12 Must-Pack Road Trip Snacks for Kids – With Useful Tips

Are you planning a road trip to enjoy family vacation? If yes, maybe you are looking for best road trip snacks for kids. Traveling with kids can be challenging in terms of eating. With a little preparation and planning, you can pack healthy road trip snacks for kids to satisfy your kid cravings.

In this blog post, we will guide you which snacks you can bring with yourself on a road trip. Plus, share essential tips with you how to pack snacks for extended duration road trips. Keep reading!

Road Trip Snacks for Kids

From healthy snack options to fun snacks and sweet treats, here are best road trip snacks for kids.

Healthy Snack Options

1. Fruits and Veggies

Fresh fruits and veggies are one of the best & on-the go snacks for kids on a road trips. You can pack less messy fresh fruits and vegetables that don’t need to be kept in cooler and can be easily eaten without forks, knifes and plates. Look for fruits without peels especially when snacking inside the car.

• Apple slices with nut butter
• Carrot sticks and hummus
• Mix dry fruits

2. Whole Grains

Whether you want to buy home-made or store-bought snacks, you can pack whole grain bar for your family trip. Whole grains are not only easy to pack but also fuel your kids’ hunger on a longer road trip. For toddlers or kids under the age of 5, cereals would be one of the best options. You can pack whole grains in the form of:

• Granola bars
• Whole grain crackers
• Popcorns that are lightly salted or air-popped

3. Protein-Packed Snacks

Protein packed snacks will help keep your kids energized and full during the whole trip. To pack protein-packed snacks, you can pair individual nuts with apple slices or whole-grain crackers.

When choosing individual nuts, try to go for nuts that matches with your kids taste preferences. Almond butter or peanut butter can be used.

• String cheese or cheese cubes
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Mini sandwiches or wraps

Fun and Engaging Snacks

4. Trail Mix

Pack a DIY trail mix bar for your kids that keeps them engaged and entertained on a road trip. One of the best things about DIY trail mix is that it’s versatile and easy to make.

If you want to make your trail mix more healthier, you can add different healthy ingredients like pumpkin seeds, coconut chips and dried bananas. Other ingredients could be:

• Goldfish crackers
• Cereal
• Nuts
• Mini Swedish fish

5. Themed Snacks

In fun and engaging snack options, themed snacks are also one of the simple road trip snacks for kids. Themed snacks are normally useful for kids under 5 as these will not only entertain them but also, they can easily eat. You can pack animal-shaped sandwiches and present fruit and veggies faces on a plate. Other themed snacks:

• Caterpillar bananas
• Butterfly quesadillas
• Fruit pizza

6. Pretzel

Twist up your kids snack time with pretzels on a road trip. if you are looking for crunchy, portable and energy boost snacks, must pack pretzels for your road trip.

From classic twists to gourmet options, you can get pretzels in different flavors and shapes. You can pair them with these:

• Hummus
• Guacamole
• Mustard dip

Easy Option Snacks

7. Cereal

Packing cereal as road trip snack for your kids couldn’t be much easier but still best option as compared to other snacks. It’s super simple and easy to keep kids from hunger while on the road. For different kids, you can pack different flavors based on their taste preferences in one container or storage bag. Famous cereal flavors are:

• Wheat
• Rice
• Oat
• Corn
• Maize

8. Chex Mix

Chex mix is one of the best homemade road trip snacks that is made from Chex breakfast cereal. A savory and crunchy snack is not only suitable for only kids but also one of the best road trip snack ideas for adults. Some people claim that Chex Mix is not the healthiest option but that’s not true as it’s full of:

• Sodium
• Refined grains
• Sugar

9. Popcorns

Another super-easy snack option for parents who don’t want to give your kids too much sugar or salt. Popcorn will let you stick with plain, healthiest and light snack option.

You can even make your own homemade snacks and pack them in one container with different compartments. Rather than buy from shop, make it on your own before going on a road trip.

Travel Sick-Friendly Snack Options

10. Ritz Crackers

If your kid has motion sickness issues during travel, you can prevent it with ritz crackers. The second name to ritz crackers is saltines.

Most of the kids like these types of snacks and a good way to fuel your kid energy levels even on a longer road trip. if you are outside the US and difficulty in finding Ritz crackers, go for:

• Cream crackers
• Oven baked crackers

11. Bananas

Looking for healthy road trip snacks non refrigerated? Bananas are not only fresh fruits but also one of the best snack options for kids who face gaseousness and dizziness issues on travel. Plus, they are easy to pack and you can store and eat them even on longer road trips. Some precautions to follow:

• Wrap them properly
• Pack them in canes with no sharp edges
• Avoid eating banana if your kid face breathing issues

12. Fruit Pouches

Fruit pouches are another good option if your kids don’t feel well during road trip. You can put them in containers with spoon or go for pouches for more convenient option. Keep your pouches cool by bringing a cooler so they kept fresh and safe even on long-haul road trips. Here are some tips for traveling with fruit pouches:

• Keep cooler closed
• Pack in convenient location
• Do not forget to pack different types of foods

Essential Tips to Follow When you are on a Road Trip with Kids

In above, we thoroughly guided you about which travel snacks you will need to pack. Now, here are the few essential tips that further help you choose right snacks and in other aspects to make your road trip with kids memorable.

• Don’t forget to make sure that you have a refillable water bottle that help you stay hydrated throughout the journey.
• Pack snacks in individual containers as it would be easy for you & your kids.
• Do not travel without wipes as it must be included in your kid packing list.
• From safety point of view, keep a seat organizer in the car of enhanced safety and protection.
• Try to finish perishable snacks as earlier as possible so they won’t lose taste.
• Pack perishable foods in an insulated cooler bag.

Conclusion!

Road trip is all about ultimate fun and excitement with your friends and family. When you are on a road trip with your family, special care must be taken in food & safety especially for kids.

We ensure you that these road trip snacks for kids can make all the huge difference in keeping your kids entertained and comfortable. Options like protein-packed snacks, whole grains, veggie sticks, nuts and seeds provide the perfect balance of vitamin and nutrients.

Frequently Asked Questions