Whenever we visit a theme park, we always know we are going to spend a fortune on food and probably end up getting stuff that we don’t really enjoy, and makes us feel less than energetic walking through the park all day. Unless……we plan ahead and pack our own healthy snacks! We are definitely Disney fans, but we also love to visit our local theme parks and have packed a lot of snacks in our day. We have put together ideas of the snacks that have worked best for us as well as some helpful tips for the best healthy snacks to take to an amusement theme park!
First, here are some tips to think about when packing your own snacks for a theme park:
- Make sure you can take snacks in the park. A few of our local theme parks don’t allow outside food or drink. They do however have a picnic area and so we can leave our food in the trunk and then go take a lunch orsnack break when needed.
- Don’t pack really salty or really sugar snacks. If your kids are munching on salty snacks all day, they will also be thirsty and wanting to drink all day. Which also means lots, and lots of bathroom breaks. And sometimes when you have just gotten to the front of a long line, your kids seem to have to go right then. It makes for a lot of inconvenience. Really sugar snacks actually make you feel thirsty as well, so you will end up in the same scenario
- Pack snacks that are high in protein. This will help your kids feel fuller longer and give them more sustained energy without ups and downs.
- Make sure to pack hand sanitizer and wet wipes to clean up a bit before diving into the snacks.
- Stash items in a stroller, park the stroller, and come back when you need something. A lot of theme parks have areas where you can park your stroller at a central parking area, leave it there, and experience the attractions around without constantly moving your stroller.
- Don’t overpack perishables. Try to pack exactly what you’ll need as far as things that require ice, and pack a bit extra of the things that don’t, like trail mix and whole fruits. You might need a late night snack before you get back home, but you want to be able to get rid of the ice by midday.
This is our new favorite snack container. Check it out on Amazon.
Healthy Snacks to Take to An Amusement Park
Protein Ideas
- String cheese or pre-sliced cheese
- Individual hummus cups + celery and carrot sticks or snap peas
- Hard boiled eggs
- Roasted edamame
- Kid-friendly protein bars: Rx Bars, Clif Z Bar, Kind Bars, and Kashi Bar
- Nut Butters packed in individual containers + celery sticks, apple slices, or pretzels
- Trail Mix
- Tuna packets + crackers
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Yogurt tubes
Fruit and Veggie Ideas
- Apple Chips
- Carrot + Celery Sticks
- Snap Peas
- Fruit that doesn’t have to be sliced: Apples, Grapes, Bananas, Oranges/Cuties
- Dried fruit: apricots, mango, craisins, bananas, pears, figs
- Individual fruit cups packed in 100% juice (no syrup)
- Fruit leather
- Applesauce or fruit pouches
- Cherry tomatoes
Snacky Ideas
- Dry Cereal: Chex, Cheerios
- Popcorn
- Whole grain crackers (we love triscuits)
- Pita chips
- Granola
- Energy bites
- Pretzels
- Mini muffins (these pack so well and are our favorite!)
