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9 Must Have Road Trip Snacks

Long gone are the days that I can enjoy a snack without little eyes seeing what I’m eating and requesting just one bite (or, oftentimes more).

This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because I’m forced to eat more healthily so I can automatically oblige and give into the request for the food I’m eating.

But bad for me at times because it means I can’t indulge. Well, I can, just not while my children are awake (or at least not looking).

Yes, since Halloween I’ve perfected the art of nonchalantly ducking behind the island or busying myself in the pantry so I can shove an entire Reese’s peanut butter cup in my mouth undetected.

Halloween treats aside, I try to provide my family with healthy snacks at home and on the road. Traveling with small children is not easy.

But it gets easier the more road trips you take. We’ve been going on road trips with our kids since they were babies.

It’s definitely tempting at times when on a road trip to just pick up a quick snack at the gas station while taking a bathroom break. And that’s fine but not all gas stations offer the healthiest or most appetizing options and you end up paying a premium for that quick grab, unplanned convenience purchase.

If you’re driving home for the holidays or even a busy day in town but away from home, here’s a list of my favorite road trip snacks. When choosing these road trip snacks, I tried to find options that were kid-friendly, nutritious, and minimize the potential for messes.

9 Must Have Road Trip Snacks

  1. Fruit. Bananas, pears, apples, and grapes are all great choices. Just remember the juicier the fruit, the messier things will get. Especially if you’re giving them to little ones.
  2. Veggies. Baby carrots, celery sticks, and bell pepper matchsticks.
  3. Cheese. String cheese or cheese slices/cubes are delicious on their own but could be made even more filling with…
  4. Whole grain crackers.
  5. Squeeze containers of applesauce or yogurt. Avoid the inevitable mess from child+spoon+bumpy road.
  6. Nuts. My suggestions are almonds or cashews. If your child is just starting to experiment with nuts, I like offering cashews because they have a smooth texture and the saltiness is reminiscent of a chip (or that’s what I told my daughter). You could also make your own sweet and salty snack mix.
  7. Fruit leathers.
  8. Snack bag portions of cereal, pretzels, popcorn, or dried fruit.
  9. Water. Filling and essential – especially if you get stranded on the side of the road. In our family, we each have a stainless steel reusable water bottle that we use at home and on road trips. My daughter’s bottle is outfitted with a sport top so it’s easy for her to open and shut the bottle without spills.

What are your must have road trip snacks?

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aogable

Tuesday 27th of November 2012

Good list. My go to is always granola bars.

Sheila

Saturday 17th of November 2012

That is a great snack list. We always have food with us and it's a good things because it seems the minute we pull out of the driveway, we are hungry ;)

Mumseword

Wednesday 14th of November 2012

i love your list. It's so balanced!!

Amy

Sunday 11th of November 2012

love that they are healthy options! Junk food seems to everywhere, yet I'd love to stock healthy options!

Katie

Sunday 11th of November 2012

we usually have water, goldfish, beef jerky & gummy treats.