road trip food Archives | Family Road Trip https://www.familyroadtrip.co/tag/food/ Making Memories on the Move Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:53:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Family-Road-Trip-Round-Logo-Beige-Transparent-150x150.png road trip food Archives | Family Road Trip https://www.familyroadtrip.co/tag/food/ 32 32 Smart Family Road Trip Food Planning https://www.familyroadtrip.co/road-trip-food-ideas-meal-planning/ Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:30:43 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22184 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

One of the most forgotten things to plan ahead of time is the road trip food prep ideas. We’re often too busy planning the schedule, looking for sights to see, or making sure we have everything packed. Between the excitement of setting out on the road and the chaos of making sure we have everything before we do head out, snacks and meals are the one thing that’s often missed. These road trip food prep tips will help you...

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One of the most forgotten things to plan ahead of time is the road trip food prep ideas. We’re often too busy planning the schedule, looking for sights to see, or making sure we have everything packed.

Between the excitement of setting out on the road and the chaos of making sure we have everything before we do head out, snacks and meals are the one thing that’s often missed.

These road trip food prep tips will help you prepare for eating on the road. From what to take or what foods to avoid while traveling, these tips have you covered.

collage of images showing meals that can be eaten on a road trip - text overlay Top Meal Planning Tips For Family Road trips

Why Meal Planning Is Essential for Road Trips

Figuring out what your next meal is going to be can get stressful when you’re traveling, especially when you’re traveling with children. This is why planning out your meals is essential when it comes to road trips.

But meal planning can be hard. You don’t want food going to waste and you don’t want to have to spend more money on food than you’ve planned out. There are also things like diet restrictions, time requirements, storage options, and figuring out what kind of things you have to work with or around.

It can get really stressful just trying to figure out the food part of the tip so having something in plan before you go will help you save a ton of time and stress on everyone.

Before you plan your snacks and meals for your next road trip you will want to think about some things and figure a few things out.

  1. Do you have access to refrigeration or a cooler that you can use to keep things cold?
  2. How much room do you have to work with?
  3. Are you staying at a hotel for the night so that you can use the microwave or fridge if needed?
  4. What kinds of foods everyone enjoys. You don’t want to take foods no one will eat.
  5. Do you have any dietary restrictions? For instance, if you’re following a keto diet, you can make keto road trip snacks at home to take with you.

The answers to these questions will help make sure you’re meal planning is a success and that you have some delicious foods to enjoy while traveling.

lady eating a meal in the car from a platic container

Road Trip Food Prep: Best Types Of Food To Take

The best types of foods to take with you on a road trip will depend on what you have access to. For the most part, you’ll want to stick with things that you don’t have to refrigerate or reheat. If you’re not quite sure what you’ll be doing or have anything planned out, this will be your best route.

If you plan on staying at a hotel overnight, choose some easy road trip meals for hotel rooms. These would be foods that you can easily make with just a fridge and a microwave with a few ingredients or foods that you can purchase from the local store or market.

  • Fresh veggies can be used to make salads.
  • Fresh fruits or canned fruits.
  • Canned foods that you can heat up in the microwave.
  • Oatmeal
a mom handing out pre made food in the car

If you have room for a cooler, fill it with ice so that you can take some refrigerated items or premade food. Things like sandwiches that you can easily put together or other make ahead road trip lunches that are small enough to fit in a cooler will help make sure you get a filling meal in for the day.

  • Tuna salad
  • Chicken Salad
  • Fresh leafy green salads
  • Dips and hummus
  • Lunch meat sandwiches – just pack the bread and sandwich goodies separate so that you can put them all together when you’re ready to eat.

Healthy foods will help you keep your energy up so that you can endure the long trips and eating good while you’re on the go. This is especially important for breakfast so choosing some healthy road trip breakfast ideas will help make sure you get your day started on the right track.

