Toddler Airplane Snacks: Healthy and Filling Options for a Great Flight

Are you preparing for a trip and wondering what the best airplane snacks for toddlers are? Luckily, I’ve tried pretty much every option possible over years of traveling with toddlers, and I have some suggestions for snacks that will make the trip successful… not more stressful.

I’ll start with tips and things to keep in mind as you are choosing toddler airplane snacks, and lessons learned. Or you can jump straight to the list.

Watch out for choking hazards

This is always true with a toddler, of course, but sometimes we let our guard down on safety issues to make for an easier flight.

But the airplane is not a place you want to have a choking incident, and unpredictable turbulence can add an extra factor of risk. Ensure that any snacks you bring are safe for your toddler to eat, even if your toddler is generally a careful eater.

Opt for filling foods

Candy might be an easy snack to bring (and to convince your toddler to eat), but it’s not the best option for the flight.

Toddlers with full tummies are much more likely to relax, enjoy the movie, sleep, and behave well on the plane. Sugar just doesn’t fill kids up the same way, and the confined plane is the last place a sugar-hyped toddler wants to be.

For the best chance to go more than 5 minutes between hearing “I’m hungry”, choose foods that are high in protein and/or fiber. This is not always easy with snack foods, and not every snack you bring has to be organic, plant-based healthy high-fiber protein bars.

We like to ensure that at least one or two of our toddler snacks for plane rides pack a good protein punch, and then supplement in between with crackers and fruit snacks.

Limit peanut butter (or other nut products)

While peanut and tree nut products are allowed on planes, there might be times that you are not able to actually consume them.

Not all airlines have a peanut allergy policies, but more and more are becoming friendly to passengers with allergies. Only a few airlines will have entirely nut-free flights if they are alerted to an allergy (Virgin is one of the biggest airlines that does this). But quite a few will enforce a three-row nut-free buffer area.

If you are a family traveling with a severe allergy, VeryWell Health has a good run-down of domestic US airlines’ policies.

It is rare for passengers to end up in a nut-free flight or section, but it can happen. It would be tough to show up with a PB&J as your toddler’s only snack, and then learn that you can’t actually eat it. It is safer to just avoid bringing nut snacks altogether, or at least making them a small portion of what you bring.

Freeze refrigerated items before you leave

There are a lot of great toddler snacks that don’t work for planes because they need to be refrigerated. But if you are leaving to the airport from home or from an Airbnb or hotel suite with a kitchen, you do have more options.

Many refrigerated items work great to freeze, and allow to thaw as you get to the airport and onto the plane. Yogurt tubes and smoothies are a perfect example. Just ensure that they fit within the 3.4 oz rule, because unless they are frozen solid, they will count as a liquid/gel.

This is not the time to try something new

Toddlers are notoriously picky, and the last thing you need while flying with a toddler is the added stress of battling over whether a new vegetable is edible or not.

Stick with what you know, and what you know your toddler likes. Of course this isn’t always possible, but the more consistency you can provide, the better.

If you are planning ahead and see some snacks on this list that your toddler has never tried but you think are a good fit, buy them now and try them out a few times before the flight!

Don’t rely on the airplane food

Airplanes aren’t exactly known for their great food selection. Some airlines are way better than others, and international routes tend to have more choices. But even there, the kid choices will usually be designed for older kids – not toddlers.

I’ve been on flights where the only food options were literally cookies and candy bars (short flights in certain countries are the worst for this!). While my kid would be thrilled with those options, the last thing I need is a sugared-up 2-year-old on a plane with no solid food in her belly.

I have also been on plenty of flights where there is a good option… but it is sold out before they get to our row.

Remember to keep soft foods under 3.4 oz… with some exceptions

Most soft foods that you bring through security will need to be in sealed packages of 3.4 oz (100ml) or less. Harder foods like raisins and cheese do not have limits.

But TSA (and their international counterparts) do make an exception for baby food. And this can help you if you are trying to bring my all-time favorite toddler airplane snack: protein pouches.

