10 Road Trip Snacks to Pack Before Heading Out

Having a large family makes it pretty costly to fly places.  For most of our vacations we start with a road trip.  We have so many fun road trip traditions that make the drive easier, but most importantly we make sure we pack plenty of road trip snacks.  One of our traditions is to stop along the way and have a picnic.

10 Road Trip Snacks to Pack

Fruits & Veggies

Although you have to be careful how you pack these, you simply cannot forget the fruits and veggies on your next road trip.  Keep your soft fruit on the top of your cooler to prevent from being smashed or cut up the fruit and add to a container.  We usually pack berries and watermelon in a bowl with lid to go down into the ice chest.  Bananas and peaches are another go to.  Carrot sticks make a quick healthy snack and you can even get individual packs of ranch for dipping.

Bottled Drinks or Refillable Bottles

We stock our cooler with ice and bottled water.  Buying drinks at each gas station can add up quick and cause you to spend a lot of unnecessary money.  For our last trip we even customized our own refillable bottles to use.  If you get tired of drinking bottled water you can fill up your own bottle with lemonade or a fountain drink at many gas stations for less than a regular bottle of soda.  Remember to only use bottles with lids or flip tops to avoid spills in the car.

Cheese Sticks & Pepperoni

My kids love string cheese.  You can toss in some pepperoni so they can wrap it and have more substance.  Deli meat and slice cheese is another good option.

Trail Mix

We like to make our own trail mix.  We add shredded coconut, chopped nuts, dried cranberry, diced dehydrated papaya, banana chips, and mini chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.  It is heavenly and you can quickly curve your appetite with a small handful.

Granola Bars & Pretzels

Homemade or store bought granola bars are awesome for packing for a road trip. Thin stick pretzels are also great snacks to pack for a long car ride.  However, my favorite go-to snack is our oat power bites.  I love these little bite size snack balls.  They are delicious and we make several versions.  You can find one recipe here.

Cookies & Muffins

Hey, when it comes down to it, you have to pack something sweet and homemade cookies or muffins really know how to hit the spot.

Bagels

For a quick breakfast option we pack bagels and a small container of cream cheese or nut butter to go on top.  The kids can make their own in the car while we keep moving along.

PB & Jelly

Another quick lunch or snack option is a good old fashion pb&j sandwich.  These are simple to make and something most kids enjoy.  We pack stuff to make lettuce wraps as well.  Keep your bread laying on top of your cooler so it doesn’t get smashed!

What is your favorite road trip snack?