  • Granola or granola bars
  • Egg bites if you have access to a fridge
  • Muffins
  • Protein packed breakfast bites

What Foods To Avoid Taking on Road Trips

Snacks and foods loaded down with sugar and fats should be a no go when it comes to road trips. Not only because they’re unhealthy but also because you need foods that will help give you plenty of nutrition along the way.

Most avoid taking perishables and go with nonperishables instead because you don’t have to worry about refrigeration or keeping the food from spoiling. There are some great non refrigeration road trip food ideas that don’t require any type of cooling.

Ideal nonperishable foods you don’t need to refrigerate:

  • Crackers
  • Granola
  • Cereal
  • Canned foods
  • Bread
  • Peanut butter
  • Nuts
  • Fruit chips
  • Fresh fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Baked goods

Don’t Forget The Utensils!

Utensils are important and can save on the mess so you don’t want to forget to pack those. The typical set of spoons, forks, and knives will come in handy. Most the spoons and forks though. When it comes to the utensils you have a couple of different options.

Disposable utensils: These are cheap and can be easily packed away with any of your lunches or meals. You can toss these out when you are done eating without worrying about cleaning them. To help protect the planet though, try to dispose of them in a plastic recycling bin so that you’re not littering, or opt for wood.

Reusable utensils: These are great for road trips and will help save you money and avoid any littering or extra trash you have to take with you. You can simply pack the reusable utensils with you and wash them after you eat so that you can reuse them for later meals or snacks.

(150 Pcs) Special Edition Compostable Cutlery Set - Disposable Wooden Cutlery Set - Alternative to Plastic, Eco Friendly, Biodegradable, 50 Each Wooden Spoons, Knives, Forks Disposable Utensils Set
Travel Utensils with Case, Quatish Portable Silverware Set for Work, Stainless Steel Reusable Travel Cutlery Set, Fork and Spoon Set for Camping, Picnic, Gadgets, Lunch Box for Men, Black

Conclusion

When it comes to road trip food prep, planning out your meals and snacks is important. This will help keep you from stressing out and will help keep everyone from getting hangry.

The types of foods and meals you prep will largely depend on what your travel situation is going to be like. Think about if you’ll have a way to keep food cool r if you have a way to reheat or heat up the foods you want to make.

Don’t let the food part of your road trip stress you out! Take your time and plan everything out so that you can focus more on enjoying the trip rather than worrying about the food.

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> Pack and Go! Make-Ahead Road Trip Lunches For Your Next Family Adventure https://www.familyroadtrip.co/make-ahead-road-trip-lunches/ Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:34:37 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22153 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

These make-ahead road trip lunches will help make sure you get a good meal in during the day as you travel and sight see. It can be tricky to find something to eat while you’re on the road and stopping to eat out can get expensive. It’s always a great idea to have some food with you on your journey. Things you can pop in a cooler if needed and something that doesn’t require any reheating. These make-ahead road...

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These make-ahead road trip lunches will help make sure you get a good meal in during the day as you travel and sight see.

It can be tricky to find something to eat while you’re on the road and stopping to eat out can get expensive. It’s always a great idea to have some food with you on your journey. Things you can pop in a cooler if needed and something that doesn’t require any reheating.

These make-ahead road trip lunches are just that. Premade meals that you can make ahead of time and enjoy while you’re traveling. The most you will need is a cooler to keep them fresh and ready to go at meal time..

They’re even great for the kids. You can simply set up one of your favorite car seat trays for the little ones to make it easy for lunch or stop and make it a picnic.

Not hitting the road yet? Save this to Pinterest ready for your next family adventure

Make-ahead road trip lunches pin

Make-Ahead Road Trip Lunches

Preparing your lunches ahead of time is a game-changer for family road trips. These easy-to-pack, mess-free meals keep everyone satisfied while saving both time and money on the road. With proper planning and our storage tips, you’ll have delicious, fresh lunches ready whenever hunger strikes.

