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<\/div>\n<\/p>\n Skip the gas station junk and pack snacks that are tasty, satisfying, and won\u2019t leave you feeling blah halfway through your drive. These healthy-ish road trip snacks will keep you energized and happy, no matter how long the road ahead!<\/p>\n After living on the road for over two years and having traveled thousands of miles, we\u2019ve put a lot<\/em> of thought into what makes good road trip snacks. From hangry meltdowns to energy slumps, we\u2019ve learned that snacks are truly a road trip essential<\/a>\u2014and we never hit the road without them (especially<\/em> now that we have a toddler!).<\/p>\n The best road trip snacks keep you energized, alert, and happy, turning even the most monotonous stretches into a moveable feast. Below, we\u2019re sharing our top road trip snack ideas to make your next adventure smoother (and tastier).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The best road trip snacks are easy to grab, easy to eat, and keep you fueled, alert, and satisfied. While personal taste plays a big role, there are definitely some foods you\u2019ll want to avoid to keep things mess-free and enjoyable.<\/p>\n Here are a few worst offenders<\/em> for long road trips:<\/p>\n Keep reading for our favorite road trip snack ideas that check all the right boxes!<\/p>\n Every snack on this list has been road-tested and approved by us. We\u2019ve personally devoured them all and can confirm their roadworthiness and top-notch snackability!<\/p>\n 1. Sandwiches: <\/strong>Packed in a hard-sided container to prevent smushing, pre-made sandwiches are a great car snack with some staying power. PB&J or peanut butter with honey and sliced banana are both classics. If you\u2019re traveling with a small cooler or insulated tote, sliced cheese & cold cut sandwiches will give you a boost of protein.<\/p>\n 2. Granola: <\/strong>Whether eaten alone or bulked out with dried raisins, cranberries, and nuts to make a more substantial snack mix, granola is easy to find (or make!) and can satisfy that crunchy-snack craving without the salt overload.<\/p>\n 3. Hard Boiled Eggs:<\/strong> Hard-boiled eggs are a great no-fuss road trip snack. They\u2019re easy to prep ahead of time, travel well in a small cooler, and are perfectly portioned for grab-and-go eating. With a solid dose of protein, they can help keep those mid-drive hunger pangs in check.<\/p>\n 4. Energy Bars: <\/strong>There are a million kinds of energy bars, so our advice is to go for variety. Just stay away from those super crumbly ones like Nature Valley. Look for sturdy bars with whole-food ingredients like Bobo, RX Bars, and GoMacro.<\/p>\n 5. Fig Newtons: <\/strong>Fig Newtons<\/a> are by far our preferred road trip cookies. They\u2019re soft, don\u2019t generate a lot of crumbs, and are absolutely delicious\u2014we love that they have just the right amount of sweetness to feel like a treat.<\/p>\n 6. Nut Butter Packets: <\/strong>Yum Butter<\/a> nut butter packets are road trip gold. Eat straight from the packet or pair with apple slices or bread during a rest stop. This resealable squeeze packet means you don\u2019t have to dirty a knife or spoon to scoop it out of a jar.<\/p>\n 7. Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans: <\/strong>These are a great little caffeine and sugar burst all at once. We like to reserve these guys for the end of our trip when we\u2019re likely at our most fatigued.\u00a0<\/p>\n 8. Yogurt Covered Raisins: <\/strong>These are a real treat and can easily be picked up at a bulk bin in most grocery stores. If you are able to keep these chilled in a cooler, we highly suggest it!\u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels: <\/strong>We love these things. We often pick them up from Trader Joe\u2019s and Quinn\u2019s makes a gluten-free version you can find on on Thrive Market<\/a>. We find that the bags tend to split down the middle, so we like to repack them into a sealable container. These also make great hiking snacks<\/a>!