If you’re contemplating going on a family holiday or even just a day out with the kids, depending on the age of your children, it’s often advisable to take some sustenance from home for those all-important snack times.
I find it easy to knock up some sealable pots prior to setting off which remain fresh for several hours and I don’t have to worry about buying expensive dishes that will nine times out of ten been left barely touched.
Below are my top five pots for when we’re travelling as a family and no matter whether we’re flying, driving or going on the train, they all help to break up the journey and prevent an onslaught of ‘Are we there yet?’!
Pasta
Next time you’re making a bowl of pasta then make an extra batch that can then be frozen ready for your next journey. Pasta is an essential source of carbohydrates and the added benefits of olives, tomatoes and onions make it a delicious and nutritious travel snack or even a lunch. Top tip: keep your batch of potted pasta in the freezer until the last minute as it will thaw out during your journey and will still be fresh and ready to eat hours later.
Raw veg
There’s just something wonderful about the crunch of a carrot or the crack of a celery stick as it’s released from a pot and devoured by little mouths. If raw veg is safely sealed it will keep for hours and as it hasn’t been boiled to death it will be much healthier and tastier to eat. Top tip: mini veg, for example: sweet corn, sugar snaps and baby carrots, are great fun and can often be purchased in ready to eat packs so you only have to wash, seal and serve.
Sandwiches
Crusts on or crusts off, if you have the time to make sandwiches then a car, plane or boat picnic is just around the corner. That said, if your kids are anything like mine then the two squares of bread will be peeled back and the tasty fillings taken out as soon as served. My top tip is to make open sandwiches with a chunk of brown buttered bread sitting neatly alongside a chunk of cheese. It’s more of a ploughman’s lunch but seems to work!
Salad
Tomatoes, cucumber and bean shoots will all survive over the course of a long journey and if you’re planning on going on your family holidays abroad there’s always the chance that you’ll find a new and tasty salad substance to add to the menu. These days it’s easy enough to keep salads fresh however, beware lettuces other than Icebergs as the tendency to wilt at even the mention of sunshine doesn’t always make the most attractive offering.
Fruit
Whole apples, bananas and tangerines make for delicious snacks and need little or no protection other than being placed at the top of a bag. However, if you want to go all exotic, try cutting up some mangoes or dicing up some pineapple and serving straight from the pot. Of course, freshly sliced isn’t the only means of providing sustenance and from raisons to cranberries, there are a hundred and one dried fruits out there just waiting to be tried and tested on your travels.
Whatever your family are into: lazy days on hillsides, active walking or cycling holidays or just going to the beach, ensuring your little ones are catered for is one thing that you’ll want to take care of before you close your front door.
Bio: Chris is the King of Snacks in his household and never leaves home without something delicious that’s been wrapped, packed and sealed!
