A day at the zoo, an afternoon at the park, or really any adventure that keeps you out of the house for several hours hits a little differently with a toddler. I’ve learned that a little planning ahead—especially when it comes to food—can make the whole day go so much smoother. Having enough snacks, meals, and water on hand helps keep everyone full, energized, and hopefully avoids that mid-adventure meltdown.

And this definitely doesn’t mean packing an elaborate picnic or spending your whole morning prepping food. As a dietitian and a mom, I like to keep things simple while still being intentional about what I pack. I usually aim for foods that travel well, are easy for little hands to eat, and include a good mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats to help keep everyone full and energized. Here’s what I typically think about when packing food for a day out with my toddler.

Start With a Plan for the Day

Before packing anything, I think about how long we’ll be gone and whether we’ll be eating a full meal while we’re out or just bringing snacks. A quick afternoon at the park might only call for a few snacks and drinks, while a full day at the zoo means I’m packing enough for lunch plus several snacks for everyone. To be fair, I was always the person who packed snacks for myself before having Hayes, so the habit was already there—I just have a little tag along to pack for now, too.

Right now, Hayes is pretty freshly 2 years old, and his nap is usually around 1, so we’re typically only out for either his morning or late-afternoon wake window. He’s not really one to nap while we’re out and about (anyone else? lol), so we usually plan our outings around being home for that. It also makes it pretty easy to gauge how much food we’ll actually need while we’re gone.

I also think about when we’re actually going to eat. I might pack something easy for the drive, a more substantial meal if we’ll be out long enough, and a few grab-and-go snacks for in between. That way, we’re not scrambling to find something once everyone is already hungry.

Don’t Forget To Feed Yourself!

It’s very easy to put all your energy into packing the toddler snacks and completely forget about yourself. When I’m packing for a day out, I make sure there’s food for me, too, and I usually aim for some combination of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and fruit or veggies. Nothing needs to be perfectly balanced, but having enough variety means I can piece together something satisfying instead of realizing halfway through the day that I haven’t eaten anything.

One of my favorite options is a smoothie for the drive. I’ll pour it into an insulated cup and either drink it on the way there or keep it cold for the drive home. Smoothies have always been one of the easiest ways for me to get a solid serving of protein in when I don’t have time to sit down for a full meal, and all of my smoothie recipes have 25+ grams of protein.

And yes, I pack enough snacks for myself, too. As mentioned above, this was a habit long before I had a toddler tagging along with me, so that part hasn’t changed much. Sometimes I’ll even just pack extra of whatever I’m bringing for Hayes because I know I’ve already chosen something with a little more staying power than your typical snack cracker.

I really love Ella’s Flats seed crackers (code RACHAEL15 on their site) because they have fiber and some protein, and they’re SO good. They also make the perfect little vessel for hummus, mashed avocado, chicken salad, or whatever dip or spread I have on hand. It’s an easy snack for both of us, which is always a win.

Snacks I Always Have on Hand

Also, I always keep snacks with me on-the-go. You will rarely find me without a Chomps beef stick in my car or bag. I love having a few shelf-stable options with me that I can throw in my bag and completely forget about until I need them. A few of my go-to’s:

• Homemade granola — mine is made with a mix of nuts and seeds, so you’re getting some healthy fats, fiber, and protein along with it.
• Nuts and seeds (always check the ingredients list for added sugars and vegetable/canola oils to avoid. I like choosing dry roasted salted nuts without added oils)
• Protein bars — I love making my own when I have them prepped, but for a packaged option, I’ve been loving the Mezcla Maple Blueberry bars lately. SO good and easy to throw in my bag.
• Pitted green olives — ok these always pair perfectly with a Chomps beef stick. My favorite are from Thrive Market (here’s 40% off your first order with them, but basically the healthy grocery store online that ships straight to your door). They’re the ‘Thrive Market Pitted Green Olives’ imported from Italy!
• Ellas Seed Crackers (mentioned above)
• Wild Tuna White Bean Salad packs — I usually buy them from Whole Foods or Thrive Market, but these are great for toddlers and adults because they have protein, fiber, healthy fats, and some veggies. And shelf-stable!
• Fresh fruit like an apple or banana — easy, portable, and always good to have on hand.

