Nothing worse than a hangry kid on a road trip. Am I right? As if taking a road trip with kids wasn't challenging enough.
Which is exactly why I bring lots of road trip snacks for kids.
Sometimes I plan the road trip snacks for the kids ahead of time. Which is actually just me rummaging through our pantry five minutes before leaving.
Sometimes we hit up the gas station to stock up on our kid road trip snacks. Which the kids love. Hey, it's all about making memories.
All of this to say, I am sharing my favorite yummy and practical road trip snacks for kids.
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1. Choose Snacks That Are Easy to Eat
First things first. Road trip snacks for kids should easy.
Especially if you are road tripping with just one parent. Or, if you are like me, and sit in the front seat rather than in the back with the kids.
My idea of easy?
can be eaten independently
can pass back without needing to get in the back seat to assist with
2. Pack Snacks That Won't Make a Big Mess
Do yourself a favor, learn from my husband.
Avoid bringing or buying road trip snacks that you will later regret.
My husband is notorious for buying the kids milkshakes at fast food restaurants during our road trip potty breaks.
Guess how many times he regrets this. Yep, every single time.
Avoid things that spill. Or put them in spill proof containers.
Or, even better, accept that things will spill. And bring road trip snacks that can be easily vacuumed. And not require an immediate clean up. Like a milkshake spilling all over our seats.
3. Bring a Leak Proof Kids Water Bottle
Don't forget a leak proof water bottle.
While I am on the topic, here are my favorite leak proof kids water bottles.
Yeti Kids Rambler Jr (get the Rambler Bottle Straw Cap if you need it totally leak proof)
4. 11 Healthy Road Trip Snacks for Kids
When I plan ahead of time (aka, what I find in my pantry as I am running out the door), these are the snacks I grab.
Of course, tailor your kid road trip snacks based on your child's age. It goes without saying that you will need to consider their risk for choking and ability to eat with ease when choosing a road trip snack.
These are my favorite healthy road trip snacks for kids.
Fresh fruit
bananas
apple slices
blueberries
cut up seasonal fruit
Fresh veggies
precut veggies that your kids like
cucumbers,
cherry tomatoes, and
carrots are fan favorites in our house
Cheese sticks
Peanut butter jelly sandwich
go light on the jelly so there's no dripping
this one may be better for a pit stop, get out, go potty, run around, eat a quick PBJ, hop back in the car
Bars
Rx Bars (linking the Rx Kids Variety Pack here, but we also love the blueberry)
Skout Organic (they also have a Skout Organic Kids Variety Pack, which is great for options and multiple kids who have different flavor preferences)
Chickpeas
dried or fresh/rinsed/put in a container ahead of time
plain, uncooked chickpeas were a go to on the road snack for my son when he was a toddler, he loved them
Edamame
cook and have the kids pop out of the shells ahead of time, gives them something to do while you are packing
Freeze-dried fruit
another fan favorite in our house
we like these freeze-dried mangos (great texture, no added sugar, not messy)
Raisins
Homemade muffins
if you make a big batch and freeze like I do, grab a few out of the freezer, they will defrost as you drive
we make ours with lots of healthy ingredients so a great nutrient dense snack
Chickpea Balls
I share these chickpea ball recipes with all my toddler parent friends
Plant Based Juniors has perfected the healthy, yummy, nutrient dense snack for kids
5. 10 Pre-packaged Road Trip Snacks for Kids
Gotta bring some fan favorites for the kids. I mean, we are asking them to sit in the car for hours.
Plus, prepackaged snacks are great for last minute grabs as you are running out the door.
Goldfish
duh
Nutella snack pack
ok, lots of added sugar in this one, but also fat which will keep the kids full
my kids like the Nutella snack pack with breadsticks, but you can also get them with pretzels
Trail mix
the kids sometimes just eat the m&m's out of the trail mix,
but they usually get a few nuts and dried fruit bites in too,
I call it a win
Granola Bars
whatever the kids are into at the moment,
usually full of sugar and not much else,
but it's all about balance, granola bar full of sugar plus some apple slices, a decent compromise IMO
we also like Rx Kids Bars and Scout Organic Kids Bars
Cereal
cheerios
kix
your kids favorite
Crackers
the snack-pack sized sleeves of Ritz crackers are great
Chips
my kids love Pringles
but whatever your kids are into
Pirates' Booty
Pita Chips
Pretzels
6. 9 Gas Station Road Trip Snacks for Kids (if you need a fast mini meal)
Stopping at the gas station to grab some snacks is partly why my kids agree to long road trips.
Plus, sometimes the kids need a quick road trip meal and there just aren't great fast-food options arounds.
Surprisingly, gas stations have some pretty healthy road trip snacks for kids.
And the kids get to pick it out.
And if you have kids, you know. Bring these same exact snacks from home, lame. Kids choose these snacks at the gas station, best snacks ever.
Yogurt
Cheese/cracker packs
Fresh fruit
Lunchables
Cheese sticks
Hummus/Guacamole snack packs
Premade sandwiches
Yogurt-smoothie drinks
MTO's (Made-To-Order Sandwiches)
hello Sheetz and Wawa (if you are from the Northeast, you know what I am talking about)
some of the bigger gas stations have warm sandwiches, bonus points if the kids get to pick exactly what they want on them
6. Helpful Tip - Keep Wipes Handy
Keep a pack of wipes in the front and back seats for messy hands and accidental spills.
Obvious, but easy to forget.
Taking a road trip with kids is not glamorous. But the memories on the other end of your drive are always worth it.
Well-fed kids are much happier than hangy ones. And there was never a more crucial time to avoid hangry kids than on a road trip.
Need more family road trip content?
And please, share your favorite road trip food for kids below! I love fresh ideas!
Welcome! We are the Ramirez family. Just your average family, based in Nashville, with a love of culture, togetherness, and making memories. Oh, and international travel.
We are here to document our family travel adventures. To share our stories and our travel experiences. And, perhaps inspire others, who find joy the same way we do, to take the trips. I don't think you will regret it.
Thank you for checking out our blog. Please reach out to say hello and share your stories!
Cheers,
Katie (mom), Roberto (dad), Roberto (2013), and Veronica (2015)
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