Need more meal ideas for your family adventure? Explore our other road trip food guides:

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> Easy Road Trip Meals Idea For Hotel Rooms https://www.familyroadtrip.co/easy-hotel-room-meals/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 05:40:54 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22073 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

When you’re traveling and on the go, it can be tricky to find some easy road trip meals for hotel rooms. You have limited foods and appliances to work with when you’re traveling so adapting to those changes can be a bit challenging. Luckily, you can still make plenty of meals with just a microwave or a refrigerator. One of the biggest tricks you can do is swap out some of your favorite ingredients or meats for canned. They’re...

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When you’re traveling and on the go, it can be tricky to find some easy road trip meals for hotel rooms. You have limited foods and appliances to work with when you’re traveling so adapting to those changes can be a bit challenging.

Luckily, you can still make plenty of meals with just a microwave or a refrigerator.

One of the biggest tricks you can do is swap out some of your favorite ingredients or meats for canned. They’re shelf stable and you don’t need any type of refrigeration. You can use a fridge or cooler with ice to store the cold foods in like your precut or diced meats and the dairy if needed.

As you plan your trip and make sure you have everything on your road trip checklist, be sure to add the canned foods and ingredients to some of these recipes. These will help make sure you have some easy road trip meals for hotel rooms that are healthy, filling, and delicious.

Not traveling yet? Save these road trip meal ideas to Pinterest ready for your next big adventure!

Easy Road Trip Meals for Hotel Rooms

These easy to make meals will help you create something delicious in the hotel room with just a fridge and a microwave.

Making meals in your hotel room doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With just a microwave and mini-fridge, you can create satisfying, budget-friendly meals for the whole family. These simple recipes and smart packing tips will help you maintain healthy eating habits while saving money for more family adventures.

Looking for more road trip meal inspiration? Check out our other family-friendly food guides:

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> The Ultimate Keto Road Trip Snack Guide https://www.familyroadtrip.co/keto-road-trip-snacks/ Sat, 08 Feb 2025 09:49:50 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22135 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

Following a keto lifestyle while traveling won’t be hard with these healthy and flavorful keto road trip snacks. The easy to make snacks will help you stay full in between meals. These homemade keto road trip snacks can be made ahead of time and taken with you wherever you go. Most can just be put in a Ziplock bag and packed away with your essentials. Just don’t forget to put them on your packing checklist! The snacks will help...

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Following a keto lifestyle while traveling won’t be hard with these healthy and flavorful keto road trip snacks. The easy to make snacks will help you stay full in between meals.

These homemade keto road trip snacks can be made ahead of time and taken with you wherever you go. Most can just be put in a Ziplock bag and packed away with your essentials. Just don’t forget to put them on your packing checklist!

The snacks will help you avoid eating out or stopping at the local gas stations for snacks. They also add a little more flavor to your day than just enjoying simple cut up fruits and veggies (although that’s a great road trip snack – sometimes we want more flavors and textures).

Not driving yet? Save this post to Pinterest ready for your next family road trip!

keto road trip snacks pin

Keto Road Trip Snacks

Maintaining your keto lifestyle doesn’t have to be challenging on family road trips. These carefully selected snacks and easy-to-pack options help you stay on track while keeping the whole family satisfied. With proper meal preparation, you can enjoy delicious, keto-friendly foods wherever your journey takes you.

Complete your road trip meal planning with these helpful guides

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> Road Trip Food Ideas With No Refrigeration Necessary! https://www.familyroadtrip.co/road-trip-food-ideas-no-refrigeration/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 05:54:23 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22096 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

With this selection of road trip food ideas no refrigeration is needed! You can simply make these foods before you head out, or a couple of days in advance, and eat them in the car while you travel. Refrigeration is one thing that’s not easily accessible when you’re on a road trip. Sometimes it’s extremely hard to get a good healthy snack in. It’s even harder if you’re traveling with a newborn or don’t want to spend a ton...

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]]> Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

With this selection of road trip food ideas no refrigeration is needed! You can simply make these foods before you head out, or a couple of days in advance, and eat them in the car while you travel.

