022 22:04

Apples, bananas, grapes

DiddyHeck · 09/02/2022 22:15

@Mrsjayy

We always just had car sweets and passed them round I don't think you need to snack in the car all the way just have something when you stop.
That's what we did too.
Drywhitefruitycidergin · 09/02/2022 22:19

Stick of rock to keep them quiet for hours & eat properly when you stop.
Followed by very thorough teeth brushing obvs....

SkankingMopoke · 10/02/2022 07:47

Can you spread an old towel on the seat then set the car seat on top?
We drive to the south of France each summer, and just accept the back of the car will need a thorough clean once home TBH. DCs graze regularly on the drive, but it is essentially their packed breakfast and lunch spread out over the day, so isn't excessive food overall.

Duracellbunnywannabe · 10/02/2022 08:02

I’m not a fan of children eating in cars, especially in motors ways where you can’t safely get to them quickly if they start to choke.

TrivialSoul · 10/02/2022 08:14

We tend to stop for breaks about every 3hiurs and eat then. What I found best for keeping the children distracted was to have a bag of surprises (pocket money type toys) and every hour they would each get a gift from the bag.

SilenceOfThePrams · 10/02/2022 08:19

Depends.

Is it snacks against boredom, snacks because you want to absolutely minimise stopping times to loo breaks only, or snacks to stop travel sickness?

If it’s the first then you could consider packing them each a little bag full of mini mysteries - tiny notebook and pencil, sticker sheet, an optical scavenger hunt (tick list of things to spot - orange lorry, green car, 3 motorbikes in a row, cows in a field, that sort of thing), set of safe challenges to do from a car seat - wiggle your big toe without the others moving, tense and relax legs and arms, breathe in count to give breathe out, count your teeth with your tongue, that sort of thing mixed in with the occasional boiled sweet, and let them open a new one at any set interval.

If it’s portable meals to reduce stopping times then sandwiches with non-spilly fillings. So ham, peanut butter, honey, cheese spread, rather than grated cheese or prawns etc. And just standard picnic food but of the less crumby variety. Commercial sliced bread not baguettes or pasties, sucky yoghurts not ones in a pot, apples (pre-slice and reassemble into apple shape to reduce browning) and carrots and sugar snaps rather than leafy salads and squashy berries. Biscuits rather than cake.

If it’s snacking against carsickness, ready salted crisps, ginger snaps, rice cakes, boiled sweets.

itwasntaparty · 10/02/2022 08:26

We used to do a 14 hour journey every summer - I used to make a packed breakfast and lunch. Stop to get out and stretch legs and eat.

We didn't really do snacks in the car, might have been a few sweets involved though.

gogohm · 10/02/2022 08:36

Wrong person to ask - I fed them pure junk and crumbly stuffGrin. They are size 6 & 10 as adults so it didn't hurt.

Haribos were my go to when they were particularly fed up