I’m all about having a few things tucked away so I’m not stuck somewhere starving with nothing to eat. It doesn’t have to be complicated—just a couple options I know I’ll actually want when I need them.

Toddler-Friendly Foods to Pack

When it comes to packing food for Hayes, I keep things familiar, easy to eat, and pretty low-mess. A day out is usually not when I’m trying to introduce a bunch of new foods—I want to pack things I already know he likes and will actually eat. I also try to include a mix of protein, healthy fats, carbs, and fiber when I can, especially if we’re going to be out for a few hours.

Some of the foods I like to pack include:

• Homemade granola — a new favorite for my freshly 2-year-old! This recipe also lives in my first cookbook.
• Nuts and seeds (when appropriate for your child and prepared safely)
• Blueberries, strawberries, banana, or other easy-to-pack fruit
• Diced avocado
• Cheese — Hayes LOVES feta right now, or I’ll pack the Organic Valley thick-shredded cheddar. Both are so easy to throw into his lunchbox or snack stack cups.
• Simple Mills crackers — another easy option I feel good about packing, especially paired with cheese, avocado, hummus, or another dip.
• Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Broccoli — I’ll just dice them up and store them in the compact cooler I’ve been using.
• Homemade muffins — probably one of my favorite things to prep ahead and keep in the freezer. My Toddler Banana Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins for Toddlers, and Healthy Toddler Zucchini Muffins are all made without refined sugar and are so easy to grab on the way out the door.
• Serenity Kids pouches — Hayes is still very much obsessed with these, and I honestly couldn’t be happier about it because I love the ingredients. They’re not solely fruit like a lot of pouches out there, and many include healthy fats, which can help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. He loves the beef ones, too. Now that he’s 2+, he downs one in about two seconds lol, but I still bring them everywhere for an easy option between meals and an extra boost of nutrition. My code ‘rachaelsgoodeats‘ should still work on their website.
• Leftovers! I’m very much a “what do we already have in the fridge?” person. If there’s something from dinner that travels well and he’ll eat cold or at room temp, I’ll pack that too. This is my go-to insulated cooler we’ve been using all summer.
• Ella’s Flats — I’ll break them into toddler-friendly pieces, and they’re great on their own or with avocado, hummus, etc.

I love these stacking containers for snacks on the go (also great for formula). I also have been using these reusable silicone pouches for chia pudding/ smoothies at home and on the go. These stainless steel containers with lids are amazing – pretty much indestructible and easy to clean.

If You’ll Be Out Longer, Pack a Meal

If we’re going to be out long enough to hit lunchtime, I’ll usually pack something more substantial in addition to all the snacks. This doesn’t have to be anything special—I’m very much looking at what we already have in the fridge and figuring out what will travel well.

For Bridger and me, that might be a sandwich or wrap, leftover chicken, pasta salad, or whatever sounds good that day. And honestly, I take the same approach with Hayes. I’m not making him a completely separate “toddler lunch”—I’ll usually pack some version of what we would serve him at home, just portioned into a container that’s easy to bring with us.

Tinned tuna has also been SUCH a game changer for us on the go. We love this one, and it’s an easy protein option to have on hand for Hayes. I can pair it with crackers, avocado, fruit, cheese, or whatever else I packed and call it lunch.

Another one I make all the time is the 5-Minute Pesto Chicken Salad from The High-Protein Plate cookbook. It’s exactly what it sounds like—SO easy to throw together—and Hayes loves it, too. I’ll pack it for sandwiches or serve it with crackers and crunchy veggies for dipping. It’s one of those recipes that works just as well for his lunch as it does for mine, which is always what I’m looking for these days.

For anything that needs to stay cold, I’ll throw it into a small cooler or insulated lunch bag with an ice pack and keep the dry snacks separate. Nothing revolutionary here, but having everything packed and ready means we can stop and eat whenever we need to instead of waiting until everyone is starving to figure out the plan.

And we definitely don’t pack lunch every single time. Sometimes I’ll bring plenty of snacks and we’ll grab lunch at one of our favorite local spots while we’re out. It really just depends on the day.

On-The-Go Essentials