Refrigeration is one thing that’s not easily accessible when you’re on a road trip. Sometimes it’s extremely hard to get a good healthy snack in. It’s even harder if you’re traveling with a newborn or don’t want to spend a ton of money on food.

Packing a cooler can help with that but if that’s not something you want to worry about, that’s where these road trip food ideas come in. No refrigeration is needed for these road trip foods. Just make, store, and take with you.

Not traveling yet? No problem, save these no-refrigeration food ideas to Pinterest ready for your next big adventure!

Road trip food ideas no refrigeration pin

Road Trip Food Ideas No Refrigeration

Having shelf-stable food options is essential for successful family road trips. These no-refrigeration meals and snacks provide reliable, tasty options when you’re far from amenities or want to save cooler space. With proper planning, you can enjoy fresh tasting, satisfying meals anywhere your adventures take you.

Ready to complete your road trip meal plan? Check out these helpful guides:

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> Morning Fuel: Quick & Healthy Road Trip Breakfast Ideas https://www.familyroadtrip.co/healthy-road-trip-breakfast-ideas/ Sat, 01 Feb 2025 05:32:07 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=22116 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

Make sure you’re still eating healthy while traveling with these healthy road trip breakfast ideas. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you’re on the go, and these will help you make sure you’re getting a filling breakfast in that’s good for you. Whether you’re setting out to see the best Wildflower Drives in Canada or taking a Midwest Spring Break, these healthy road trip breakfast ideas will make sure you’re getting something substantial before...

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Make sure you’re still eating healthy while traveling with these healthy road trip breakfast ideas. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you’re on the go, and these will help you make sure you’re getting a filling breakfast in that’s good for you.

Whether you’re setting out to see the best Wildflower Drives in Canada or taking a Midwest Spring Break, these healthy road trip breakfast ideas will make sure you’re getting something substantial before you head out.

Not traveling just yet? Save these road trip breakfast ideas to Pinterest ready for your next big adventure!

healthy road trip breakfast ideas

Healthy Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

Starting your day with a nutritious breakfast sets the tone for a successful family road trip. These make-ahead morning meals ensure everyone gets proper nutrition without the stress of early food prep. By planning your breakfasts, you’ll save time and keep energy levels steady for the day ahead.

Discover more ways to keep your family well-fed on the road

download your free road trip checklist click here button

© Family Road Trip 2026

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]]> 40 Road Trip Snacks for Kids https://www.familyroadtrip.co/road-trip-snacks-for-kids/ Mon, 06 Sep 2021 10:40:20 +0000 https://www.familyroadtrip.co/?p=1023 Family Road Trip - Making Memories on the Move

Healthy and fun ideas to enjoy while you’re on the move Do kids seriously grow an extra stomach the second your car’s wheels hit the tarmac? At home or in a child’s usual routine, it’s much easier to have structured meal times and deny the repeated whining for a snack. However, when you’re in a confined space and hurtling along at 65 miles an hour trying to keep to a schedule… you want to be prepared! Our Top 5...

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Healthy and fun ideas to enjoy while you’re on the move

Do kids seriously grow an extra stomach the second your car’s wheels hit the tarmac?

At home or in a child’s usual routine, it’s much easier to have structured meal times and deny the repeated whining for a snack. However, when you’re in a confined space and hurtling along at 65 miles an hour trying to keep to a schedule… you want to be prepared!

