The Best Road Trip Snacks For Kids You’ll Want To Take With You - The Family Vacation Guide (2024)

It can be a little bit difficult traveling with the little ones, especially when you know that they’re going to get hungry along the way. If you want to avoid having a cranky child on the road, pack them some delicious, healthy, and spill-resistant snacks.

You’ll save money by not having to stop at gas stations, and you can rest assured that you approve everything they’re eating. These road trip snacks for kids will make your next family outing a success.

Baby Mandarin Oranges

Sweet, portable, baby mandarin oranges are kid-sized treats that are easy to peel and virtually seedless. So, unlike larger oranges, you won’t have to deal with as much pith or large seeds. Instead, each small orange is the perfect-sized treat to take the edge off your kid’s hunger.

Larger children can peel these sweet treats themselves, and you can segment them in advance for smaller kids.

Carrot Sticks

Carrot sticks are a road-trip favorite because they are full of essential nutrients and are dense enough to keep your kids satisfied while you’re on the highway. They’re also easy to eat, and you would have to go out of your way to try to make a mess with them.

You can make your own carrot sticks or simply buy a bag of baby carrots from the store.

Homemade Power Bars

This snack takes a little bit more prep work, but it’s all worth it in the end. Homemade power bars or energy balls are excellent ways to tame your little ones’ sweet tooths without giving them a refined sugar product. Also, you can add additional healthy items.

Energy balls are easy to make and packed with tons of protein, and pretty portable.

Smoothies

Unlike the smoothies that you traditionally get from fast-food restaurants and gas stations, homemade smoothies make great, healthy, and delicious road trip snacks for kids. You can whip up a smoothie packed with fruit, yogurt, or even some vegetables at home and give it to your kids in the car.

Granola Bars

There’s a good reason why granola bars are one of the most popular road trip snacks around. They are portable, fill you up, and you can get them in a multitude of different flavors. Plus, most commercially-made granola bars come in individual wrappers for easy eating and transport.

Tuck a few granola bars into your glove compartment for those long stretches of highway.

Dried Fruits

One of the best things about dried fruit is that they have that sugar hit that your kids crave without a lot of preservatives or fillers that many processed foods contain. In fact, dried fruits are among the healthiest things to feed your children.

They also won’t stain their clothes, mess up your car, or take up too much space.

Jerky

If you’re looking for a portable, light snack that packs a big protein punch, jerky is a great option. You can get plenty of different flavors and even find low-sodium jerky at health food stores.

Jerky is one of the best convenience foods available if you want something that will fill you up quickly. Kids and adults love jerky, so make sure that you pack some for your next trip.

Cheese and Crackers

Whole-grain crackers and cut-up cheese are a great road trip snack for kids. The combination of protein and carbohydrates will keep them full for the long run, and it’s no big deal if they spill any in the car.

You can also swap out the crackers for other treats, like toasted bagel bites or breadsticks.

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

Kids love the taste of sweet grape or cherry tomatoes. These bite-sized nutritional powerhouses are excellent on longer car trips because they can tick off all of the boxes.

The snacks are portable, easy to eat, and shareable. So pick up a package of dainty grape or cherry tomatoes next time you’re at the supermarket.

Tortillas and Fillings

Rolled-up tortillas with different fillings make excellent road trip snacks. Think of the tortilla like a blank slate that you can customize with a variety of different yummy spreads. For example, roll up turkey, cheese, and mustard for a portable lunchtime favorite. Peanut butter and jelly works great too.

If your child has a sweet tooth, why not fill a tortilla with some Nutella and sliced bananas? The best part of this snack is that you can customize it to your tastes and even have the kids help put them together too.

String Cheese

String cheese is another protein-packed snack that comes individually wrapped. If possible, you should keep string cheese in a cooler, although you can leave it out for a few hours without it going bad.

If your kids are getting a little hungry in the back of the car, simply give them some string cheese. It will tide them over for at least a few hours.

