You wanna know what derails a family outing faster than anything else?
A full-blown meltdown from a kid because they are STARVING.
At least, that’s the main thing that derails our plans…maybe that’s just because we have boys, IDK. 🤷🏻♀️
But, I can tell you that it’s the first thing that will make us stop short of our goals…whether we are hiking, snowboarding, on a road trip, or on a bike ride.
It’s a special kind of torture when your child who just downed a burger, corn on the cob and waaaayyy too many chips less than two hours ago decides that they can’t possibly go another minute without eating. 🙄
Because Garrett has a peanut allergy, we can’t always rely on gas stations or snow resorts to have granola bars or other snacks that he can have. Sometimes we get lucky, but we definitely have to have back up options. So, we typically buy or order our favorite allergy-friendly snacks in advance to have on hand for our adventures.
Needless to say, we have realized that having on the go fuel is an absolute must. We started calling these on-the-go foods “pocket snacks” a of couple years ago while snowboarding at White Pass. The term stuck. In the winter, we load everyone up at the car with pocket snacks before heading up the lift. Most importantly, it buys us a little bit of time to squeeze in another run or two when hunger starts setting in.
We know that having the proper fuel, especially when you have kids, can make or break your day. So, we have gathered some of our favorite allergy-friendly snack options for you. But, even if allergies aren’t part of your reality, these are still excellent pocket snack options!
Allergy Friendly Trail Snacks (a.k.a. “Pocket Snacks)
MadeGood Foods
We love MadeGood, not only because are they free of the 9 most common allergens (all Top 8, plus Sesame), but they also include hidden vegetables, are non-GMO, organic, vegan, AND gluten-free. Of course, none of that matters if they taste like cardboard…and, thank goodness, they don’t!
We have often had their Granola Bars or their Granola Minis (we find the best deal on those at Costco), and we LOVE them. I will say that the Granola Bars are smaller than what you may be used to from other brands. However, they are the perfect kid-size! We especially love the Minis with FBOMBs (see below 😉). So. Flipping. Tasty.
In our box, MadeGood sent us a bag of their Chocolate Banana Crispy Light Granola, two kinds of Granola Bars (Chocolate Chip & Mixed Berry), and 3 boxes of their Crispy Squares (Caramel, Strawberry, and Vanilla). The Crispy Light Granola and the Crispy Squares were new to us, and we would totally eat both again! We decided that the granola was like a mix between regular granola and Rice Krispy Cereal. The dried fruit in it was a hit! As you might guess, the Crispy Squares, are very similar to Rice Krispy Treats. But, with veggies. We won’t tell your kids if you don’t! 😉
Where to Find: Amazon, MadeGood
FBomb
When you have a peanut allergy in your house, it’s hard to find nut butter in convenient packaging for on the go. Last year at the mountain, our Frienders (AKA our crew) had some FBOMB nut butter they shared with us. Upon peeking at the package, I was stoked to realize that they are made in a peanut-free facility. Most individually sized nut butters are made on shared equipment, which isn’t safe for us to use for G. Thankfully, for us, FBOMB filled that void!
Just in case you were wondering, FBOMB stands for Fat Bomb….which is totally what you were thinking, right?! I’m pretty sure we are just going to let the boys go with that forever!
Get the FREE Guide
Ever wished you had a cheat sheet for outdoor adventures? Well, now you do! 🙌
Our Outdoor Adventure Resource Guide is 15 pages chock-full of quick & actionable tips, gear recommendations, food ideas, checklists to keep you organized, and more!
FBOMB makes a few products, including nut butter, oils, and other natural snacks. The nut butters are made from primarily macadamia nuts, as well as pecans, so if you have a tree-nut allergy, these likely will not work for you. However, if you are only allergic to peanuts, they are an excellent option!