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Our Top 5 Tips for Packing Road Trip Snacks for Kids

  1. Eat Well! Keep the snacks as healthy as possible; Your aim with a car trip snack is to satisfy bellies until the next proper meal stop. If you give kids highly sugared snacks, they will likely have their energy peak while strapped into the car. Aim for foods that give longer-lasting energy and save sweets for special treats.
  2. Portion Control. Keep the number of snacks you give kids in one go contained. If they open up a delightful big bento box of treats all in one, go you’ll find everything’s gone before lunch, they don’t eat lunch, then they whine all afternoon for something more!
  3. Fresh or Packaged? Think practically about what will keep and what prep tools you will have when traveling. A weekend away, you can certainly bake up a storm and have lots of fresh homemade goodies to go. However, a multi-day road trip without a fridge or stove can limit your options.
  4. Provide Choices. Yep, that same kid that ate 4 rice cakes yesterday can’t stand them today. We all have our moods and moments, so it’s wise to have a range of options in your goodies bag each day.
  5. Bin it or wash it? It’s essential to have a cleanup process in place on a long trip. If food comes in disposable wrappers, have a trash bag system. Containers to wash? You’ll need a separate spot for empty containers, so they don’t leak and mess through the rest of your supplies, as well as a few small washing tools with you.

After countless hours on the road with our kids, here are the finger food snacks that we’ve found work best for a family road trip.

Top 40 Road Trip Travel Snacks For Kids

Trail Mix

Kar's Nuts Variety Pack Trail Mix Snacks - Sweet 'N Spicy Mix, Yogurt Apple Nut, Mango Pineapple Mix, Individual Packs (Pack of 24)

Our favorite make-ahead road trip snack is to prepare our own trail mix. What you fit in is totally up to you but could include various nuts, raisins, and other dried fruits, seeds, and grains and even throw in a few extras like desiccated coconut or choc chips.

Make them up into portion-sized treat bags and share them out as you go. You can also find some fun and interesting packet trail mixes too.

Popcorn

Plain, buttered, salty, caramel, sugared – however you like it, the base ingredient here is pretty simple! Popcorn is a super easy snack to pop in your motel microwave at the start of the day, then loads of munching fun whenever your kids start to feel famished.

Veggie Sticks

Premium Ceramic Knife 4 inches, Kitchen Paring Knife - Ultra Sharp Fruit Knife for Vegetable Food with Hippo Shaped Cover, Small Portable Pairing Knives Food knife with Sheath, Green, by Jonbyi

Packed with nutrients and delivering a satisfying crunch, mix and match to your kids’ taste for a colorful rainbow treat in the car. Try cucumber spears, sliced peppers, celery sticks, and carrots (just remember you’ll need to pack a sharp travel knife if you’re preparing snack boxes on the move).  

You can add a dip with veggie sticks too to make them more interesting, but be warned this does increase your chances of sloppy spillages!

Cherry Tomatoes

These sweet little treats are the perfect healthy road trip snack, on their own or in a snacking box. Slice them in half so there’s no choking hazard.

Fresh Cut Fruit

Humangear GoBites Uno Portable Silverware Utensils Camping Gear Accessories Kitchen Equipment for Cooking or Lunchbox, 1-Pack, Gray

Fresh fruits are arguably one of the best natural sweet treats you can give kids. Understandably, though, in a car, chopping an apple, peeling a banana, or dissecting an orange isn’t always so easy. If you’re going with fresh fruits, try and chop ahead and avoid overly juicy chunks. (Looking at you, sorry, watermelon!) Including a little spork is helpful.

Raisins & Craisins

Sun-Maid Raisins Seedless. 1.33 OZ, pack of 6 (36 total)

Another super easy win for the road. Raisins and Craisins (dried cranberries) can be purchased in small individual packets, but the cost does significantly add up. If you can buy a bulk pack for mixing with your trail mix or dividing them into their own containers you’ll save a lot.

Dry Cereal

A super simple snack for when you’re on the move (and especially good for when you’re making an early morning start). Honey Nut Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and Corn Pops all make great finger food snacks for the car that can be consumed without milk.

Granola Bars

Nature Valley Protein Granola Bars, Snack Variety Pack, Chewy Bars, 15 ct

Bake granola bars yourself ahead of time or store-bought (but do check how much added sugar is going in). These are a wonderful, chewy energy treat packed with goodness to fill grumbly bellies on the road.