Cut-Up Fruit

Cut up mango, apples, melon, or other types of fruit and put them into individual ziplock baggies. Fruit is an excellent option for road trips because it contains a lot of fiber, plus different nutrients that keep kids full and happy during long car rides.

Fruit is naturally sweet too, so if your kids are getting sugar cravings, you can satisfy them with a small baggie of delicious fruit.

Vegetable Chips

Kids love vegetable chips. They’ve got all the satisfying crunch and flavor of your traditional potato chips, but with added nutritional value. You can get individual bags of vegetable chips or make your own mixes from bulk bags.

Plus, vegetable chips usually come in fun colors that appeal to little ones.

Grapes

Grapes are an excellent, portable fruit that’s generally pretty inexpensive and very easy to eat on the go. If you’re taking a road trip during the summer, consider freezing your grapes before you hit the highway. Frozen grapes are a unique treat that will keep your kids happy in the backseat.

You can also get sweet grape varieties from time to time, like Cotton Candy Grapes. Your kids will love the novelty of eating a fruit that tastes like a sugary treat, and you’ll rest easy that they are getting a healthy snack.

Liquid Yogurt

Drinkable, or liquid yogurt, is a good way for your kids to get the calcium they need without spilling yogurt all over your car. Drinkable liquid yogurt comes in individual servings and is an excellent alternative to juice or milk.

Blueberries

Blueberries are antioxidant powerhouses, full of nutrients and minerals that you don’t find in other foods. They’re also great portable snacks for long car rides. Although raspberries and blackberries have great nutritional benefits, blueberries are a lot less messy.

They can also hold up to warmer temperatures, and you don’t need to keep them in a cooler. Instead, simply pop a ziplock bag of blueberries in your glove box, and you are all set.

Juice Boxes

Having a juice box or two on hand can curb your child’s hunger on long road trips and give them a sugary fix at the same time.

Juice boxes are excellent, portable, and individually-packaged snacks that can hydrate your children and provide them with a boost of nutrients at the same time. If you’re worried about the sugar content, simply look for organic or sugar-free options.

Popcorn

Talk about an easy and inexpensive snack! Popcorn is one of the best road trip snacks for kids because it’s light, easy to make, and easy to clean up. You can go with regular popcorn with a sprinkle of salt and butter or get more creative with the flavorings.

Some people even like to top their popcorn with caramel or chocolate, although that might get a little messier on hot days.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are full of protein, easy to eat, and light enough to carry with you on the road. Older children can peel their own eggs, but you might want to pre-peel eggs for kids under 12. If you leave the peels on, make sure that there’s a spot for the kids to put their shells.

Apples and Peanut Butter

This tried-and-true combination that combines fiber-rich apples and peanut butter is a winner. Get individual servings of peanut butter and let your kids dip apple slices into the mixture for a satisfying treat.

Not only does it taste delicious, but apples and peanut butter are a healthy snack that will keep your children full for several hours.

Mini Muffins

If you want to pack a fun treat for your kids, make sure that you put some mini muffins in your car before you hit the road. You can make your own muffins or buy individual packages of mini muffins. If you opt for the pre-packaged ones, you can get them in all sorts of different flavors.

Although mini muffins tend to be a little higher in sugar than other items on our list, they are a nice treat that kids enjoy.

Trail Mix

The beauty of trail mix is that you can make it specifically to your liking. For example, some people like to add in golden raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, or even cereal. Put your trail mix in individual serving bags and pass it to your kids for a quick treat.

Although trail mix is great for road trips, you definitely can’t bring it on the airplane with you because of nut allergies.

Individual Water Bottles With Secured Tops

While it’s not specifically a snack, having individual water bottles with secured tops will make staying hydrated fun and save you from having to spend a fortune on disposable plastic water bottles. So if you care about the environment and want to save a few dollars, this is an excellent way to do so.

Also, kids love having their own personalized water bottles, especially if they have their favorite cartoon characters on them.