FBOMBs have quickly become our go-to nut-butter for activities when we need sustained energy without being bogged down with heavy carbs. They are perfect for activities like hiking, mountain biking, and, of course, snowboarding. So, the next time you’re headed up to the mountains, drop an FBOMB in your kids’ pocket. 😉
Where to Find: Amazon or FBOMB
YumEarth
After Garrett’s allergy shot one day last year, his nurse offered him a lollipop. Of course, I had to check the package to make sure it was okay. They ended up being YumEarthLollipops, which I couldn’t say no to once I read that they were nut-free and organic. They are colored with things like turmeric and fruit juice instead of artificial dye. If they are going to have sweets, I love when they can be of better quality!
In addition to being nut-free, many of YumEarth’s products are also free of other allergens. Although none of their products contain soy, some are packaged in facilities that do. However, they have a very detailed explanation of which of their products are produced in facilities that also handle soy here. I’ve gotta hand it to a company who tries to make it easy to find allergy information for their products. Since then, we have also tried their Gummy Bears and Fruit Snacks. Their fruit snacks are Ah-Mazing! The texture and taste are hard to beat! They also have hard licorice candies, sours, and a Vitamin C line that we look forward to trying!
Where to Find: Amazon, YumEarth, or some natural grocery stores
Enjoy Life
Enjoy Life is a brand that has stood out from the beginning of our allergy journey because they make it easy for us to know that the foods we are choosing are safe. ALL of their products are free from the Top FOURTEEN allergens! You can read more about the details in their FAQs. Over the years, we have used and tried a variety of products from Enjoy Life, and the two that we consistently purchase again and again are their Chocolate Chip products as well as their Seed & Fruit Mix. They are always tasty, and we can safely eat them with confidence. We have also enjoyed their Grain & Seed Bars. Plus, their Grab & Go versions of the Seed & Fruit mix are perfect for trail hikes!
Where to Find: Amazon, EnjoyLife Foods
Don’t Go Nuts
Don’t Go Nuts is another brand that we LOVE for an allergy-friendly pocket snack. Like a few of our other favorite brands, they also produce organic, non-GMO, peanut-free, tree nut-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sesame-free snacks for kids. The two things we had the hardest time finding when Garrett was first diagnosed with his peanut allergy were nut butters and granola bars, and Don’t Go Nuts has an answer for both!
They have three varieties: Blueberry Blast, Gorilla Power, and Whitewater Chomp. Our kids, in particular, are fans of the Whitewater Chomp variety…maybe it has to do with the tasty white chocolate chips?! 🤷🏻♀️ In addition to their Whole Grain Snack Bars, Don’t Go Nuts also makes soy-based Plant-Based Protein Spreads. These are a great option if you have a child who is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, but are also an excellent option for nut-free school lunches.
Larabars
Larabars have been a favorite of ours for a long time. Their clean ingredient list of things like fruit, dates, veggies, and nuts makes this mama happy. There are no added sugars, colorings or fillers here! They make for incredibly tasty real food fuel for our adventures. Plus, they have a wide variety of flavor options and are readily available at most grocery stores.
That said, I include them on our allergy-friendly pocket snack list with a word of caution. Larabars are NOT made in a completely peanut-free or tree-nut free facility. However, over the years, I have called and spoken with staff in person at events multiple times. Each time, I have been reassured that, in regards to peanut, in particular, their labeling is on point. At the time of my last discussion, they manufactured the varieties that included peanut on a separate line than their non-peanut lines. From my understanding, those lines are also within the same building but separated into two different sections of the building. I have been told they label for any potential cross-contact and felt extremely comfortable with the answers I was given for our family.
However, we always recommend that you take a moment to verify that practices have not changed! A quick phone call or web search usually yields current answers for us. If you run into any questions, use your allergist as a resource! They are a wealth of information! And, if ever you feel uncomfortable, trust your gut! A snack is never worth a potential reaction.
Where to Find: Amazon, Larabar, or most grocery stores.
Final Thoughts on Allergy Friendly Trail Snacks (or for Any Outdoor Adventure)
Whether you have food allergies or not, these are some of our favorite allergy-friendly Pocket Snack options for the entire family.
Give them a try for your next adventure and let us know what you think. Get out there and don’t let hunger hold you back!