<\/p>\n 10. Trail mix: <\/strong>Opt for trail mix<\/a> with large pieces. You don\u2019t want to deal with a handful of finely chopped nuts and tiny seeds. They\u2019re just going to get all over the car. The bigger the pieces, the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n 11. Fresh No-peel Fruit: <\/strong>Grapes, apples, and pears are perfect for road trips\u2014no peeling, minimal mess. For oranges or clementines, peel and segment them ahead of time and store in a sealed container.<\/p>\n *Do not throw fruit cores (or anything else for that matter) out the window. Just because something is biodegradable doesn\u2019t mean it will decompose sitting on the shoulder of the freeway. It just attracts wildlife, which leads to more roadkill and more accidents.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n 12. Fresh Vegetables: <\/strong>Fresh vegetables are one of the healthiest road trip snack options out there. Baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and sliced bell peppers are all easy to eat while driving.<\/p>\n 13. Dried Fruit: <\/strong>Store-bought dried fruit like apricots, mango, and banana chips are great. If you dehydrate at home, try these apple chips<\/a>, dried pineapple<\/a>, or dried kiwi<\/a>\u2014they\u2019re like all-natural Sour Patch Kids!<\/p>\n 14. Jerky\/Meat Bars\/Meat Sticks: <\/strong>Unlike a lot of the carb-heavy options on the list, jerky and meat bars have some serious sticking power. We are big fans of Epic Provisions, Wild Zora, and other meat products that don\u2019t have a ton of additives (looking at you Slim). Want to DIY? Make your own jerky using a dehydrator<\/a>!<\/p>\n 15. Nuts: <\/strong>Almonds and cashews are ideal\u2014they\u2019re easy to grab and don\u2019t require shelling. Peanuts, pistachios, and sunflower seeds are just a little too small and messy for us.<\/p>\n 16. Cheese: <\/strong>Pre-sliced cheese, string cheese, and Babybel are road trip favorites. Keep them fresh in a cooler or insulated bag. No cooler? Cheesy crackers like Trader Joe\u2019s Baked Cheese Bites or Parmesan Whisps are also good road trip snacks.<\/p>\n 17. Gin Gins:<\/strong> If you or your road trip buddies tend to feel a little queasy on those winding roads, ginger is a natural way to settle your stomach without causing drowsiness like over-the-counter meds can. We like to keep a bag of Gin Gins ginger chews<\/a> in our snack bin for this reason.<\/p>\n 18. Gum:<\/strong> Need help staying alert while driving? In addition to the usual caffeinated remedies, there has been a lot of scientific evidence<\/a> that suggests that the act of chewing gum can help focus and alertness. Masticating (the act of chewing) increases blood flow to your head and helps increase cognitive ability and focus. So if you often get drowsy when driving, consider picking up a pack of gum<\/a>.<\/p>\n When road tripping with kids, a solid snack game is non-negotiable. Snacks might not stop every meltdown, but they can definitely buy you some precious time.<\/p>\n Since your little ones are strapped in the backseat, the snacks you choose need to be easy for them to manage on their own.<\/p>\n Here are some of our go-to snacks for kids (tested & approved by our two-year-old), which can be packed in small containers that fit perfectly in a car seat cup holder.<\/p>\n 19. Sliced vegetables: <\/strong>Cut slices of bell pepper, carrot, celery, or snap peas are a great snack option for kids since they are healthy and don\u2019t have the potential to become a mess or leave crumbs everywhere.<\/p>\n 20. Fresh fruit: <\/strong>Likewise, fruit that has been pre-sliced makes a great snack for kids. Choose fruit that isn\u2019t overly juicy or soft. Apples, pre-peeled oranges, and cut grapes (for older kids) are good places to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n To keep apples from browning, try soaking them in a water & lemon juice bath for a few minutes before packing them.<\/p>\n 21. Freeze-Dried Fruit:<\/strong> In lieu of fresh, juicy fruits like berries and mangos, we like to pack freeze dried fruit\u2014and our kiddo loves<\/em> them. Sweet and crunchy! We find these at Trader Joe\u2019s as well as at Target<\/a>.<\/p>\n 22. Baked Snap Peas:<\/strong> While not as healthy as fresh snap peas, these are usually a hit with our toddler and don\u2019t create a lot of crumbs.<\/p>\n 23. String cheese: <\/strong>Kids love these and they\u2019re a great way to add some protein into their diet. Ideally, these should be chilled in a cooler or insulated lunch bag.