Road tripping is one of the easiest ways to create memories that will last forever. What’s even better is the fact that it really doesn’t take much preparation to road trip. After all, if you have a destination and a car, you have the key components for a road trip.
But there are a few additional steps you can take to ensure your road trip achieves epic proportions. First off, you’ll need a playlist of songs that can help get you through the long stretches of road that don’t offer much in the way of sites or activities.
In addition to music, you’re going to need a solid lineup of snacks, and this article will make sure your road trip provisions are up to par. We’ve included some time-tested snacks that span the gauntlet from calorie-filled guilty pleasures to healthy, energy-boosting options.
We’ve tried to include suggestions for every type of road tripper, and while you don’t have to pack all 20 items on your next trip, we certainly won’t judge you if you do!
Look, as much as we’d love to hit the road ourselves with nothing more than a stack of Snickers bars and a case of Mountain Dew, that’s really not the smartest choice when it comes to road trip provisions.
Don’t worry, we’ll include some of the more “indulgent” snacks below, but we’re starting out with some healthier options here. What follows are road trip snacks that not only taste great, but they’re nutritious and provide the kind of energy you’ll need to rack up some serious miles on the highway. Trust us—your body (and your doctor and dentist) will thank you!
Hard-boiled eggs are a healthy snack in any situation. They’re an especially good option for a road trip, though. These snacks will give you a healthy dose of the protein and complex carbs you need to maintain the required levels of energy a strenuous road trip demands. It’s not just the nutritional value that makes hard-boiled eggs such a great option. They’re also very easy to prepare, easy to store, and if you peel them ahead of time, they’re virtually mess-free—something you’ll definitely appreciate when snacking in the car.
Protein bars are an obvious choice when it comes to healthy road trip snacks, but be careful—not all protein bars are created equal. Many of the protein bars on the shelf at your local market contain full of nothing more than additives and sugars. Those additives and sugars might get your energy up for an hour or so, but they’ll do nothing when it comes to providing the nutritional value your body needs on a long trip. When shopping for protein bars, go with options that are full of all-natural ingredients and light on the artificil sugars.
Cheese is an excellent road trip snack. String cheese (or Babybel, if you prefer the wheeled variety) provides your body with a trifecta of important nutritional requirements, including protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Throw in a few apple slices and you’ve got a satisfying and healthy snack that will certainly hold you over in between meal stops.
Protein is a vital nutritional requirement on a road trip, and hummus is one of your best food options when it comes to getting that protein. In addition to the protein, hummus also contains essential B vitamins—the primary ingredient for healthy energy, focus, and a solid metabolism. Hummus is also very filling, ensuring you don’t overeat while road tripping. Celery sticks are our “dipping unit” of choice. Celery is a low-calorie option that contains water, which will help stave off dehydration—always a threat on a road trip.
If you’re not a fan of celery, carrots make a great alternative when it comes to getting healthy dips to your mouth. Carrots are packed with vital nutritional elements (including fiber), but it’s the satisfying “crunch” that makes them one of our go-to snacks. Part of the reason people snack on the road is simple boredom, and an audible crunch helps prevent the tedium. While a salty potato chip will get the job done, carrots are a much healthier option.
Up to this point, we’ve primarily been suggesting “snack” options, assuming that you’ll be planning to take regular meal breaks while on the road. However, if you’re looking for a bit more sustenance that could replace an entire meal, a peanut butter sandwich or two is a fantastic choice. Notice that we didn’t say peanut butter and jelly. Jelly usually doesn’t provide anything but an unhealthy dose of sugar. A couple of tablespoons of peanut butter on wheat bread will ensure you’ve got the required proteins, fats, and complex carbs to keep you trucking mile after mile.
Guacamole is a very healthy snack, as the avocado provides the “good” fats your body needs. The problem is that most of us only eat guacamole with a giant bowl full of tortilla chips—not the healthiest option. If you substitute your chips with slices of bell pepper, you’ve got a power-packed snack that you don’t have to fill guilty about!
It’s not the most comfortable topic of conversation, but staying regular on a road trip will help ensure your journey remains as comfortable as possible. For that, you’re going to need fiber and complex carbohydrates. Popcorn can help fill those needs. However, it’s important to choose the right kind. Microwave popcorn usually has lots of unhealthy chemicals, so either pop some at home using a little coconut oil or buy some bagged options from a natural food market. As long as you’re just getting corn and a little salt and oil, you’ve got an awesome road trip snack.
By now, you’re probably saying something like “yeah, yeah—we get that eating healthy is important, but can’t we cheat just a little?” Don’t worry, below you’ll find an entirely new list of guilty pleasures, but here’s an option that walks the line between healthy snack and indulgent sweet. The tropical fruit and nut trail mix from Planters is packed with healthy fats and proteins, but you also get a sweet-tooth-satisfying dose of banana chips, pineapple, and raisins covered in yogurt. You can quickly rack up some calories with this snack, but when eaten in moderation it can be a great road trip option.