Veggie Straws

Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Straws, Sea Salt, Snack Size, 1 Oz (Pack of 24)

Rather than traditional highly salted potato crisps, introduce your kids early to the fun flavors of veggie straws! Although not AS nutritious as fresh veg, they have way less sodium and more fiber than potato chips, and are a lot more colorful!

Squeezable Yogurt Tube

YOPLAIT YOGURT GO-GURT FOR KIDS 16 TUBES VALUE PACK STRAWBERRY SPLASH & COOL COTTON CANDY PACK OF 2

I can’t believe after how many post-road trip car cleans I’m still going to recommend these – but they are a great fun travel snack! Keep your yogurt tubes chilled, and if you can, freeze them overnight for a special icy treat in summer! Be ready with the Kleenex though…

String Cheese

Natural String Cheese Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella. Walnut Creek. 12 oz., 12.0 Ounce, 12.0 ounces

I don’t love how processed and packaged these are, but they definitely DO keep little hands busy on the road. Packed with calcium and protein, cheese strings are a fun little snack and so easy to add to a snack box.

Beef Jerky

Jack Link's Beef Jerky, Original - Flavorful Meat Snack for Lunches, Ready to Eat Snacks, Great Stocking Stuffers - 7g of Protein, Made with Premium Beef - 0.625 Oz Bags (Pack of 5)

Make your own or pre-packed and store-bought? However you like your jerky this is a great protein-filled and flavorsome special treat, finger-sized pieces make them ideal for the car.

Pretzels

Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Mini Twist Pretzels, 40oz

Whatever shape or size you prefer your pretzel in, these are a great salted snack ideal for snack boxes.

Mixed Nuts

Oh! Nuts Trail Mix Snack Pack - Healthy Meals for Office, Travel, School, Hiking - Rich in Protein, Antioxidants - Assorted Box of 12 Individual Bags (Dried Fruits & Nuts)

A family pack to share, in a bento box, or an individual snack size – nuts are a GREAT energy-rich snack for kids. Look for mixed nuts, peanuts, and almonds – just check how much added salt (Always check there are no nut allergies before traveling!)

Edamame

Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame, Sea Salt, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Kosher, and Non-GMO, Crunchy Snack for Healthy Snacking, 100 Calorie Snack Pack (12 Boxes)

High in iron and protein and packed with fiber! You can buy these pre-packaged or as a fresh treat. Parents looking for a healthy road trip snack, here is your solution!

Dried Fruit

Mavuno Harvest Organic Dried Fruit Variety Pack | Dried Mango, Pineapple, and Jackfruit | Healthy, Vegan, No Sugar Added, Non GMO Snacks for Kids & Adults | 2 Ounce, Pack of 3

Naturally bursting with sweet goodness, we love sharing a bag of dried fruits. In moderation, of course, as too many can upset bellies. Try a huge variety of fruits including apricots, mango, apple, peach, pear, pineapple, and paw paw.  

Animal Crackers

Stauffer's Original Animal Crackers 48oz jug

Cute and fun little crackers in the shape of your kids’ favorite animals, need we say more! Have fun lucky dipping and swapping and trading, they may even eat them too!

Rice Cakes

Quaker Rice Cakes Variety Bundle - Pack of 3 Flavors, Chocolate Crunch, Apple Cinnamon, Caramel Corn

A wonderful crispy treat for kids that’s light on the calories. Long gone are the days where these were a horribly boring snack for dieters, rice cakes come in many varieties packed with flavor – though be warned, these ones can leave the car in a bit of a crumbly mess in their car seats!

Rice Crackers

KA-ME Original Rice Crackers 3.5 oz, Authentic Asian Ingredients, Certified Gluten-Free, No Artificial Flavors/Colors, Non GMO, Served with Asian Salmon, Cream Cheese, Egg & Tuna Salad, Asian Guacamole, Hummus & Many More

These small, round crackers are harder than rice cakes but deliver a lovely crispy, salty treat. You can get rice crackers or rice thins in a variety of flavors to make them a little more interesting, or if you trust the kids with a dip in the car they are the perfect dipping cracker.

