Best Roadtrip Snack Ideas

When driving those long hours on the road, who doesn’t like a little snack to munch on?  It takes the edge off of hunger and helps with the boredom.  There is plenty of high priced junk out there in the convenience stores, so how do you snack on the road without killing your pocket book and your waistline?  Here are my top suggestions for snacks on the road.  Some things won’t be on the list – like popcorn – because they can be a little too messy and I prefer not to spend the rest of my life cleaning out all of the little bits from my vehicle or having to get out the carpet cleaner.  Not to say that snacking in the car won’t be messy – it is – just that it comes down to how messy…  That said, let’s get to the list.

1. Satisfy the sweet tooth
   1. Dried fruit. This can include raisins, cranberries, banana chips, apricots, and the like.  You can either buy in bulk, or buy single serving packages.
   2. Fresh fruit like apples, clementine’s, bananas, cherries, or grapes. If you eat fruit whole, you’ll need to have bags on hand to deal with peelings, cores, and pits.  You could also cut them up or peel them ahead of time, but that can get sticky.  Either way, pack some handwipes to have on the ready.
   3. Granola mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate. Mix up your own or buy some delicious pre-packaged varieties.
   4. Protein bars. These can be high in sugar, so I would check labels.  You also want to limit the amount of chocolate to prevent them from melting all over.
   5. Mini graham crackers. You can buy a box or the single serving bags of different varieties.
   6. Fig Newtons or similar cookies. We always had the 2-pack Grandma’s Cookies in the car.  Mostly because my husband loved them….
   7. Fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups. These are always popular.
   8. Dry cereal. Sometimes it’s just want you need.
2. Need something salty?
   1. String cheese. Buy the individually wrapped ones for added convenience.
   2. Beef sticks. There is a lot of variety to choose from here.
   3. Almonds, peanuts, mixed nuts…
   4. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.  If you’re buying the ones with shells, I recommend to use an empty bottle with a cap to store them so you don’t end up with a mess.
   5. Beef jerky. Sometimes this can be obnoxiously smelly, but it can taste oh so good.
   6. Cheese crackers. Those little fish or bunnies can be so tasty!

Most of these can be bought in bulk and repackaged into snack bags or stackable plastic containers for easy transport and distribution.  Pack everything into a tote or a bag for easy access.  For the fresher items, I would recommend starting out with a supply and replenishing at a grocery store along the way.  Having a trash bag and some handwipes help to keep things as tidy as possible until your next stop.  I recommend ditching the trash each time you fill up to keep things from getting out of hand.

What’s your favorite roadtrip snack?  Share in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading!

Kristi (aka The Trippy Tripster)