When it comes to your nutritional requirements on a road trip, staying hydrated is probably the most important thing. Simply put, you need to be drinking a lot of water. But if you’re like us, bottle after bottle of water can get a little boring. Add a little adventure to your water regimen by drinking a sparkling variety. You can even find flavored varieties of sparkling water, just make sure that they don’t contain any artificial flavors or sweeteners.
Look, we’re big supporters of eating healthy, but sometimes the only thing that can get you through a long road trip is food that satisfies the sweet tooth more than, say, your primary care physician. Plus, a little chocolate and salt in moderation can’t be that bad for you, right? So, if you plan to cheat a bit on the old diet while you’re cruising across the country in the old family truckster, the following snacks will definitely hold you over.
Beef jerky is a bit of a tricky entry here. We’re listing it under the “splurge” section, but there are definitely some healthy jerky options out there. It all really depends on where you’re doing your shopping. Regardless of where you buy your jerky, you can rest assured that you’re getting a snack that’s packed with protein. However, if you’re buying your jerky at the local gas station, you’re also (likely) getting a product that’s loaded with salt and weird preservatives. But if you buy your jerky at a natural foods store and look for organic options containing grass-fed beef, you’ve got more than enough reason to kick this entry up into the “healthy” section!
Sunflower seeds are a great road trip snack. While they do provide some nutrition, they’re also loaded with salt, which isn’t the best for you. But one of the biggest benefits of bringing along a giant bag of sunflower seeds with you on your road trip is that they work wonders in keeping you awake. After all, cracking those outer shells open and getting to the seed inside, then spitting out the spent shell takes some major concentration, and you’ll be surprised at how many miles you can check off before you get through a mouthful of seeds.
No road trip would be complete without a bag or two of your favorite potato chips. By all means, take along whatever you like best. However, we strongly recommend a can or four of Pringles. First off, they come in a wide range of flavors, so you can easily throw a little variety into your snacking with minimum effort. Secondly, the cans fit perfectly into your car’s cupholder! Now if that doesn’t make a textbook road trip snack, we don’t know what does.
Chex Mix is another tried and true staple when it comes to road trip snacks. There are countless varieties of flavors and combinations when it comes to Chex Mix, so pick your favorite. We personally love products that throw a little chocolate into the mix.
If we could bring just one candy option on a road trip with us, it would have to be a giant bag of Twizzlers (and let’s face it, strawberry is the only real flavor choice). They not only taste great, but they’re another of those snacks that keep you occupied as you drive. You can eat them as quickly or as slowly as you want, and they leave zero-mess behind as you eat them.
With all this snacking in the car, it only makes sense to have a dessert option on the menu. Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies are a classic dessert that is sure to satisfy even the most intense sweet tooth. This one’s been keeping road trippers happy for decades!
When it comes to snacks (especially indulgent ones), it’s pretty tough to beat peanut butter and chocolate. While there is certainly no shortage of products that boast this glorious combination, one of our absolute favorites is the Reese’s Crispy Crunch Bar. You get the amazing taste of a classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with the satisfying crunch of actual chopped peanuts. Just know that you’re going to need to do a serious wiping down of your seats after digging into a few of these!
Boiled peanuts might just be our oldest entry on the list. They’re a roadside staple in the South, and they’ve pretty much been available ever since Henry Ford starting churning out the first Model Ts back in 1908. The texture takes some getting used to—after all, peanuts are supposed to be crunchy, right, and not mushy? However, once you get past that lack of crunch, the delicious salty flavor will have you pulling over to restock every hundred miles or so.
There are endless varieties of chewing gum on the market, and when it comes to adding a pack to your road trip supplies, chances are it’s going to serve the purpose of keeping you awake and fighting off boredom. In that case, you might want to go with a brand that’s famous for producing giant, sticking-in-your-hair bubbles. In that case, it’s hard to beat a classic, and our recommendation is a bucket full of Dubble Bubble. This classic gum has been around since 1928 and it’s known for producing some seriously huge bubbles. In the end, pick whichever brand you prefer, but a road trip is a great time to experiment and branch out with some new flavors.
Unless you’re driving an electric car with some crazy-good mileage, you’re likely going to need to make several fuel stops during your road trip. If you stick with 7-Eleven as your gas station of choice, you can also fill up on Slurpees each time you stop for fuel. The Slurpee is the original frozen gas station drink, and it can only be found at 7-Eleven stores. Slurpees come in a variety of flavors, and as long as you don’t mind the occasional brain freeze, they’re the perfect beverage choice for a long road trip!
We’ve just given you a long list of snack options for your next road trip. Whether you choose just one or two items from the list or all of them, you’ll be surprised how something as simple as food can cement itself into your memories. Don’t be surprised if, years after your trip, you’re still talking about pulling over to the side of the road to buy a bag of boiled peanuts or stopping off at Lookout Mountain to wolf down a peanut butter sandwich. Happy eating, and happy road tripping!
