Early Flight - Need Portable, Kid-Friendly Breakfast Ideas!

[Hoosier Mom]

We have a McDonalds at our airport. It's pretty tasty. I've even seen them bring a cart full of sandwiches and coffee to the long line waiting to get thru security. Love those bacon/egg/cheese biscuits! Yum.

 

[scanne]

I think the McD's would get messy - either in my car or on the plane.

I really like the applesauce ideas, freezing the yogurt sticks and the cereal bites someone suggested.

Thanks everyone!

 

[mrsltg]

Honestly, I can appreciate your desire to be healthy with yogurt, but I'd go for a box of Entemann's instead. My primary reason is yogurt can spill, donuts can't. Sure, they can squish a donut and make lots of crumbs but those brush off. Also, grumpy kids getting up early might appreciate the treat of uselss, empty calories for breakfast! Then, when they get hungry later have a granola bar or some such thing to hold them over.

Have a great trip!

 

[crisi]

I think the McD's would get messy - either in my car or on the plane.

I really like the applesauce ideas, freezing the yogurt sticks and the cereal bites someone suggested.

Thanks everyone!

But applesauce and yogurt sticks aren't? Care to clean the yogurt sticks out of the back of my car? You haven't seen a mess until you see a flung yogurt stick.

I'd go for things that if they spill, won't end up with a huge mess (and yogurt sticks and applesauce - from up close and personal experience - aren't it). Make a "trail mix" of dried raisins and cereal and yogurt bits. Or just dried cereal. Cereal bars aren't bad. Chewy granola bars. A morning where a Kudos bar is breakfast won't kill them. Animal crackers aren't horribly unhealthy.

Make sure to put liquid in sippy cups. We've done the OJ spill in the plane, too.

 

[pooh4evr]

I would personally go for something dry that is easier to pick/ clean up if spilled. Juice sure but yogurt and applesauce messy for sure!

 

[hollyb]

Mc Donalds+Kids=a very happy start to a vacation!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

My first thought after reading page 1 was, "God, I hope they don't sit next to me!!" I would be so irritated if a small child with something messy sat next to me on a plane - just WAY too much chance of something spilling or being flung accidentally.

We'd absolutely be a McDonald's family, too, but if I had to have something on the plane I'd do a Pop-Tart or something else packaged that the flight attendant could easily put in her small garbage bag.

 

[scanne]

But applesauce and yogurt sticks aren't? Care to clean the yogurt sticks out of the back of my car? You haven't seen a mess until you see a flung yogurt stick.

Yes, these ARE messy, BUT with close supervision, the mess can be thwarted! I help my DD with the go-gurt - pushing up just enough for her to take into her mouth. I hold the "pop" and she does the eating. If the applesauce is frozen, then it would more like a slushy - still messy, and I may opt NOT to do the applesauce.

I cannot see cleaning up sqwooshed donut crumbs from my toddler's seat, shirt, hands - just too messy for my taste.

I will be getting the pre-sliced apple packs from our local Wegman's. They're great!!!

 

[crisi]

Yes, these ARE messy, BUT with close supervision, the mess can be thwarted! I help my DD with the go-gurt - pushing up just enough for her to take into her mouth. I hold the "pop" and she does the eating. If the applesauce is frozen, then it would more like a slushy - still messy, and I may opt NOT to do the applesauce.

I cannot see cleaning up sqwooshed donut crumbs from my toddler's seat, shirt, hands - just too messy for my taste.

I will be getting the pre-sliced apple packs from our local Wegman's. They're great!!!

Have you tried that in the tight quarters on an airplane? Because we didn't have much success helping kids on an airplane, there just wasn't enough room. Anything that required mom stayed in the backpack when we realized we just didn't have space. It was hard when my daughter was a toddler just getting her to suck a sippy cup during take off and landing. (Do bring something to suck during takeoff and landing. I woudn't recommend suckers because of the stick - chewy candy, something to drink).

I wouldn't do donuts either - I agree, too messy....you want non-squishable crumbs like graham crackers. (Ever have a kid spend an hour sitting on a fruit snack - not a pretty sight either).

However, if you feed them at the airport, instead of on the plane, you'll have more room and more options. Then you can do yogurt (or even cereal). Then, once they board, keep them occupied with the "brushables" - like goldfish crackers and dry cereal.

 

[DVCLiz]

Have you tried that in the tight quarters on an airplane? Because we didn't have much success helping kids on an airplane, there just wasn't enough room. Anything that required mom stayed in the backpack when we realized we just didn't have space. It was hard when my daughter was a toddler just getting her to suck a sippy cup during take off and landing. (Do bring something to suck during takeoff and landing. I woudn't recommend suckers because of the stick - chewy candy, something to drink).

