Skip to Content

101 Road Trip Food Ideas: Best Fun and Healthy Snacks You’ll Love

Who doesn’t love a good road trip? Better question: who doesn’t love a good road trip snack? Well here’s a mega list of road trip food ideas that you’ll want to pack along.

One of the worst things that can happen on a road trip is running out of food and dealing with a hangry family member. Don’t let that happen! Keep your ride peaceful with these road trip snack ideas!

This list of road trip snacks goes beyond gas station junk food and difficult-to-eat-on-the-go meals. The best road trip foods are convenient, satisfying and healthy (but also sometimes not!)

healthy road trip food
Gotta have lots of healthy road trip snacks!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, see my disclosures.

On this mega list of 101 road trip food ideas, you’ll find:

  • Healthy road trip snacks
  • Homemade road trip snacks
  • High energy foods on the go
  • Road trip snacks for kids
  • Vegan road trip snacks
  • Ideas for your sweet tooth
  • Meals for road trips
  • Packing tips and food containers
  • Essential supplies you’ll need

Best road trip food

Maui Hawaii lush forest
Road tripping through lush forest in the tropics!

As someone who checks off bucket list locations and takes many road trips every year, I know my road trip food. 🙂 It’s important for food to be portable, easy to eat in the car and it needs to be able to travel well.

Some of the food ideas below you’ll want to prepare and package up at home before you hit the road. Be sure to pack a cooler to keep foods fresh as needed.

Note: stick around to the end of the list for the best packaging solutions and containers. Because it matters when packing food for a road trip!

Healthy road trip snacks

healthy road trip snacks fruit
Fresh fruit always wins on a road trip! Photo credit: Unsplash

You want something convenient and healthy, right? Well it’s just as easy to grab an apple for a long car ride as a bag of Doritos!

Now, before you head to the store to buy a bunch of fruit, make sure to think through them all. Like bananas…

Bananas are not a good option for road trips, as they get mushy. On my road trip to Moab, Utah, the bananas I packed split open and made a mess of my reusable grocery bag. So skip the bananas, okay?

driving up a mountain
Road tripping through northern Montana

Here’s the list of healthy road trip snacks

  1. Apples
  2. Sugar snap peas and ranch
  3. Healthy granola (think savory seasoning, not sweet ingredients)
  4. Popcorn (my favorite budget-friendly snack using this air popper)
  5. Oranges
  6. Homemade trail mix
  7. Carrots and ranch
  8. Strawberries
  9. Sugar-free, gluten free muffins
  10. Veggie chips (store bought or homemade)
  11. Blueberries
  12. Basil, tomato and mozzarella salad
  13. Rice cakes with nut butter
  14. Grapes
  15. Cottage cheese and almonds
  16. Pita chips and hummus
  17. Healthy zucchini muffins
  18. Yogurt with mix-ins (just watch the sugar content)

Homemade road trip snacks

popcorn
Healthy and inexpensive snack idea: popcorn. Photo credit: Unsplash

Next let’s dive into the things you can make – or bake – from home. My kiddos always ask for a few of these on every road trip. Their favorite on our way to Glacier National Park was # 20 below!

  1. Rice crispy bars
  2. Or their yummy cousin, fruity pebble bars
  3. Other cereal bars – think Cheerios, Lucky Charms…the possibilities are endless!
  4. Paleo, keto and Whole 30-friendly nut bars
  5. Cheese quesadilla
  6. Pretzel hugs (just don’t pack a bunch – they’re addicting!)
  7. Ditch the flour with these black bean brownies
  8. Sweet trail mix (DIY – just throw pantry staples together!)
  9. ‘Cookie’ protein balls
  10. Almond bark with mix-ins
  11. Spicy roasted cashews
  12. Peach oatmeal muffins

High energy foods on-the-go

healthy road trip snacks RXBar
Bring healthy, high protein road trip snacks for energy

Sitting in the car can be B-O-R-I-N-G and an energetic snack can help to pick you up. Or if you’re driving an all-nighter like I did from Omaha, NE to Gulf Shores, AL, you’ll need some energy to get you through the long drive.