Most (not all!) protein pouches are 4 oz, but if you can pass it as baby food, they are allowed in any reasonable quantity.

So what constitutes baby food? I figure that if your child is under 2 (the airline definition of a baby), you should be fine to bring it through so long as you declare it as baby food as you approach security.

It’s trickier with an older toddler. Between my children, I have brought pouches for toddlers through security quite a few times. Every single time they’ve stopped me to ask about it. And every single time they have allowed me to keep it, although occasionally with a “just this once” attitude.

I’m not saying it will always work, but there are a few things you can do to help. Always ensure that you pull it out of the bag and declare it as baby food as you walk up to the agent. Always be friendly. And have a back-up plan in case they do make you toss it.

Think about your packaging

What is going to work best for your kid and your trip? I love those easy-to-use Munchkin snack catchers with toddler-friendly lids because they reduce the amount of stuff that gets spilled. But you will need to balance whether or not you want to keep it with you for your whole trip. Sometimes we have brought it because we want to have it for the destination, but a lot of the time it’s not worth the extra suitcase space, as a family that travels carry-on only with toddlers.

We’re also not usually fans of unnecessary disposable packaging, like Ziploc baggies. But just like screen time limits, that goes out the window when we’re flying. If ever there’s a time that convenience outweighs eco consciousness, it’s the high-stress situation of flying with a toddler.

Don’t bring fresh fruit

Fruit, while it is an awesome toddler snack, is not a good choice. Many international borders, and some domestic ones, will not allow you to bring fruit through the airport.

On top of that, there’s the squishiness and the stickiness. A clementine orange might seem like an easy option, until it gets smashed into the bottom of your bag in the chaos of security and becomes a massive mess.

Just avoid it.

Decent crumbs vs bad crumbs

You probably won’t be able to avoid crumbs in your toddler’s seat, and that’s okay. But there are some crumbs that are worse than others.

For example: Chewy bars. Those little chocolate chips always fall off the Chewy bars, which is fine if you’re eating them at a table. But in an airplane, those chocolate chips are going to end up staining pants and airplane seats, and making a huge mess.

Opt for crumbs that won’t stick or stain, like dry crackers or Cheerios.

Don’t forget about drinks

While there will always be water and juice available on board, sometimes you have to wait a long time between service. Ideally, you can bring an empty water bottle or sippy cup and fill it as soon as you are up in the air (flight attendants are usually more than happy to do this for kid water bottles).

You can fill it before you ascend, but watch out because the pressure change can cause many water bottles to explode like a fountain if you open them after you get to cruising altitude. Keep it cracked open during the ascent if possible. This will keep the air pressure balanced.

Flights will almost never have milk on board, so if your toddler needs milk, I suggest bringing some shelf-stable milk boxes. Like baby food, declare these as you go through security as milk for the baby.

You might find good options in the airport beyond security (or you might not)

I hate to rely on this, because all airports are different. Even within one airport, you will have some terminals with great choices and some with none.

But in a larger airport especially, there is a good chance you will find some decent options while you are waiting for your flight to help supplement what you’ve brought.

Last time we were waiting for a flight at our home airport, we found a vending machine with protein pouches. Score! More of that, please, airports.

The shops that sell snacks and books usually have different refrigerated items that are good choices. I’ve often seen string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, hummus, and yogurt; and by buying shortly before boarding, this could serve as a perfect snack during take-off. This could also be a great opportunity to buy some milk.

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Plane snacks for toddlers are really different from the options that you might have for older kids. It’s going to be very important that you plan ahead, bring things that your child will eat and won’t make a huge mess, and that will fill your toddler up. A hangry, over-sugared toddler on a plane is a perfectly-avoidable recipe for disaster!

Best Toddler Airplane Snacks

Easy grab and go snacks

Fruit snacks

Fruit leather

Pretzels

Goldfish crackers

• or Annie’s, or any other one-bite crackers that your family likes. Individual wrapped bags are a bonus for ease of use.

