{With this post, Daymon “Daym Drops” Patterson joins Traveling Dad…. we look forward to having him as a contributor and you can see a lot more of him in the meantime at the Daym Drops YouTube Channel.}

As a dad on the go, it’s important that my children have what they need when we’re traveling. With my oldest daughter now in college, she doesn’t get to travel with me as often, so our snack selection on the road is geared toward our 3-year-old.

We keep the following for her in a Little Playmate cooler:

1. Poland Spring. Mini water bottles that she can comfortably hold. Keep it cold with the ice pack inside of the cooler and this bottle will quench her thirst while she’s watching the latest and greatest animated movie and/or cartoon on her DVD player.
2. Jello. We quickly noticed that my daughter doesn’t care much for sugar-free Jello so if we do give her a serving with sugar we do our best to balance her overall diet with less sugary options. Jello is a great quick snack for the kids on the go and even if they spill some Jello on the seat, no worries, as it cleans up without leaving stains all over your upholstery.
3. Dole Mandarin Oranges. Kids seemingly LOVE fruit cups and you can find many that  don’t contain artificial sweeteners and such, so be sure to read the nutritional information on these. A fruit cup fits snug into the holders of most car seats and both of my girls loved these during our car rides.
   
4. Mini BabyBel Cheese – My daughter has a passion for this cheese. She started off a Polly-O String Cheese champion and upgraded herself over time, and now she refuses to go back BabyBel minis are small but satisfying enough to hold a child over without going overboard, and packs enough flavor to keep them smiling and enjoying the fact that they were able to open it on their own. It’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment for any 3-5-year-old.
5. PediaSure. When the struggle to get the kids to eat ANYTHING needs to be won by SOMETHING, PediaSure to the rescue! These bottles contain enough nutrition to gives the kids what they need for their daily intake. The younger the child, the more they tend to push back on what they deem as necessary in their diets… but as parents, we of course understand that their growth and stability is truly important and we want our children EXCITED about eating right at the end of the day. Instead of allowing them to fill up on what may not be healthy, use a supplement like PediaSure when you need to.