Goldfish

Variety Crackers Snack Bulk Packs - Honey Maid - Cheeze it - Goldfish - Animal Crackers and more. (Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Snack Crackers, Var)

The perfect finger-sized salty treat for the car, Goldfish are ideal for mixed trays or just eat your favorite flavor all on its own! Watch the sodium levels though, the more kids eat, the more they then drink!

Chex Mix

Chex Mix Classics Snack Mix, 1.75 Ounce (Pack of 30)

If you’re going for a salty pre-packaged snack, then Chex Mix really hits the spot with kids. They come in salty, sweet, and savory flavors and a variety of different shapes including pretzels and mini bread sticks.

Peanut Butter Sandwich

Keeping it super simple, a swipe of peanut butter between two slices of bread can be the perfect filling energy snack between meals. The only question is, crusts on or off?

Hard-boiled Eggs

Good for the start of your trip, where you can freshly boil eggs. We pre-peel them too to prevent too much mess in the car. Eat them on their own or with some crackers, the perfect protein hit.

Energy Balls

A lovely homemade treat you can prepare in advance with the kids. Naturally sweetened with honey, these pack a powerful pick-me-up. And when the kids have helped make them, they’re more inclined to try their own creations!

Pepperoni/Pepperami

Old Wisconsin Snack Sticks, Pepperoni, 6-Ounce Package

These chewy little meat treats are an absolutely super filler snack. Keep them in their wrapper until they’re ready to eat though, they do omit a rather strong smell!

Rolled Sandwich Meats

You don’t have to eat sandwich meat in a sandwich! Cos, you know bread is fine, meat is fine, but together?! They are a great quick and easy treat and keep well in the car with some cooling. We look for multi-packs in the supermarket with different types of ham and turkey.

Pringles

Pringles Potato Crisps Chips, Lunch Snacks, Office and Kids Snacks, Grab N' Go, Original (12 Cans)

The convenience of the cylindrical container releasing one chip at a time makes these the road trip crisp of choice around the world! Far fewer crumbs to deal with than regular bags of chips and as they say, once you pop, you can’t stop!

Mini Bagels

A simple and filling treat. If your tot prefers a little more flavor you can add some cream cheese and jelly or whatever their favorite filling is.

Fruit Pouches

GoGo SqueeZ Fruit On The Go Variety Pack, Apple Apple, Apple Banana, & Apple Mango, 3.2 oz. (20 Pouches) - Tasty Kids Applesauce Snacks - Gluten Free Snacks For Kids - Nut & Dairy Free - Vegan Snacks

Don’t think these are just for babies! Well, into our toddler and preschooler years food pouches were one of the most convenient and easy-to-grab meals on the go for our kids. The fact they can suck on them straight from the packet tends to minimize mess, and unlike fresh fruit, refrigeration is not essential.

Some Slightly Sweeter Road Trip Treats

These all make great road trip snacks but are higher in sugar. Include them in your snack arsenal in moderation.

Fruit Roll-ups / Fruit Leather

Betty Crocker Blastin' Berry Hot Colors Fruit Roll-Ups, 72 ct. SA

If you’re looking for pre-packaged snacks that are easy to grab and pack, these are a sure-fire winner. They are exceptionally sweet (why most kids love them!) so in moderation but they’ll keep kids busy sucking and chewing (pack wipes for after!)

Fruit Crisps

Brothers-ALL-Natural Fruit Crisps, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Variety, 0.35 Ounce (Pack of 12)

Another great option when kids are craving something crispy but you’re trying your best to keep it healthy. So many delicious flavors to try – think apples, bananas, peach, and strawberry. Warning though – even when packaging marks them as 100% fruit – they are still super packed with natural sugars so in moderation.

Mini Cookies

CHIPS AHOY! Mini Original Chocolate Chip Cookies, 12 - 3 oz Big Bags

A few mini choc-chip cookies or Oreos can’t hurt as a sweet addition to their snack pack.

