Healthy Road Trip Snacks for Kids
An important part of planning a road trip is deciding what snacks to bring. This is especially true if you are traveling with kids, and even more importantly if you have teens in the car!
The best road trip snacks are not messy, don’t require refrigeration, and most importantly are healthy. Healthy road trip snacks for kids are more filling, meaning you’ll have less whining and asking to stop for food. If you keep road trip snacks on the healthy side you can also make up for some of the less healthy meals you eat out of convenience on the road (looking at you McDonalds!).
Here’s a list of healthy road trip snacks your kids will love because they taste great, and you’ll love because they are easy and mess-free!
Granola or Granola Bars
If your kids like granola, you’re in luck, because it is a great thing to bring along the trip as a healthy snack. First of all, granola bars are a good option since they are non-perishable and can easily store in your purse for a road trip, ride on the train or bus, or on the airplane.
There are organic, all-natural granola bars, so you don’t need to worry about all the extra junk ingredients so many granola bars have. Just be sure to check the grams of sugar per bar, because even organic bars can load up on the sugar.
If you’d rather just stick with granola, consider simply putting some healthy granola and nuts in reusable portion-size plastic bags as a quick snack.
You can also make your own granola and granola bars at home, with the ability to customize however you’d like! Here are a few of our favorite recipes:
- No Bake Almond Cherry Granola Bars
- Favorite Homemade Granola Bars
- No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars (Vegan and Gluten Free)
- The Very Best Granola
- The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Granola
- Grandpa’s Homemade Granola
Apples and Nut Butter
Here is a snack that is easy to prepare beforehand and bring with you, especially on a road trip. Slice up some apples and put a little lemon juice on the apples before storing them in a to-go container to prevent browning.
In a small container, put some nut butter, such as all-natural peanut butter or almond butter. When your kids want a snack, give them the apples and container of nut butter to dip them in. It is a healthy, low-fat, convenient snack.
Low-Sugar Cereal
One of the simplest things you can do is find a healthy cereal, place the dry cereal in a reusable plastic bag, and put it in the car or in your carry-on bag at the airport. Hand your starving kid the bag of cereal when they need a quick snack.
There are plenty of delicious low-sugar cereals that are soft enough to eat even without milk. Chex and Cheerios are great choices. Some of these low-sugar cereals also have a good amount of fiber and other nutrients, so they are a healthy option.
Veggies or Crackers and Dip
If you can keep a small cooler in your car, you can bring along a healthy dip with some sliced vegetables or crackers to go with it. Whole-grain crackers are often more convenient, since they are non-perishable and can be enjoyed alone or with a dip or spread.
However, slices of bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli can also be placed in a container in the cooler, then enjoyed with some nut butter or hummus dip.
If you are traveling without a cooler, you could also keep the veggies cool in a small insulated bag like this with small ice packs. Look for single-serve ranch, guacamole, or hummus dips that don’t need to be refrigerated.
Homemade Trail Mix
It’s easy to find trail mix at any supermarket with a bulk food section, but it’s cheaper and healthier to make your own at home. Making your own trail mix also means you can also customize it to only have the things your kids like. You can also leave out messy ingredients like chocolate chips, which are often found in prepackaged trail mix.
Some suggested ingredients for your own mess-free trail mix are Chex cereal, Cheerios, raisins or craisins, dried fruit, pretzels, and nuts.
Divide the trail mix up into reusable storage bags and add to your road trip snack container!
Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit is an easy choice for a healthy road trip snack. Just remember to limit the choices to fruits that don’t make a mess. Nothing too juicy!
The best choices for fruits that won’t make a mess on your road trip are apples, bananas, grapes, and easy to peel Cuties.
Popcorn
Popped at home or store-bought, popcorn can be a healthy road snack as long as you steer clear of salt and butter! Use an air popper at home to make a big batch and divide it into smaller containers, or purchase a healthier version at the grocery store. Look for brands like Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop or Skinny Pop.
How to Store Your Healthy Road Trip Snacks
The best containers for your healthy road trip snacks are reusable. Not only are they better for the environment, but after your trip or even during your trip, you can refill them and use them over and over!
My favorite reusable storage bags are easy to clean and great for veggies, fruit, and things that aren’t easily squished. For snacks that are a little more prone to being crunched or crushed I prefer reusable plastic containers like these. These containers are good for snacks like trail mix, popcorn, and cereal. Plus, they are collapsible which makes them easier to store when you are done using them.
I put all the food in one plastic bin with a latched lid similar to these. I like clear ones so I can see what’s left inside at a glance, and a handle is convenient for carrying if we stop somewhere to eat our snacks.
I hope this list of healthy road trip snacks for kids helps you on your next trip! If you have any tried-and-true road trips snacks I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
