"When travelling with a little one, preparation can go a long way to making things as smooth as possible."
I recently travelled to India with my little one. After the COVID years, I was excited to go back and introduce my little one to India. We flew to the busy city of Mumbai and then to Jaipur.When travelling with a little one, preparation can go a long way to making things as smooth as possible. This article covers some of my top food tips for travelling with a toddler. Feel free to share yours in the comments too.
TIP #1 - Be prepared
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Food specifically for toddlers isn’t that easy to come by when you’re travelling. Plan for delays and spillages by making sure you’re stocked up and have extras. There’s nothing worse than being on a delayed flight or stuck in traffic and running out of food.
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Our flight was an overnight flight. I packed a My Veggie Bubba’s Khichdi recipe into a baby flask so it stayed nice and warm. Josh had this as his dinner just before boarding the plane.
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The one thing that really SAVED me was carrying a lunchbox! Before I left home, I asked Josh to pick out his favourite (packed) snacks. We packed breadsticks, mini biscuits, a banana, coconut rolls, dried fruit, crackers, and a jam sandwich. This really helped when we landed in Mumbai.
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I was afraid Josh was going to be constipated so I made sure I packed quite a few prune pouches.
TIP #2 - Bring their favourites
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This experience will be quite new for your toddler and even if they’ve done something similar before they probably won’t remember it. So, one thing you can do is bring along your little one’s favourite foods. This means that there’s some consistency and familiarity in these new spaces.
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I packed a small carry-on suitcase filled with lots of small toys, colouring-in books and an iPad.
TIP #3 - Pack snacks
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Travelling will take your little one out of their day-to-day routine, so they may not feel hungry at the right time or to the right extent. Therefore, snacks are key to ensuring they’re still getting enough energy.
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The lunchbox was filled every morning at breakfast ready for the day ahead. I asked the hotel to make a different variety of Indian delicacies such as dosa, puri, thepla and parathas. We added fresh fruit, crackers, breadsticks and cereal into the lunchbox too.
TIP #4 - Check what you can bring
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If you’re flying, check with the airline as to what food and equipment you’re allowed to bring. Most airlines allow you to take as much baby food as you need for the flight.
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If you’re driving, it might be worth investing in a cool box to ensure your food is kept at the right temperature.
TIP #5 - Pack some utensils
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No matter where or how you’re travelling, it’s good to bring along utensils suitable for your little one- such as bowls, plates, cups and cutlery.
TIP #6 - Food is the ultimate distraction
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If your little one is bored or upset about something, then food is your superpower to distract them.
TIP #7 - Make games
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Use food as entertainment to extend eating time. Often when travelling there are hours extending out in front of you, so this makes snack time last a little longer. Animal biscuits can be great fun for naming the animals or even what noise they make. Also, you can try things like naming the colours of foods or what they’re called.
TIP #8 - Eat often
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Keep your toddler well-fed during the trip - aim for every 2-3 hours. This will ensure they don’t reach the hunger point. Also, with so many new things they may not eat as much as normal during their main meals, so it’s good to keep them topped up with food throughout the day.
TIP #9 - Pack Wipes
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Last but not least- wipes! They will be your best friend when travelling. Pack LOTS!