Here are some of my favorite high-energy snacks for the car:

  1. Beef jerky
  2. Greek yogurt
  3. Ham, chive and cream cheese pinwheels
  4. String cheese
  5. Cinnamon apple energy bites 
  6. Hard boiled eggs
  7. Pistachios
  8. Energy bars (RX bars are my favorite for road trips and hiking snacks)
  9. Salmon in a pouch
  10. Mixed nuts
  11. Favorite energy drink (as needed) for driving over night

Road trip snacks for kids

road trip snacks for kids cookie balls
‘Cookie’ protein balls, a favorite with kids

Let’s focus for a minute on food for little ones. While most road trip food on this list can be given to kids, there’s just some foods that are naturally designed for kids.

Pro tip: make sure to give the kids healthy road trip snacks first. It’s way harder to get them to eat an orange after having a bunch of chocolate. Don’t ask me how I know. 😉

Just a quick note: many of these food are pre-packaged which isn’t the most eco-friendly way of traveling. However if you balance it with homemade and reusable packaging when possible, it lessens the environmental impact.

best homemade road trip snacks
Gotta love a good coastal road trip! Photo credit: Unsplash

Kid-friendly road trip snacks:

  1. On-the-go yogurt
  2. Homemade double chocolate zucchini muffins (my kids go crazy over these!)
  3. Cuties
  4. Kid-friendly trail mix
  5. Suckers (or any long-lasting sucking candy)
  6. Applesauce pouches
  7. Pirate’s Booty
  8. Fruit snacks (save money by buying them at a bulk bin grocery store)
  9. Pepperoni slices and cheese cubes
  10. Baby carrots
  11. Juice boxes or pouches
  12. Kid-friendly pinwheels
  13. Fig bars
  14. Fun cheeses, like Baby Bell or Laughing Cow
  15. Raisins or cranberries
  16. Healthy toddler mini muffins

Also make sure out check out the 15 Things to Pack on a Road Trip with Kids

Vegan road trip snacks

Nuts are one of my favorite road trip snacks…vegan-friendly too! Photo credit: Unsplash

If you’re more comfortable with the vegetarian or vegan diet, here are some great options for your next road trip. Many of these will need to be prepared or portioned out ahead of time. (See recommended containers below.)

  1. Veggie chips (sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, etc.)
  2. Bell pepper slices and hummus
  3. Celery and nut butter
  4. Pumpkin cake pops
  5. Cherry tomatoes with vegan ranch
  6. Cinnamon apple chips
  7. Cajun roasted chickpeas
  8. Roasted pumpkin seeds
  9. Vegan lemon blueberry muffins (homemade)
  10. Chocolate-drizzled caramel popcorn

Ideas for your sweet tooth

best road trip food ideas brownies
Sweet tooth cravings…solved! Photo credit: Unsplash

Okay there comes a point in the road trip where cravings take over. Some of my favorite food to take on a road trip are the special sweet treats. I just try not to pack too many!

  1. Yogurt dipped pretzels
  2. Puppy chow / muddy buddies
  3. Chocolate covered almonds
  4. Medjool dates
  5. Scotcharoos
  6. ‘Crack’ popcorn (candy covered popcorn with sprinkles)
  7. Homemade cookies
  8. Candied almonds (make them in the crock pot before you leave to save money)
  9. Gummy bears, or chocolate covered gummy bears
  10. Your favorite candy bar (mini size bags are perfect for sharing)

Meals for road trips

food to take on a road trip
Tried and true sandwiches and wraps for road tripping!

It’s sometimes nice to plan stops for gas or stretching around mealtime. And eating out is nice and convenient when on the road!

But it can also really add up! If you’re on a budget trip, then eating out every meal isn’t always a great option.

Pro tip: make sure to pack items that you won’t mind eating cold or room temperature. I sometimes freeze snacks and to keep them longer and prolong ice in the cooler from melting.

One strategy my family uses for road trips is to pack food for the first meal in a cooler. We’ll stick other road trip snacks in there too, and if it’s a long road trip we’ll pack multiple meals.

aerial shot of a road trip hawaii
Island road trip through Kauai, Hawaii (yes, it included snacks!)

