Packing A Travel Snack Bag

I am a snack person. No matter where I am, I always have snacks with me, as if I also have a small person in tow, but that small person is me, and "me" gets hangry. Is this also you? If not, that's fine. I also find that when I'm away from home, i snack more often. Like fresh air gives me the munchies. So, it's no surprise that when I'm packing for a trip, my snack bag is one of my most important items. 

I'm headed on an international trip, which means I'll need snacks for the plane and at my destination. I'll absolutely be hitting up the store and/or farmers' market while I'm there, but I also just like to have reliable snacks that I know I like from home. Often, I do find new fun foods while we're out and about. Like, we always try new chips and candy when we travel and each shop trip looks like some weird unboxing haul. Do I need to try 12 different chip flavors while I'm away? No, but it's definitely fun. 

Let's look at what my bag looks like that I'll be adding to my personal item under my seat, so I have access to snicky snacks if I should get hungry in between snack and food services.

Starters

First of all, I always bring a Stasher Bag. At least one, but often several. This one is great, because it has a flat bottom, so if there's something liquidy in it, it won't fall over and spill all over everything. Stasher are great because they are thick, durable, and can be used for everything. Put them in the freezer, the fridge, the dishwasher, the oven, the microwave, and even boiling water. If I'm on a road trip, I often fill several of them with water and freeze them to use as ice packs, and most of the time they are still partially frozen at the end of the day. The seals are amazing, too, but if you have issues with gripping things, they might be a bit too strong for you.

Onto snacks!

As you know, we're going to France. We'll be on the plane for something like 12 hours. Although I'll be sleeping a lot of that and there will be food and drink and snacks served, I sometimes find myself in the need of a little something in between. 

I decided on a variety of things that are easy to eat, satisfy some craving, and are easily packable. I may add something salty to this before I go, but here's what I have right now:

• Yoggies by Nature's Garden - I grabbed a package of these on my way home from my niece's birthday party (yes, she's 4 and so were all the other guests). I thought they might be light and airy, but instead, they are really chewy fruit and yogurt bites. I have them in strawberry and mixed berry. I wanted peach, but nobody seems to have them in stock for not a billion dollars, so I'll have to suffer with these delicious ones. They also have them in a trail mix, which...intriguing. 
• RX Bars in Honey Cinnamon Peanut Butter - Aside from the coffee ones they don't make anymore, and the sea salt chocolate ones that always seem to be very expensive or out of stock, these are my favorite bars. They are chewy, but don't stick in your teeth like all the others, and they fill me up for quite a while. They are just a bit sweet as to not be boring. 
• Orville Redenbacher microwave kettle corn - This is an in-the-room snack. We have evenings where we stay in, do laundry, and watch a movie or binge a bit of a show. It's fun to have a little relaxing night and also have an easy snack to go with it. It also satisfies a sweet and salty craving. 
• Trader Joe's peanut butter and jelly snacks - These are a hit or miss at the store. I bought 40 boxes of them (not all at once) and then they disappeared for a year. The other day I went to buy something else and they were back! So, of course, I bought a box. I'll probably go get some more. These are really great at giving you a bit of protein and feeling very comforting. You can buy them on Amazon, but they will cost you twice as much as they do in the store. While crazy, $1.50 per snack isn't the worst deal, especially if they are good.
• Trader Joe's Instant Coffee Packets - Again, this is an in-the-room treat. We've come across times where we were in our room, without coffee, and nowhere to get a decent cup open or nearby. Are these perfect? No, but do I always have them in my pantry? Absolutely. They already have creamer and sugar in them, so you just add hot water and stir. Plus, if you're on a budget and not willing to hit up a coffee shop, then these will certainly do. Again, you can buy them on Amazon for twice the price, but if you don't have a TJs near you, you still can't beat what amounts to $1.15 for a cup of coffee.
• Fancy chocolate - Sometimes you just want a little nibble of some really, really good chocolate. I bought this bar at Dandelion Chocolate for a stupid amount of money, but it's really good, and a little square will do you. You don't have to spend a fortune on ones like OmNom, Raaka, or Theo. Grab a good Cadbury bar or even Moonstruck, and you'll be just as happy to have something a little higher quality.
• Cheapo chocolate - Get yourself a little guilty pleasure that's not expensive. Maybe you love a KitKat or Almond Joy or Oreos (or fake Oreos, in my case). Sometimes some trash food really hits the spot. 
• to be added - I realized that I don't really have much salty/savory options, so I may also add some Nature Valley Sweet & Salty peanut bars. In the past, I've also brought along Vermont Smoke & Cure beef and pork sticks. If I can find them for a reasonable amount, they are easy to pack and great to snack on.

Extras

I use a lot of reusable items, and try to use more zipper bags that are multi-use. As I said, I usually bring Stashers, but I sometimes bring something slimmer for my day bag to keep all my things corralled. I used to bring a bunch of gallon size Ziploc bags, and sometimes I still bring one or two, but often I bring things like these sandwich bags. They can also go into the dishwasher, freezer, and fridge, but they take up less space and are convenient for a lot of things, like hair accessories, makeup, power cables, games, and even change. Just fold it/them up and stuff it in a pocket or in with your snacks. Easy peasy!

And there you go! A whole snack bag for every part of your trip.  Squish all the air out and put it in your personal item. When you get to your destination, pull it out of your bag and toss it on the counter. Now you have a place to find all your snacks and you can pull stuff out as you go and keep your daily snack bag that you keep with you while sightseeing stocked with goodies, so you never get hangry. 

Will we eat it all? Maybe. If not, we'll have free snacks for the ride home. Stay tuned for when I show you how I pack my whole personal item. 

Tell me your favorite travel snacks in the comments!

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