DINO BARS are Our Favorite Kid Snacks for Hiking, Travel, and Pretty Much Any Other Time, Too

You know the old expression about how an army marches on its stomach? Any parent can tell you that the same is true for a family with kids, only it’s less often a march into battle and more often a hike, road trip, playdate, or other undertaking that’s interrupted by an: “I’m hungry!” (Or, in our family’s case, often by: “My little tummy is grumbling!” Which is pretty cute, objectively, except sometimes when it’s not.)

Being pretty well practiced at outdoor adventuring and travel and such these days, in our family a proper store of snacks is a given on any outing. But what said snacks were used to be a revolving roster. Solely’s dried fruit treats were and remain often in the mix. And speaking of mixes, trail mix is popular in our family. Fresh fruit comes along when feasible. Entire PB&J sandwiches are often on hand. And we’ve tried easily a dozen different kinds of snack bars; many have been hits with the kids, some have been abjectly rejected.

While fruit and granola and such will still come along on our hikes and paddling trips and travels, there is, for the foreseeable future, only one brand of bar we’ll be packing for the kids, and that’s Dino Bars.

Why are these the best snack bars for kids on the go? There are three reasons, one of which is the true kicker – so, naturally, we’ll save that reason for last.

The first reason we love Dino Bars is that they are made with healthy stuff. The first ingredient in all three of the varieties we buy is organic pear juice concentrate, and from then on, let’s look at the ingredients of one of the varieties the kids love, the Strawberry, Pear, Banana bar. It contains, after said organic pear juice concentrate, organic gluten-free oats, organic strawberry powder, organic banana flakes, organic coconut oil, and organic hemp hearts.

And OK, there are a few more ingredients, but again, you have to wait.

The second thing we love about Dino Bars is the fact that both of our kids love them. And for the record, we have one kid who loves sushi, kale, and quinoa and wouldn’t touch a potato chip or Twinkie, while the other kid would exist on pancakes and fruit snacks were she allowed. (Which she is not.)

Now for the third thing: the last three ingredients of all Dino Bars are the same: they are potato starch, water, and olive oil that make up an edible paper. These bars come sandwiched between two thin pieces of completely safe and edible and almost completely taste-free paper that means they are never sticky to the touch. On a hot day, a cold day, or day in between, Dino Bars create a clean snacking experience that means no need for hand washing or wipes or whatnot when snack time is done. And that’s convenient at home, but a game-changer on the road or in the field.