Keep on Truckin’ With These Road Trip Snacks

Some of our best summer memories are from road trips. We love to look back at road trips from our childhood. Our kids are making fond memories of their own every time we hop in the car. Sometimes getting there really is half the fun.

When you’re on a road trip, you have to think about fueling more than just your car. Fast food may be fast, but it’s not the most nutritious choice. A sit-down meal may be more healthful, but that takes time. One smart way to stay on the road and headed toward your destination is to pack your favorite road trip snacks that everyone wants to eat.

Road Trip Snacks: General Guidelines

On a road trip, the goal is to get to your destination. You only want to stop when you absolutely have to: when the gas tank is nearing empty, or when your passengers need a bathroom. Ideally, you’ll take care of both these needs in a single stop.

To avoid stopping for food and drinks, look for road trip snacks that will fill you up without delivering too many calories. After all, you’re only sitting in a car. Choose snacks that are lower in calories, so it won’t matter as much if you eat out of sheer boredom.

In the next three sections, we’ll offer specific recommendations for essential road trip snacks. At home, pack as much as you’ll need for the first day of traveling. At each overnight stop, find a supermarket. Better yet, stop at a farmer’s market or roadside market if you see one.

Most of our recommended road trip snacks will require only a peeler, utility knife, and cutting board for prep. Wash out your containers, prep your snacks, and you’ll be ready to head out the next morning.

Road Trip Snacks: Veggies

Our top recommendation for road trip snacks are raw vegetables. They’re packed with fiber and nutrients, and they’re low in calories. They’ll also help quench your thirst and keep you feeling full. For mindless munching, nothing beats raw veggies.

Some vegetables taste better raw than others, and some travel better than others. Raw broccoli can dry out, and raw potatoes sound awful. Choose veggies that you and your kids will eat without dip, since dip can get messy. A few favorites that our families will happily eat include:

• Carrot sticks or baby carrots
• Celery sticks
• Sliced cucumbers
• Pepper strips
• Grape tomatoes
• Snap peas

Road Trip Snacks: Fruit

We’re also big fans of bringing fruit on road trips. It’s sweet and juicy, so it can help keep soda cravings at bay. Like vegetables, fruit is full of fiber and nutrients too.

Like vegetables, some fruits travel better than others. No matter how you store them, it’s hard to keep bananas from getting bruised. Apple slices will turn brown, which doesn’t affect taste but can be unappetizing for kids. Oranges are messy to peel, and orange slices can dry out. We also don’t recommend trying to eat a grapefruit half on the road, even with a serrated spoon.

However, plenty of fruits are quite portable. Here are a few suggestions to add to your cooler.

Grapes: Freeze them at home before you leave. Frozen grapes are delicious, and as they thaw, they’ll still be cold. Have kids help you remove grapes from stems for more compact storage. This will also reduce the amount of garbage you’ll have to throw away en route

Berries: Hull strawberries before packing them to help reduce garbage. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all easy to transport and eat, but keep in mind how they stain.

Melon: Remove the rind and cut melon into chunks. Then use a fork or even toothpicks to spear and eat chunks from the container. Try to drain excess juice before getting on the road, to minimize spill hazards.

Dried fruit is portable, but it’s also calorie-dense and usually has added sugar. We think fresh fruit is a better option.

Road Trip Snacks: Salty Snacks

While fruit and veggies should make up the bulk of your road trip snacks, we understand how you might crave a little salt along the way. Fortunately, we have a few recommendations in this area too.

Cold Chicken: At home, season and cook some chicken, and then pop it in the refrigerator. Dice it or shred it before you leave. Along the way, you can get more from a supermarket deli. This recommendation may sound out of the ordinary, but trust us — it’s a delicious snack.

Beef Jerky: If you don’t want to pack cold chicken, try a limited amount of beef jerky instead. It can help satisfy those carnivores who may grumble about all the rabbit food.

Nuts: Stick to pistachios or almonds for some healthy fat, fiber, and a change of texture.

Pretzel Sticks: Forego the chips and cheesy snacks in favor of pretzel sticks. They’re an especially great road trip snack for younger kids. A bag of pretzel sticks can go a long way.

When you’ve spent the day covering a long distance and you’ve gotten lots of fruits and veggies into your diet, you can feel good about having a relaxing, indulgent dinner when you stop for the night.