Anyways, back to best meals for road trips:

  1. Egg salad sandwich
  2. Cranberry almond chicken salad wrap
  3. Pre-portioned salads (homemade or store bought)
  4. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
  5. Packaged tuna (not canned) and crackers
  6. Fruit salad (misc. fruit with a splash of honey and lime)
  7. Deli meat and cheese sandwiches
  8. Chips and guacamole (buy the small portion guac so it doesn’t go bad)
  9. Banana bread muffins for breakfast
  10. Gluten free strawberry oatmeal bars
  11. Milk, orange juice or iced coffee

More snacks to pack on-the-go

Buying store-bought snacks for the road and the vacation has it’s perks!

We’re almost there! Here are a few more ideas to add to your road trip food list:

  1. Water (of course this needs to go with!)
  2. Peanut butter filled pretzels
  3. Store-bought breakfast bars
  4. Mints or tic-tac’s (helps to pass the time)
  5. Traditional chips
  6. Sweet Tarts
  7. Hot Tamales (my husband’s favorite!)
  8. Yogurt covered raisins
  9. Dried fruit
  10. Jelly on rice crackers (use jelly packets for this)
  11. Mini cheese and cracker sandwiches
  12. Almond butter packets
  13. Sunflower seeds (what gets me through overnight driving)

Packing tips and food containers

portable yogurt container
Prep yogurt in advance for a filling snack! Photo credit: Unsplash

So now that you have a ton of ideas, let’s move onto packaging. Breaking foods up into convenient portion sizes ahead of time saves a lot of headache – not to mention mess – in a moving vehicle.

Here are my favorite packaging solutions that are convenient, eco-friendly and ultimately will save you money.

Coolers – my family usually travels with a small, collapsible cooler in an easy-to-reach spot in the car that’s filled with drinks and snacks. Then we put meals and back-up drinks in the large cooler in the back.

Collapsible containers – great for making meals ahead of time and takes up less space in your car.

colorado mountains and interstate
An epic Colorado road trip

Mini containers – perfect for dips, trail mix, salad dressings and kid portions. I love these mini containers for road trips! I’ll even use them for snacks that I buy while on the road.

Reusable water bottles – my whole family has reusable bottles that we use for water on road trips. We usually put filtered water in old milk jugs (that have been cleaned) to refill water bottles throughout the trip. These water bottles are perfect for hiking or beaches, too!

Portable silverware set – perfect for meals, yogurt and to eliminate the need for plastic utensils during drive-through’s.

More supplies for your car

reusable silverware
Road trip essentials – reusable silverware. Photo credit: Unsplash

Alright now that you have your food list and packaging solutions, it’s time for the extra supplies that may help on the road. These are items I pack that help with snacks and meal times.

  • Paper towels/napkins
  • Gallons of filtered water for refills
  • Wet wipes for sticky fingers
  • Anti-bacterial gel
  • Sharp knife for food prep (as needed)
  • Plastic bag for trash

Road trip food – that’s a wrap!

Well there you have it! 101 ideas for road trip food! With a huge variety of options, you’re bound to find some you can buy or make ahead for your upcoming trip.

Hope you have a great trip, stay safe and satisfied!

Check out these fun road trip destinations you’ll love:
Perfect Colorado Itinerary: 22 Road Trip Stops You Need to See
16 Midwest Road Trips: Scenic Routes You Can’t Miss
Miami to Key West Road Trip: 22 Awesome Activities You Need to Do
Denver to Moab: 16 Gorgeous Stops Along the Way

Find this article helpful? Save it now or share it on social media!

101 fun and healthy road trip snacks you'll love
the ultimate road trip snack guide

erin

Wednesday 12th of May 2021

These are great ideas, thanks! We are just doing a big road trip in a few weeks, so this is perfect timing! Thanks!

Nikki

Wednesday 12th of May 2021

Welcome, Erin! Have a great time on your road trip!!

Pat

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

Wow great ideas! Love this list and so many options!

Nikki

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

Thanks... it was a fun one to create!

Kali

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

Awesome list! I definitely saved on Pinterest for later 😊

Nikki

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

Glad you got some inspiration from this list! :)

kmf

Sunday 22nd of November 2020

Wow! This is one epic list of the best road trip snacks! Love it!

Nikki

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Thanks - glad you found it helpful!

Jiayi Wang

Sunday 22nd of November 2020

These are such wonderful and creative suggestions! :) Need to bring some peach oatmeal muffins for my next road trip :)

Nikki

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Oh yes Jiayi! They're so good!!