What to pack on carry-on foodwise when flying?

[Aelsantokie]

I have five children (ages 5-8) and when we travel by air it can get quite expensive just to feed them.

We usually will eat breakfast either at home or on the way but when flying across country (which we will be soon from Ohio to LAX), what can I pack prior to lessen the hit on my wallet?

 

Besides the usual granola or nutri grain bars and candy I guess I can do some pb&j and i always pack alumnimum water bottles with crystal light packets. Apples travel well...

 

any ideas area appreciated!

[uppitycats]

I have five children (ages 5-8) and when we travel by air it can get quite expensive just to feed them.

We usually will eat breakfast either at home or on the way but when flying across country (which we will be soon from Ohio to LAX), what can I pack prior to lessen the hit on my wallet?

 

Besides the usual granola or nutri grain bars and candy I guess I can do some pb&j and i always pack alumnimum water bottles with crystal light packets. Apples travel well...

 

any ideas area appreciated!

 

You should check the airlines, but you generally cannot bring aboard any liquids over 3 oz, until you've passed through the last security check-in. As for food -- I don't know if they would consider pb & j as "gels" or "pastes" and not allow that, either.

 

Packaged stuff -- like you've identified, are usually OK. You can get a lot of pre-packaged food these days; costs a bit more, but is certainly less expensive than what is available on board!

 

A lot of airports are now setting up fast-food places after the last security check-in, too -- we saw sub shops, for example, and McDonalds, and presumably once you're that far, you can buy that stuff to take on the plane.

 

Good luck!

[cb at sea]

Don't forget that the kids get "carry-on" items, too...so if you need to bring a small lunch box size cooler, you can. You can't bring liquid from home...you'll have to buy that AFTER you pass through security.

 

Apples, bananas, raisins, grapes...."finger-fruits" are all good. Sandwiches that won't spoil, granola type bars...anything like that will be fine.

[lsmommy]

For the return flight we usually buy a large pizza the night before and then have cold pizza for the airplane.

[sbhdmh]

We just returned from a cruise in Europe so they provided meals on the plane. I thought this would be an advantage. Unfortunately the chicken they served was so spicy my 4 year old started screaming after taking a bite. The mom in front of me had brought along crackers for her kids and was kind enough to share. DD munched on the apples and cheese that I brought, too.

 

Baby carrots, cold precooked noodles - even chicken legs can be good. If you can find applesauce that is less than 3 ounces throw them in the freezer before you go. It can keep your food cold and be a good snack on the plane, too. Trader Joe's now sells squeezable applesauce tubes that my DD loves. If you can keep them cold then yogurt tubes are also a good option.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[sas80]

We have brought a bagel schmeared with cream cheese before. I wasnt sure about security on that one but they let us pass without a second look.

 

If you dont mind public water fountains, bring empty water bottles and fill up after security.

 

Get mayo and mustard packets and pack bread, lunch meat and cheese slices. Refrigerate everything ahead of time and wrap them in extra napkins and they will keep long enough to be edible.

 

Dry cereal would be good to pack, along with disposable bowls. You can ask for milk and a spoon once on the plane. Dry cereal alone is good to munch on.

 

If you bring sandwich bread, you could use a plastic container for that and then have it double for a bowl for the cereal.

 

We have done the cold pizza thing before.

[14ersco]

In June I was stopped for carrying jelly. It was in a sealed jar and gift wrapped, but I still had to go back and check in part of my carry-on luggage.

 

What has worked for us are yogurt tubes (freeze at least overnight if not longer); they are about 2.5 ounces. Also cold hard boiled eggs have gone through security on many of our flights.

[Onessa]

If you can keep them cold then yogurt tubes are also a good option.

One of the yogurt in a tube national mfgs is advertising that their yogurt is "specially formated" to be frozen and thawed for use in kid's lunch boxes.

 

I buy the boxes of the individual packages of crackers/cookies/et.al (stock up when they are on sale) and stuff them where ever there is room on the carry-ons. Kashi has their TLC crackers that way.

 

I've gotten small "food service" packets of PB to carry with (and put them in my quart sized zipper bag for liquids. But with the issues with peanut allergies, I've cut that out as well.

 

If you are flying internationally - remember there are many restrictions as to what types of "fresh" and/or non-packaged food you can transport. You can bring an apple on-board but on many international itineraries you will not be able to take it off with you if you don't get around to eating it on-board.

[Kerry's Girls]

Make sure to pack enough to take into account long delays sitting on the tarmac before take off or after landing. We bring cold chicken, trail mix (I just mix my own peanuts and raisins); peanut butter crackers; granola & cereal bars, along with lots of different kinds of snacks in individual zip loc bags.

 

Best,

Mia

[isk8]

I always bring an almond butter and jelly sandwich for my son plus crackers, cheerios, breakfast bars, etc. Once through security, I buy some water and some apple juice.

