30 Healthy(ish) Road Trip Snacks To Bring on Your Next Adventure

Greenbelly Meal Bars

Taking a page from hikers & backpackers, these Greenbelly meal bars contain 650 calories per serving, which is as much as a complete meal. While we don’t recommend skipping meals on the road, if you need to, one of these could be a good option.

Energy Bars

There are a million kinds of energy bars, so our advice is to go for variety. Just stay away from those super crumbly ones like Nature Valley. Here are some of our favorite brands: Bobo, RX Bars, GoMacro, Lara Bar, Dang, Aloha, and 88 Acres Seed Bars.

Energy Cookies 

If you prefer your energy bars in a circular form, then perhaps you would be interested in the growing energy cookie sector. (This is just a way to stand out from the 8 billion energy bar brands!) Nevertheless, we are fans of MunkPack Cookies and Lenny & Larry Cookies

Fig Newtons

Fig Newtons are by far our preferred road trip cookies. They’re soft, don’t generate crumbs, and are absolutely delicious. 

Nut Butter Packets

Yum Butter nut butter packets make them super easy to eat while on the road. Sometimes we eat it straight from the packet, but it would also be good with sliced apples or bread if you’re taking a break at a rest stop. This resealable squeeze packet means you don’t have to dirty a knife or spoon to scoop it out of a jar.

Roasted Rye Chips 

Rye chips are our go-to gas station pick up. They are fairly robust and don’t generate crumbs like other chips. When compared to the other deep-fried options in the chip aisle, this is on the healthy-ish-er* side of the spectrum. 

*Healthy, only by comparison to other very unhealthy options. 

The Good Crisp Co. 

While these potato chips violate our no-crumb rule, these Good Crisp Co. chips are just too good to leave out. These are basically a healthier version of Pringles and feature the same cylinder, which protects the crips from getting crushed. 

Chocolate Covered Espresso beans

These are a great little caffeine and sugar burst all at once. We like to reserve these guys for the end of our trip when we’re likely at our most fatigued. 

Yogurt Covered Raisins

These are a real treat and can easily be picked up at a bulk bin in most grocery stores. If you are able to keep these chilled in a cooler, we highly suggest it! 

Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels 

We love these things. We often pick them up from Trader Joe’s and Quinn’s makes a gluten-free version you can find on on Thrive Market. We find that the bags tend to split down the middle, so we like to repack these into a sealable container or a big ReZip bag. These also make great hiking snacks!

Fresh no-peel fruit 

Grapes are great for road trips because they don’t need to be peeled and don’t have cores. Apples and pears are also good options. Oranges, clementines, and tangerines will hold well in a sealed container if you peel and segment them ahead of time.

Fresh Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are one of the healthiest road trip snack options out there. Baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes are all super healthy and easy to eat while driving.

Veggie Chips 

Veggie chips are another snack we often pick up at the bulk bin or from Nuts.com. These are the perfect “bored/hungry” snack and don’t need to be refrigerated.

Plantain Chips

Healthier than potato chips, less pungent than a fresh banana, plantain chips are slightly sweet, salty, and crunchy—which checks a lot of boxes!

Trail mix

Opt for trail mix with large pieces. You don’t want to deal with a handful of finely chopped nuts and tiny seeds. They’re just going to get all over the car. The bigger the pieces, the better. 

Nuts

We prefer cashews or almonds when driving. They are big enough to easily handle and don’t need to be shucked. Peanuts are just a little too small for us and pistachios and sunflower seeds are the worst.

Cheese 

Hard cheese that doesn’t need refrigeration is a great option. We also LOVE the Trader Joe’s Baked Cheese Bites as well as Parmesan or Cheddar Whisps (the latter are a bit less sturdy though).

Jerky And Meat Bars

Unlike a lot of the carb-heavy options on the list, Jerky and meat bars have some serious sticking power. We are big fans of Epic Provisions, Wild Zora, and other meat products that don’t have a ton of additives (looking at you Slim) 

Gin gins

If you or your road trip buddies tend to feel a little queasy on those winding roads, ginger is a natural way to settle your stomach without causing drowsiness like over-the-counter meds can. We like to keep a bag of Gin Gins ginger chews in our snack bin for this reason.

Gum

Need help staying alert while driving? In addition to the usual caffeinated remedies, there has been a lot of scientific evidence that suggests that the act of chewing gum can help focus and alertness.

Masticating (the act of chewing) increases blood flow to your head and helps increase cognitive ability and focus. So if you often get drowsy when driving, consider picking up a pack of gum. 

Sparkling water/seltzer

Take it from us, it’s really easy to get dehydrated on long drives. So be sure to drink water along the way. There’s a world of sparkling water out there, but our favorite brand is Spindrift! 

Iced coffee

A can of iced coffee or even nitro cold brew coffee can be a great pick-me-up to carry you through that final stretch. 

Kombucha

Another lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic option, kombucha is another one of our favorite drinks on the road.

Sliced vegetables 

Cut slices of bell pepper, carrot, celery, or snap peas are a great snack option for kids since they are healthy and don’t have the potential to become a mess or leave crumbs everywhere.

Fresh fruit

Likewise, fruit that has been pre-sliced makes a great snack for kids. Choose fruit that isn’t overly juicy or soft. Apples, pre-peeled oranges, and grapes (for older kids) are good places to start. 

To keep apples from browning, try soaking them in a water & lemon juice bath for a few minutes before packing them.

String cheese

Kids love these and they’re a great way to add some protein into their diet. Ideally, these should be chilled in a cooler or insulated lunch bag.

Kid-sized energy bars

If the kids see mom or dad partaking in an energy bar, you can bet they’re going to want one too! These “kid-sized” bars are a great way to include them, without having to split your own bar! Clif Minis and Lara Bar minis are a good place to start.

Annie’s Snack Mix

You’ll probably be cleaning these out from between the car seat cushions, but this is just such a popular snack – particularly if your kids like salty & crunchy things. For toddlers, pair this type of snack with a snack-catching cup, like this one by Munchkin.

Annie’s Bunny Grahams: 

Annie’s Bunny Grahams are usually a crowd favorite! Since they are bite-sized graham crackers, there won’t as many crumbs left behind as there would with full-sized graham crackers.

Mini Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Bite-sized mini peanut butter sandwiches are perfect for little hands. They are a nice balance of carbs, protein, and fats to help satiate your backseat companions.

Organic Fruit Tape

Ok, fruit rolls might not make it to the top of every parent’s “Healthy Road Trip Snacks” list, but they are just so nostalgic for us! 

This version is organic and made from real fruit and not much else, so it’s gotta be healthier than whatever we were eating in the 90’s, right?

These can also be used (leveraged?) as a reward or perhaps as a last resort if things start to really go sideways.