What Does it Take to Feed 5 Hungry Kids While Traveling?!

Well I am so happy you asked!

You caught us in the middle of traveling across the mid west with our family of 7 and a sustainable meal is always on the menu. I'd love to share our top 3 super saving tips for "eating out", so you can keep more cash in your pocket and feed your family on a budget.

1} Think outside the box/the family packages. ~ believe it or not- pulling up and ordering the "family package" isn't always the best deal on the menu. I have found that my family doesn't always like what is included in these packages- and they are not always the deall they are cracked up to be. Look at the options and see what you can combine on your own....! The key is knowing how much you need to order, as leftovers are never fun to travel with. Try to evaluate how much everyone will eat and go with "less is more" thought process.. Extra water and little snacks in the car can always fill up the "hungry hippos" after the meal is done.

2} Avoid the pop/ coke /soda drinks ~ skip out on the sodas- and go pick up a case of water instead. There are SOOOOO many reasons why I highly suggest you skip the sugary drinks.... especially when traveling with young children in small spaces. The last thing you need is kids bouncing off the windows, getting on your last nerve, because of all the sugar pulsing through their bodies!! This is supposed to be a FUN family vacation- make it easier on yourself and keep the kids hydrated and happy with the simple pleasures of water!

3} Avoid ordering the combos for everyone ~ check out the options on the "dollar menu" or the "snack combinations". You can save several bucks by simply being flexible with the menu options and not always going for the calorie dense and pocket draining combinations. There you have it.

And for a real life example- this is what we ordered at our last stop when my husband and I and our 5 little "hungry hippos" were needing a sustainable meal. We ate at "Chesters Chicken" and ordered the following: -1 order of "6 piece snack chicken"

-combo #2- 6 piece chicken that came with 2 sides plus potato wedges, so I choose potato wedges and Cole slaw for my sides. -Honey Strung cup of chicken

~this equaled out to be: 12 hand battered chicken strips, 6 potato wedges, 2 biscuits, and an order of Cole slaw, and a cup of smaller pieced chicken.

~ both of the orders came with a biscuit and plenty of dipping sauce. ~We skipped the drink on the combo and drank the case of water we had in the pickup ~Next time I will skip the "honey strung chicken". (I thought it would be easier for the girls to eat- but it wasn't a hit with the kids).

~ we did have 2 chicken strips left over, and 1/2 the order of the "honey strung" chicken. This meal cost us $24.46 coming out to $3.78 per person. Everyone was stuffed to the brim and happy little campers. We were able to keep traveling down the road, and easily eat this meal in the pickup. I hope this helps you as you are out and about- creating the precious memories with your family! XoXo ~ Natosha Mae