[chapichapo]

I have bought packed carrots and apples (you know, the one's that are already cut in small pieces) at McDonald's in previous trips. This time I'm taking apples, carrots and also pears. It's nice to have fruit for the children and the way they pack it it kind of lasts longer and is easier to eat.

I'm also taking kids disinfectant hand wipes.

[dijid]

To get around the "no liquids" ban when I want cold stuff - I have frozen grapes (which still taste okay if they don't have time to thaw all the way.)

 

I do not pack PB&J. You never know when you're going to get a peanut free flight- meaning someone on that flight has an allergy so severe they don't serve peanuts. I would hate to be responsible for a reaction. I find salami keeps quite fine for hours. Apples and oranges travel well. So do carrot sticks. I've brought dried fruit before since it is smaller and easier to carry. If I'm going to be traveling all day, I have frozen lunch meat (just not turkey!) and then brought the bread separately and made sandwiches en route.

 

They are now selling water bottles with built in filters. I saw them at Office Depot for $15. If you travel a lot, it could be worth it in the end instead of buying $3 airport water. My experience is that the water fountain stuff is hit or miss.

[poppan]

Wow do you have a set of twins in there somewhere? :p (I have twins.)

 

The PPs had lots of great suggestions... and most foods travel pretty well, so I would just bring what they normally like to eat at home. I would not hesitate to bring an entire rotisserie chicken (cut up would probably go through inspection easier). Cooked baby carrots or raw, depending on how your kids like them. Frozen peas/corn, they will taste great when thawed (that's how salad bars do it). String cheese in individual packages. Crackers, dinner rolls, bagels. Cheerios. Sorry, I have toddlers, can you tell from my list of foods... ;)

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

:( The airlines WILL take the aluminium water bottles away from you if they

are in your carry-on. Either pack therm in checked luggage and spend

the money for your drinks AFTER passing through security. (The only exception I am sure of is "bottled baby formula" ---so if that applies to your family --- at least the baby will be ok.)

[beachchick]

When my mother goes on a trip, I almost always pack her a "goodies" bag for the plane because I don't want her to not eat well on travel day as she gets cranky (don't we all?) and has to watch her blood sugar. I think some of what I pack for her might suit your needs because it's fairly compact, easy to eat, tasty, and nutritious.

 

Can or does each child have his or her own small collapsible "lunch bag" size cooler? They are super handy for travel days and can be used for cold beverages and pre-packaged snacks for port days too. We got our niece and nephew brightly colored small square ones with zippers on top. They're about 8"wx6"dx4"h with a soft handle. They snug right into a backpack or carry on. My mom was given a cute insulated "lunch bag" with a velcro top. Of course, napkins, individual wipes, and disposable spoons/forks/sporks are a must.

 

Foods I pack:

 

Wraps on whole-grain or flavored or high-fiber tortillas are a staple because they hold up better than most sandwiches and they're easy to eat. There are some really nice soft high-fiber and whole-grain tortillas available now. I use cream cheese or another soft cheese as the "glue" all over the tortilla and then fill it with things like smoked salmon and cucumber or ham and cheese. For kids, pb&j would be super easy to do in a wrap with no worries about keeping it cold. If you can keep it cool, chopped leftover chicken nuggets or baked/BBQ chicken breast and cheese are faves with the kids in our life. Graham crackers with pb or regular crackers with soft or sliced cheese are good alternatives, but they can get scrunched in a cooler.

 

Cheese sticks, carrot sticks, grapes, and raisins travel really well. I make a homemade "trail mix" (don't like the commercial stuff) of nuts, raisins and other small or chopped dried fruits (blueberries are fantastic and so sweet), and chocolate chips and pack it in small snack bags. Sliced apples are great if you have Fruit Fresh (or simply crush a vitamin C tablet) to keep them from browning. I don't recommend oranges (sticky and messy) or bananas (too easily "squished").

 

Another suggestion is to pack each child a small disposable/cheapie container of fresh fruit salad. Of course, this must be eaten on the plane, but the empty containers can be wiped out before landing and then washed later. For port days, they're perfect for filling with ice (much, much better than ziploc bags) to keep beverages cold.

 

Some pre-packaged items to consider: Individual size applesauce (as mentioned), puddings, fruit cups, and such are good. I always pack a few mini candy bars as a "treat." (As a parent, I'd bring extras and tuck them away to use as bribes. Normally, we weren't into bribing for good behavior, but travel days were an exception.)

 

As far as I've heard, you can bring empty water bottles and fill them after the security checks. Crystal Light packets are a great idea.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

beachchick

[CurtS]

My kids love the all-in-one packages: cheese and crackers, little pizzas (although might get a bit messy). Quite often we can get them pretty cheap and they would make a good, easy lunch. Any body tried those and, if so, are there any issues with them?