In 2012, when I was 7 ½ months pregnant, my husband and I traveled 9 hours by car to a West Virginia golf resort to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. After the drive back to NYC I vowed off road trips. Forever. But memory is a funny thing and somehow I decided that making the trek to Stowe, Vermont tomorrow morning – with a baby in tow – would be a great idea. Surely if I can handle 9 hours in a car with the equivalent of a medicine ball attached to my stomach, I can make a 6 hour drive with a 16-month old. Right?
My plan of attack includes plenty of books, games, her favorite plush duck, an Elmo, and food. Lots of food. I’ve packed lunch and snacks for the three of us. For Audrey, I want to make sure I don’t have to worry about anything spoiling or spilling, needing a spoon, needing to be warmed up, or making a total mess. The sunbutter-banana pinwheels below are my answer. They’re loaded with healthy proteins, fats and carbohydrates; I don’t have to worry about refrigeration and she can easily feed them to herself (not while we’re driving and with me watching her of course). As for snacks, fruit, cereal, and cheese are easy, portable, and healthy as well. The key factor is that they’re all foods that will keep her satiated and even-keeled. So the food thing I’ve got. Now if I could only know how that whole being strapped into a car seat for 6 hours thing was gonna go….. Wish us luck. And HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Snacks (for the car ride and week ahead):
- Individual raisin boxes
- Whole-grain cereal
- Mozzarella string cheese
- Dehydrated baby-sized fruit
- Unsweetened individual cinnamon applesauce
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Clementines
Sunbutter-Banana Pinwheels
12 months + up
Makes 1-2 servings
- 2 tablespoons all-natural sunbutter (use peanut or almond butter if you prefer)
- 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup, honey or agave nectar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 whole-grain wrap (I use Damascus Flax Roll-Ups)
- 1/2 banana
In a small bowl stir together sunbutter, your sweetener of choice (I prefer maple syrup), vanilla and cinnamon. Spread onto 1/2 half of the wrap. Thinly slice the banana on top of the sunbutter mixture. Tightly roll up and slice into 1″ pieces.
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