Easy Peasy Road Trip Snacks | No Cooler Needed

Are you looking for some fun and different road trip snacks? Look no further! This post contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to make a purchase using a link, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Does it really matter what snacks you pack for a road trip? Will it make any difference in your trip? I say yes, it totally does. I believe your trip should start when you pull out of the driveway. While you want those staple snacks for your road trip, it’s nice to treat yourself too. That will help your trip to feel like a vacation as soon as you leave the house! In this post, I will share my staple road trip snacks and some other different snacks you can incorporate to treat yourself.

This post is all about road trip snacks.

Don’t Forget the Staple Road Trip Snacks

These staple snacks are things that are easy to grab and have minimal clean up. I opt for things like:

Pringles, pretzels, popcorn, fruit snacks, granola bars, cereal bars and crackers.

Grab a case of water and/or your favorite beverages– It is smart to throw these in the trunk to have on hand. This will ensure you stay hydrated and avoid extra stopping. It doesn’t hurt to save a buck or two either!

Chewing gum– Chewing gum helps you stay awake. It also produces saliva which livens the GI tract making you hungry. So be sure to have these snacks on hand!

Tip: don’t forget to pack some chip clips, napkins, and sanitizer. We often bring a few rolls of paper towels.

You Deserve a Treat

Remember, you are on vacation. This is a time when we don’t worry as much about every single thing we put in our mouths. Now, I’m not saying scarf on total junk. But it is nice to treat yourself to snacks you may normally skip over at the grocery store to save money or calories! You could pick up your favorite candy or chips. I tend to skip chocolate on road trips to avoid it melting if left in the car. But if you’re not worried about that, go for it!

Personally, I like to hit up Trader Joe’s. They always have new and interesting snacks. We just took a quick trip and I found dried hibiscus flowers, a few new flavors of potato chips and an interesting type of snack mix to try. Trader Joe’s is a one stop shop for road trip snacks because they have the interesting treat type snacks and the staple snacks. Below are some Trader Joe’s finds.

I also like to check Marshall’s, TJ Maxx and Home Goods for snacks. They’re great because they often have pre-portioned out packs. If you go out on a limb and a few snacks are flops, that’s what the staple snacks are for 🙂 Below are some of my picks from a recent TJ Maxx run.

Tip: Having a designated place for trash makes for easy cleanup and less chaos. You can grab a car trash can from Amazon here.

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

I am focusing on snacks that do not need to be refrigerated. Some healthy options are:

Fruit: apples, bananas and mandarine oranges– Mandarine oranges are great because they’re easier to peel than larger oranges. They also take up less space.

Dried Fruits

Nuts– These provide you some protein and help you feel full longer.

Trail Mix

Fruit sauce or applesauce packs

Protein Packed Snacks

These items will ensure you stay feeling satiated on the road. Good options are:

Beef and turkey jerky– Not my favorite, but if you like them, they are great options for traveling.

Protein Bars

Nuts and Trail Mix– These were worth mentioning twice 🙂

Peanut butter

Easy Road Trip Meals

Some people like to pack a simple lunch or quick on the run breakfast, at least for the first day on the road. As I am not listing items that need to stay cold, I would recommend:

Bread– Opting for whole wheat bread instead of white bread will provide you with a complete protein when eating it with peanut butter.

Peanut Butter– You can make peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I will link a squeezable peanut butter great for the road below.

Nutella– Great for sandwiches or dipping pretzels in.

To go Jelly– These are perfect because they don’t need to be refrigerated. Then you can also have peanut butter and jelly as an option. I will link to the Smucker’s Assorted Jams from Amazon below.

Tuna fish packs– These are perfect for a protein packed lunch on the go. I’m not a fan of tuna usually. But apparently people eat tuna sandwiches. I can stomach it with crackers only. So I’d bring crackers for the tuna. Looking for really easy??? I found these Starkist Albacore Tuna lunch kits (12 count) on Amazon. They come with tuna, crackers, mayo and relish. I’m sure you can snag them at the grocery store as well.

Muffins and/or croissants– Perfect to get you through until lunch time. Not stopping for breakfast will help you get a good amount of driving done in the morning before you get tired.

TIP: IF YOU DECIDE TO PACK FOR LIGHT meals ON THE ROAD DON’T FORGET SILVERWARE AND PLATES.

These were my road trip snack guidelines

I use these simple guidelines to pack my snacks for each road trip we take. Our snacks differ from trip to trip, but this outline helps ensure our snacks are well rounded. By having staples, treats, healthy options, protein and small meals (I usually just bring the breakfast items), it helps us to enjoy our trip and spend money on the food we have researched instead of quick bites along the way. This has allowed us to have some really nice meals on the road. By bringing croissants and muffins we can get right on the road in the morning and make great time!

I hope these tips will help you put together a well rounded group of road trip snacks for your next trip! Happy Travels!