Graham Crackers

Graham crackers are the ultimate road trip snack for kids because you can serve them plain or make miniature sandwiches out of them with a little bit of peanut butter or Nutella. They’re also reasonably good for children, inexpensive, and they don’t need to be refrigerated.

Make little bags of graham crackers with marshmallows and chocolate pieces for a special treat.

Hummus and Vegetables

Individual servings of hummus are a godsend for busy parents who want to keep kids calm on road trips. Hummus is very healthy and has tons of protein. It also comes in various flavors, and with personal packs, your kid can choose which variety they want for the trip.

Plus, hummus is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables. Serve your hummus with cut-up cucumber spears, red and green pepper, or carrot sticks.

Rice Cakes

Rice cakes are a great treat for kids. Buy them in several different flavors, or spread plain rice cakes with hummus, jelly, or peanut butter for a well-balanced snack. Kids love rice cakes because they are crunchy and satisfying. A little will go a long way to keeping them full for the whole car ride.

Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk is a special treat. You can put it into a sippy cup for younger children or simply buy boxes of chocolate milk for long car rides. The beauty of chocolate milk is that it can satisfy chocolate or sugar cravings while still being moderately healthy.

Also, the individual boxes give you instant portion control.

Edamame

Edamame is a fun, healthy treat. Pre-cook your edamame, sprinkle it with a little bit of salt, and put it into individual baggies. Kids can pop the edamame out of the shell and put the pods right back into the plastic bags when they’re done.

Olives

If you want a salty treat that will fill your kids up and leave very little mess behind, olives are a great way to go. Get the ones without the pits or excess oil for the best results. You can put your olives in to-go containers for easy portion control.

Seltzer Water

Seltzer water is an excellent alternative to juice or soda. It also has a lot less sugar, calories, or additives. You can make your own seltzer water at home or buy cans of it from the store, and it’s great for older children who can drink out of the can.

There are plenty of seltzer water selling points, but perhaps the biggest one is that it’s relatively inexpensive, and you can get it in many different flavors. This means that the kids can choose their flavor before hopping in the car and enjoy a cold personalized snack while on the road.

Although it might be tempting to toss a couple of cans in the freezer before heading out on your road trip, you could be in for a nasty surprise. Soda and seltzer cans tend to burst in the freezer because of the carbonation. So instead, take a small cooler and ice with you.

Cookies

Bringing along cookies from home can save you the trouble of stopping and save you some significant money in the long run. It’s easy to separate individual portions of cookies into plastic bags. You can bake your own or use store-bought cookies.

There are also small, individually-packaged bags of mini-cookies available.

Pretzel Sticks

Pretzel sticks are a super easy, portable, and tasty snack to bring with you on your next road trip. Not only will they keep your kids full for the long run, but they are also very inexpensive and don’t require refrigeration. Simply toss a handful of pretzel sticks into a ziplock bag, and you’re ready to go.

Pretzel sticks are good on their own or paired with a dip. Hummus, peanut butter, cheese, and Nutella are all ideal pairings.

Cut-Up Sandwiches

If you want to stave off your kids’ hunger on long trips, it’s a good idea to bring some cut-up sandwiches. Making sandwiches at home will save you a lot of time and money, and it’s an excellent way to manage what your children are eating.

Avoid too many messy fillings. It’s best to stick with the basics when you’re in the car. Peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese, or salami are excellent choices for your road trip. Plus, you can cut them into squares and mix-and-match, so each kid gets a little bit of everything.

These Road Trip Snacks Go the Distance

If you want to keep your kids happy and full-on long road trips, try one or more of these snacks. All of them are easy to prepare, relatively inexpensive, and are sure to satisfy even the pickiest kids. Plus, you won’t have to stop for snacks or mini-meals along the way.

The best road trip snacks for kids strike the right balance between being delicious, nutritious, and completely portable. From sweet to savory, there’s something for every kid on our list.