Planning a car ride to a distant destination with a kid requires thorough preparation. One of the points to remember about is undeniably food for your child.
On the one hand, it is important to take what is necessary. One the other hand, you should stay calm if the diet during a travel does not look great.
Read this short guide to find some suggestions for a menu for a child during the trip.
Do not worry too much
The very first thing that should be said is that you should not stress too much about the diet of your child. of course, as a parent, you would like to do your best to give your child only the best food available, however, the way your kid is planning to have food can be rather unpredictable. A stressful situation might make a child refuse from any food in the first place. Do not be afraid of that. your trip does not last forever and once the child gets out of the car and starts living normally, the appetite comes back.
In addition to it, do not feel bad if your child prefers snacks to anything more substantial. This is also normal. Remember, your task is to minimise the sufferings of your kid who will inevitably feel bad because of a long trip, so there is no point in torturing the one with food if he or she does not want it.
Breastfeeding
Undeniably, breastfeeding is the best option for your child as it not only will give the kid everything one needs but will also sooth him or her.
If by any chance you are planning to finish breastfeeding before your trip, think about postponing it a bit so that you will be able to use this form of feeding while you are on the way.
Baby formula
Preparing a formula for a baby is another easy option for feeding during the ride. Note that even if normally your kid does not have formula too frequently during a day, while you are on the trip, this can change. It can actually happen that your child will have only formula during the entire travel. this does not have to make you feel bad even if your formula has to be given only a limited number of times during a day. The car trip is an exception and what counts for you now is to have your baby fed and calm.
When you come back to your normal life, you will take care of the nutrition of making sure the child gets all of the necessary meals. Right now, baby formula is more than enough.
Regular meals
If your child has already switched to a normal diet, it is not advised to grab various boxes and jars with meals for him or her.
First of all, it will be impossible for you to make sure the food is till edible especially if you are travelling during the summer. Secondly, your child might refuse from eating anything in such a form. Finally, it is just not convenient to feed a kid like that.
A better option will be making a stop at a gas station and purchasing a normal meal for your child.
Snacks
In the majority of situations, you will not have any other choice but to feed your kid during the trip with some snacks. This might not sound like anything healthy, however, it depends on you what kind of snacks you get for your child.
It is highly recommended to avoid any sweet snacks no matter whether they are biscuits, chocolate bars or anything else of this sort. First of all, all of that sugar is certainly not good for anyone. At the same time, too much of sweet food will make your child feel thirsty too much. Note, the air inside a car is already too dry which alleviates thirst. After sweet treats, thirst will become even more and your child will drink a lot more and require more stops for peeing.
Yet, you can give your child apples, bananas and any other neutral snacks that are not too fatty, sweet or salty.