Cheerios

Granola or protein bars without chocolate chips

• I like Larabars for how filling they are, plus I let my kids eat these on the sofa because they don’t usually drop crumbs or chunks off. They are not nut-free, as they have cashews or almonds, depending on the flavor. But even if you’re not able to eat them on the plane, these will be good to have later in the trip.

Veggie straws

Protein or fiber pouches

• These are our favorites, but they are 4 oz.
• These are 3.2 oz and packed with protein, and while we haven’t tried them, I would 100% try these in the future because it would mean they can go through security without issue.

Applesauce pouches

• Plenty of brands make 3 oz versions of applesauce, just be sure to check!

Raisins, craisins, or yogurt-covered raisins

Dried fruit medley

Shelf-stable hummus and crackers

• My toddler’s favorite food is hummus. Usually it needs to be refrigerated, but these 1.75 oz packs are shelf-stable until opened.

Ritz bits sandwiches

• They have peanut butter or cheese options. Consider cheese in case of nut restrictions, or maybe even bring both options.

Baby carrots

• These are probably the only fresh veggie that I would bring (since they don’t squish), and only for an older toddler, as these can be more of a choking hazard than most foods on this list.

Shelf stable milk boxes

• Milk will be impossible to find on-board. I find that shelf-stable milk tastes a little different, but my toddlers have always been fine with it. Maybe test it out at home first! Or go for the chocolate milk option to make it more enticing. We’ve also discovered that in many countries, all milk is shelf-stable! So you might want your toddler to get used to the taste anyway.
• These are 8 oz boxes, so again: make sure you declare it as you approach security by saying something like “I have milk here for my baby for the plane”.

Snacks that come from the fridge

Anything perishable is going to be a little trickier. You can bring along a lunch bag if you want, or plan ahead by freezing or planning to consume these foods first.

A frozen water bottle can serve as an ice-pack on the way to the airport, but it will not make it through security unless it is completely frozen solid (and even then, it will be up to the discretion of the TSA officer).

String cheese

String cheese can be eaten within about 4 hours of leaving the fridge. The quality and texture do degrade as you get past 2 hours, but it’s still fine to eat.

You can also freeze string cheese. String cheese freezes well because of it’s relatively low water content (for a cheese). Some brands retain the quality better than others, but all will be perfectly edible once thawed. And I am guessing your toddler won’t notice if the texture quality is slightly degraded.

Ideally, you want string cheese to thaw slowly while insulated over the course of a day. But if you can’t do that, just make sure your toddler eats it soon after it comes to room temperature.

Babybel cheese

According to Babybel’s website, their unopened cheese can be kept out of the fridge safely for up to 4 hours. They don’t recommend freezing because it degrades the quality, but I think this would probably be similar to string cheese.

This could be a great choice for grabbing from the fridge right before you leave for the airport, and having it be the first snack once in the air to provide some protein.

Babybel also says it’s fine to return their cheese to the fridge after a few hours, so you could get really tricky and ask for ice once onboard to keep your Babybel for longer.

Yogurt tubes (Go-gurt)

Yogurt, at room temperature, needs to be consumed within 2 hours. But yogurt tubes are notoriously good for freezing. These will thaw fairly quickly if they are not insulated, but will buy you a bit more time even if you’re not bringing a lunchbox or something with similar insulation.

Yogurt smoothies

These Danimals yogurt smoothies follow the same rules for staying out as the yogurt tubes, and conveniently fall just inside of the 3.4 oz rule (they are 3.2) so you don’t have to argue with TSA about whether or not they are baby food.

Hummus

Usually hummus needs to be refrigerated. If you don’t opt for the specifically shelf-stable type (as found above), make sure you consume it within 4 hours.

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Hopefully this list of healthy airplane snacks for toddlers has given you some good ideas. The main thing is really just to ensure that your child has snacks that are balanced, filling, and not too messy.

Can you think of other perfect options that fit the bill? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for more tips before your trip? Check out my guide to flying with a toddler and what I put in my toddler travel busy bags!

Originally published Jan, 2022. Updated July, 2023.