I wouldn't do donuts either - I agree, too messy....you want non-squishable crumbs like graham crackers. (Ever have a kid spend an hour sitting on a fruit snack - not a pretty sight either).

However, if you feed them at the airport, instead of on the plane, you'll have more room and more options. Then you can do yogurt (or even cereal). Then, once they board, keep them occupied with the "brushables" - like goldfish crackers and dry cereal.

I love it!!! Non-squishables and brushables - you describe them perfectly!!!

 

[scanne]

Lots of great suggestions and thoughts - things I hadn't thought of. With regards to trying to feed/help DD on the plane, I WILL have help. My mom, my DD and I will be in one row of 3 and my DH, DS and dad will be in another row of three. So my mom will definitely not mind if DD is in her "space," but I will try to feed the kids just before getting on the plane. I do have lollipops for DD and fruit snacks for DS. Plus juice boxes. DS can chew gum, so I have to get some gum for him. I am hoping that since we're waking them up at 4:30am, that once they're settled on the plane and we're cruising that they will sleep. Ha ha! Too funny!!! Kids, MY kids, sleep???


I can hope, can't I??

 

[JakeJoshMom]

We stayed at the CBR with a 5y and 16 month old.
I took with us for Breakfast on the plane and snacks for the room the following:
Honey Buns
Cereal Bars
Pop Tarts
Bananas
Grapes
Crackers
Peanut Butter (tube)
jelly (squeazable)
2 q pitcher
2 quart Instant Peach Tea -mized in the 2q pitcher and kept this in the fridge
We had snacks for breakfast and after our nap/rest time in the afternoon

 

[crisi]

Lots of great suggestions and thoughts - things I hadn't thought of. With regards to trying to feed/help DD on the plane, I WILL have help. My mom, my DD and I will be in one row of 3 and my DH, DS and dad will be in another row of three. So my mom will definitely not mind if DD is in her "space," but I will try to feed the kids just before getting on the plane. I do have lollipops for DD and fruit snacks for DS. Plus juice boxes. DS can chew gum, so I have to get some gum for him. I am hoping that since we're waking them up at 4:30am, that once they're settled on the plane and we're cruising that they will sleep. Ha ha! Too funny!!! Kids, MY kids, sleep???


I can hope, can't I??

This isn't about having help or close supervision....its about sitting in a seat about eighteen inches wide with about 32 inches (is it even that much) between the back of your seat and the seat in front of you. I'm not a large woman, but doing much other than sitting straight ahead in an airplane is difficult. The spacial logistics are just hard. Before I had kids, at 5'6" and 135 lbs I felt like I was restricted - when I had kids we just didn't have space. (Hint, move the arms up between you and the kids - that will give you an extra few inches and because they are small - quite a bit more space - but it really isn't the shoulder to shoulder that causes problems with kids - its the amount of space between seats - and that most kids won't sit still for the length of the trip. Those trips with toddlers were really difficult and I'm really glad my kids are past having to try and help them.

I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm trying to help you see the sort of space you'll be in - and then imagine trying to help a child do much in that space. Crayons that drop on the floor stay on the floor - no way to retrieve them unless you are really flexible - so bring extras.

(Make sure to bring your own gum, they don't sell it at all airports - Orlando is one place you can't get it. I've forgotten the gum before, and won't ever again.....).

(First class rocks. But I don't fly in it often).

 

[Bird-Mom]

My dds love the Bakers Breakfast "cookies." They look like cookies, but they are actually healthy. They don't make too much of a mess (like regular cookies or typical breakfast pastries), especially if you open the top and eat it while it is mostly in the wrapper. You can get them in whole foods stores and sometimes in the regular grocery. One of these, some string cheese, an apple or banana and a bottle of water would make a great healthy, portable breakfast.

 

[FirstTimeCruiser]

We seem to always get those early morning flights. We take for our DS2 a sandwich size ziploc bag full of cheerios. He's also got his sippy cup full of soymilk. So there's his cereal breakfast. We might also feed him some grapes or a little fruit cup of peaches while we're waiting to board the plane. Once we're on the plane we get him some orange juice and we also take along more snack size bags of cheez-its, teddy grahams and animal crackers. He's usually so out of his routine from the early morning excitement that his food schedule and routine gets a little out of whack anyways.

 

[dramagirlem]

Mini cereal boxes work great

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Even though my DS and DD and now 10 and 6 they still love dry cheerios.

Wait, I still like dry Cheerios!

I think Cheerios, a banana & maybe a box of animal crackers. OK, I know animal crackers are not exactly breakfast food but they're good & can hold some entertainment value for small kids.

 

[sharibrat]

Instant oatmeal packets.

All you need is a cup and some hot water.