The Five Best Snacks for Road Trips

When going on a road trip, some of the most important things to plan are road trip snacks. The truth is that some foods make better road trip snacks than others for a variety of reasons. In this article, I will describe some of the best snacks for a road trip.

Road Trip Snack Principles
There are some general principles to picking good road trip snacks. First, a good road trip snack should not leave an individual's hands dirty, sticky, or greasy. Second, road trip snacks should be shared easily. Third, road trip snacks should have a limited potential for causing a mess in the car. Fourth, road trip snacks shouldn't be odorous to the point of causing other passengers disgust. Finally, many (not all) good road trip snacks should not need to be transported in a cooler.

Road Trip Snack #1 - Trail Mix
Trail mix is a quintessential road trip snack. Trail mix contains a variety of calorie- and fat-dense foods, meaning that it will satiate a car's occupants. Likewise, trail mix is somewhat varied, meaning that most people will enjoy at least one component of it. After all, who doesn't like M&M's? Another good thing about trail mix is that it doesn't leave one's hands sticky. On a road trip, this can do a lot to save a car's interior. The next time you go on a road trip, consider getting a bag or two of trail mix to pass around the car. Just be careful not to spill! Granola is a similar road trip snack, as are dried fruits.

Road Trip Snack #2 - Slim Jims and Beef Jerky
Again, "clean" foods are ideal for road trip snacks. If you get a craving for protein while on a road trip, some slim jims or beef jerky can do a lot to satisfy your hunger. Beef jerky is a good road trip food because it can be shared easily. Be careful though, because it might go more quickly than you planned.

Road Trip Snack #3 - Carrots and Celery with Peanut Butter
Granted, this road trip snack will require transport in a cooler. However, carrots and celery are healthy snacks and can ensure that you get at least some nutrition while on a road trip. Likewise, the peanut butter can provide some protein for anyone on the road trip that is a vegetarian. I recommend getting either the small, personal-sized peanut butter containers or putting several sizable dollops of peanut butter in the same plastic container as the carrots and celery. Cherry tomatoes are another healthy road trip snack to consider, though they are more likely to be damaged in transport.

Road Trip Snack #4 - Mini-Pretzels or Pretzel Sticks
Mini-pretzels and pretzel sticks are a good choice for a road trip snack because they aren't messy, sticky, or greasy. Likewise, they are fairly cheap and easy to find. However, the salt on these snacks will probably make road trip passengers thirsty, so be sure that drinks are available.

Road Trip Snack #5 - Water
Water's not really a snack, but the issue of road trip beverages must be considered. Water is the ideal road trip beverage because it hydrates, it won't make things sticky if spilled, it won't stain, and it doesn't contain diuretics like caffeine. This means that urgent side-of-the-road stops will be less likely during your road trip. If you can, bring refillable water bottles for each member of the road trip and cut down on the amount of waste that you produce.

Road trips can be a great source of fun in the summer, and having suitable road trip snacks can make the experience more enjoyable for all involved. If you have any other suggestions for good road trip snacks, please leave your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!