<\/p>\n 24. Mini Pretzels: <\/strong>These are perfect for little hands, and they\u2019re sturdy enough to survive being tossed around in snack bags without turning into crumbs. They offer a satisfying salty crunch that keeps kids happy without the sugar rush of sweeter snacks.<\/p>\n 25. Organic Fruit Tape: <\/strong>Ok, fruit rolls might not make it to the top of every parent\u2019s \u201cHealthy Road Trip Snacks\u201d list, but they are just so nostalgic for us! This version<\/a> is organic and made from real fruit and not much else, so it\u2019s gotta be healthier than whatever we were eating in the 90\u2019s, right?<\/p>\n These can also be used (leveraged?) as a reward or perhaps as a last resort if things start to really go sideways.<\/p>\n 26. Homemade Fruit Leathers: <\/strong>Another option is to make homemade fruit leathers<\/a>. The flavor combinations are endless, like these Tie-Dye Mango Strawberry leathers<\/a> or Apple Ginger fruit leathers<\/a>!<\/p>\n 27. Annie\u2019s Snack Mix: <\/strong>You\u2019ll probably be cleaning these out from between the car seat cushions, but this is just such a popular snack<\/a> \u2013 particularly if your kids like salty & crunchy things. For toddlers, pair this type of snack with a snack-catching cup, like this one by Munchkin<\/a>.<\/p>\n 28. Annie\u2019s Bunny Grahams: <\/strong>Annie\u2019s Bunny Grahams<\/a> are usually a crowd favorite! Since they are bite-sized graham crackers, there won\u2019t as many crumbs left behind as there would with full-sized graham crackers.<\/p>\n 29. Mini Peanut Butter Sandwiches: <\/strong>Bite-sized mini peanut butter sandwiches<\/a> are perfect for little hands. They are a nice balance of carbs, protein, and fats to help satiate your backseat companions.<\/p>\n 30. Kid-sized energy bars: <\/strong>If the kids see mom or dad partaking in an energy bar, you can bet they\u2019re going to want one too! These \u201ckid-sized\u201d bars are a great way to include them, without having to split your own bar! Clif Minis<\/a> and Lara Bar minis<\/a> are a good place to start.<\/p>\n 31. Fruit pouches:<\/strong> Fruit and veggie pouches are nice to have on hand. We like these Plum Organic Mighty Pouches<\/a>, many of which have beans and yogurt in them for protein (and they do taste really good!). For really little ones, these are better left as a supervised, rest-stop snack.<\/p>\n This is where having a small soft sided cooler really comes in handy. After a couple of hundred miles, a cold drink can really make a big difference to revive you.\u00a0<\/p>\n 32. Iced coffee: <\/strong>A can of iced coffee or even nitro cold brew coffee can be a great pick-me-up to carry you through that final stretch.\u00a0<\/p>\n 33. Sparkling water\/seltzer: <\/strong>Take it from us, it\u2019s really easy to get dehydrated on long drives. So be sure to drink water along the way. There\u2019s a world of sparkling water out there, but our favorite brand is Spindrift!<\/p>\n 34. Kombucha: <\/strong>Another lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic option, kombucha is another one of our favorite drinks on the road.<\/p>\n Skip the gas station junk and pack snacks that are tasty, satisfying, and won\u2019t leave you feeling blah halfway through your drive. These healthy-ish road trip snacks will keep you energized and happy, no matter how long the road ahead! Our road trip snacks bin organized and ready to go! After living on the road […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11760],"tags":[3164,6663,2683,3315,8087],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-33143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-adventure","tag-bring","tag-road","tag-snacks","tag-trip"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat snacks should you bring on a road trip?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The Best Road Trip Snacks\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Best Road Trip Snacks For Kids\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Best Road Trip Drinks\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Helpful Snacking Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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