Children's Book Authors of the Mitch Spinach Books Share 7 Must-Know Secrets For Traveling With Kids

March 11, 2011 - PRLog -- One of the most challenging things about travelling is feeding your children healthy foods. Airport and airline food is some of the unhealthiest and worst tasting food available, so you need to plan ahead by packing as many healthy foods as you can. When we travel abroad and are flying for 9-10 hours, we pack a gamut of snacks even though the airline usually provides you with several meals (unlike on domestic flights). If your kids are hungry, you’ll be in for a rough flight, so be preemptive. Buy a bottle of water (remember you can’t bring one through security) before you board so that you have it for take-off, in case your children’s ears tend to bother them. Swallowing can help reduce the pressure on the ears. If you are breastfeeding your child, be sure to do so at take-off and landing. I did, and I never had “that screaming baby in row 12.” Often, when deplaning, the people behind me would say, “We didn’t even know there was a baby in front of us!” If you are past the breastfeeding stage, cut down or eliminate dairy foods a few days before flying. Dairy contributes to the formation of mucus and can lead to congestion often concentrated in the ears. Here are some foods for all ages that keep and travel well:

•   DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS—these also keep little fingers occupied.
•   DRIED CEREALS—not the sugary kind, of course—choose whole grain cereals with little to no added sugar—sugar will NOT help you get through your trip—it will only aggravate the challenges you may face.
•   ENERGY BARS—again low sugar—high nut and seed content to keep them (and you) satisfied.
•   CARROT STICKS AND FROZEN GRAPES—other fruits and veggies tend to end up mushy or squashed by the time you get through security. Believe it or not, simply freezing grapes makes them soooo much more interesting. Kids love them and they stay cool and firm for a longer period of time.
•   CHICKPEAS—easy and fun to eat but very filling.

You are also going to need to pack baby wipes and a change of clothing, whether or not your child is still a baby. You never know—they can spill their entire dinner on themselves and then they’re wet for the entire trip, so be sure that your carry-on baggage contains a full change of clothes, including underwear—yes, those accidents occur, too. The bathroom is not always vacant in time . . .

We usually pack a small backpack for each kid. It gets them excited about the trip and they feel secure and empowered, knowing that they have what they need with them on the plane. The backpack should contain items such as the following:

•   MUSIC AND HEADPHONES—the headphones given on the plane don’t usually fit children—bring a set for them to tune in to the offerings on the plane or to some kids’ music you have loaded on your ipod—familiar music can be extremely comforting to children if it is their first time flying or they have any anxiety about planes.  
•   EDUCATIONAL CARTRIDGES for devices such as Leapster etc.
•   COLORING/ACTIVITY BOOKS and MAGNETIC PUZZLES.
•   CHILDREN’S MAGAZINES like Click and Ladybug, so that you have some reading but don’t have to lug around books after you’ve finished them. You can just drop them in the trash and lighten your load. Or if you own an Ipad, Kindle, or other e-reader device, be sure to download some children’s books to keep them busy.

In addition, if you’re travelling internationally, many airlines offer bulkhead seating with a bassinet for a baby. Be sure to call the airline to reserve the bassinet in advance.

As far as car-seats go, you must weigh the pros and cons of bringing your own or renting them at your destination. We usually rent them as we already have so much to carry when travelling with (or without) children. Obviously if you’re not renting a car, you will have to bring your own.

With a little planning, your trip will go smoothly, even though there are always elements out of your control. I can’t even begin to count the number of times we have flown with our children. Since they have been flying domestically and internationally since they were only three months old, now they can’t wait to go on the next trip. They start packing their backpacks as soon as we say the word. If we can do it, so can you!

# # #

Frustrated by the lack of a healthy, smart, cool role model for their five and six year-old children, Hillary Feerick and Jeff Hillenbrand created the Mitch Spinach children's book series. They decided to combine their expertise (Jeff holds a BS in Exercise Physiology, and Hillary holds a BA and MA in English) to teach kids about the importance of eating healthy foods and reduce the number of children struggling with weight, chronic colds, ear infections and other nutrition-related problems.

The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach was written in collaboration with renowned, board-certified family physician, Joel Fuhrman, M.D., who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods.

To get kids on the right track with healthy eating, order a copy of The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach at: http://www.MitchSpinach.com.