Teddy Grahams

Teddy Grahams Honey Graham Snacks, 4 Boxes of 12 Snack Packs (48 Total Snack Packs)

Sweet crackers in the shape of a teddy bear. Clearly, very, very different to animal crackers (when you’re under the age of about 6!) You just gotta judge what sort of cracker fan you have on your hands!

Fruit Loops

Kellogg's Froot Loops Cold Breakfast Cereal, Fruit Flavored, Breakfast Snacks with Vitamin C, Variety Pack (4 Boxes)

Another that fits within the dry cereal category but a little more sugary so we’re including them separately down here in sweet treats! You’ll still get the carbs and protein kids need though with the wholegrain base.

Mini Muffins

A great make at home treat if you can, as they can freeze until you need them ready for your trip! Otherwise, we won’t judge if you go the store-bought option. A sweet treat but packed with fiber.

Yogurt Covered Raisins

Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins - Gluten Free, Healthy Snacks for Kids & Adults, 4oz (Pack of 4)

These can be a little messier and a little sweeter than raisins just on their own, but oh so delicious! A much better alternative than actual sweets or chocolate covered fruits.

Mentos

Mentos Chewy Mint Candy Roll, Mint, Non Melting, Party, 14 Count (Pack of 15) - Packaging May Vary

Our special reward of choice! Mentos take a little longer to suck and chew on than other sweets, so we feel like we get the best bang for buck from this sweet treat. They are also a great sweet for airplanes when you need kids to suck for take-off and descent. Obviously, reserve these for your older kids as they can be a choking hazard for your under 3’s.

And don’t forget drinks!

Takeya Kids Insulated Water Bottle w/Straw Lid, 16 oz, Blush/Super Pink

The need to stay hydrated whilst on the road is crucial, but obviously needs to be balanced with the subsequent need to pee! Make sure every person in the car has their own water bottle, and save fruit juices and sodas for special treats only.

We aim for a 12-16oz insulated bottle for the kids and adults a 24oz insulated bottle.

How To Transport And Distribute Your Road Trip Snacks

Shared Containers Or One Each?

I personally hate having too many boxes to clean each night when we get to our destination. However, with such individual tastes – plus fussy ones who will simply cry if the meat has been placed in the same container as their fruit – I have taken to providing kids with an individual box each or separate zip lock bags of dry snacks.

We try to give these out at set times, then collect them back in once they’ve had a few bites, so they don’t eat everything all at once, and we have a few things left for the next driving stint.

We also keep a bag of packaged snacks they can pick and mix from once they’ve had something from their “healthy box”. Even if they’re still healthy, anything with the shiny wrappers seems to be viewed as a special treat!

Others prefer to go bento box style lunch boxes which offer a variety of choices in one tray which can then be shared around. Our experience has been these have a higher probability of spillage occurring. Nonetheless, they make for simpler packing and cleaning and give everyone a wide variety of choices.

Little Hands Need Special Containers

When it is safe to start giving your toddler unsupervised snacks in the back, be conscious they will, of course, try and tip it out! We highly recommend if you’re giving dry cereals and crackers to use a cup with a spill-proof lid.

And of course – wet wipes! Always have wipes to hand for before and after handing out snacks to little ones, along with a good spritz of hand sanitizer.

The Emergency Snack

No matter how you store and hand things out, ALWAYS keep at least one emergency snack packed away! Especially if you get stuck in traffic or delayed in your final arrival for the day, this might be just the trick to get you over the line without a total backseat meltdown.

Keeping It Cool

If you have perishable items such as fresh-cut fruit and veg, you’ll want to transport them in a suitable car cooler to keep them fresh for as long as possible. You will need to keep up with remembering to freeze ice packs in your motel fridge each night to keep things fresh for the following day.

What Else Do You Need On A Road Trip?

So now you’ve got your snacks sorted – arguably the most important element! What else will you need to keep your kids comfy and entertained on the move?

© Family Road Trip

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