Is there such a thing as a healthy long life food ? I want some emergency rations for the car for our holiday

[padboz]

before the kids came along we always carried spaghetti and a jar of olives in garlicy oil when we went on a camping holiday so that we would always have something passable to eat regardless of what happened. I'd like to do the same for our family this year - is there anything thats nice and not full of salt that can handle being in a hot car for several days?

Tbh I would advise you to buy a cool box.

Are you asking about family meals for camping? Or for a long joiurney?

what I'm looking for is something we can chuck in the car so that we don't have to go shopping if it all goes tits up with two toddlers in tow. Literally 100% store cupboard meals.

Nuts and seeds?

at the moment I plan to take pasta and long life pesto but I'd like some other ideas

Message withdrawn

Tins.

Cereals (can always find a pint o' milk)

Those foil type packages of smoothies - various brands. Handy as an alternative to fresh fruit if none available. Also long life custards/rice puddings etc.

Crackers keep well, and/or rice cakes. (you could buy some cheese quite easily I imagine to go with them). Or take a jar or peanut butter if not allergic.

Dried fruits - individual bags possibly.

Meant to add that something like a pot of rice pudding and some fruit would be a fairly reasonable "emergency" supper or lunch for toddlers.

Dried pasta and pesto? Salty-ish but not outrageous.

Or dried pasta and a jar of good quality tomato sauce - Sainsburys Italian Pasta Sauce range is actually pretty nice (though you have to be careful with kids as some of them are hot - spicy hot I mean)

oh sorry x posted!

these are all great ideas!

Baked beans. Jars (or tubs) of pasta sauce.

Pot noodles!

Sainsburys tomato and herb pasta sauce in a jar is a favourite round here (I'm not a lazy mum oh no)

for a nice meal, how about jars of things like stuffed vine leaves, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and those giant baked beans? maybe a bit pricey but you are on holiday after all

tins of M&S curry and boil in the bag rice
tins of tuna
breadsticks and crackers/water biscuits

Those kids dolmio pasta sauces?

tins of fruit e.g. peaches, pears

Cereal bars
Crisps
Digestive biccies

Oooh, aldi do some very neat little plastic tubs of fruit in juice - peach, pineapple or fruit salad. Each one is a 5-a-day portion and they are about £1.20 for 4.

Franny - that sounds delish - have you ever tried this on toddlers?

wendy - that sounds good. I'd defo like to get at least 1 five a day in.

my ds is a bit of an oddball but he fights over the last artichoke heart
he doesn't like the vine leaves, though
they could make do with a bit of bread and cheese if all else failed, though?
I don't see why you and dh should subsist on pasta n sauce for the whole holiday

oh apples, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, all travel well

gawd - we wont franny! fully signed up food ponce - but having ended up on Jersey at 11pm after a disasterous crossing for a camping holiday one time when we'd expected to be off the boat by 6 and able to get something yummy in a restaurant we vowed never to have a first night on holiday with no wine and no nice food in the car for emergencies !!!!

Very wise padboz. The same nearly happened to us after a 2 hour journey took 6 hours. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Don't forget the bottle opener for the wine -essential obviously.