The quick answer: the best road trip snacks are low-crumb, not sticky, won't melt and are easy for kids to open themselves. Think cheese sticks, crackers, pretzels, cut fruit, vegie sticks, muesli bars, mini muffins and frozen water bottles. Below are 35 easy road trip snacks for kids and families, plus how to pack them so the car stays clean and the snacks last the whole drive.
I'm Deanna, one of the two sisters behind Spixal. We live in Broken Hill, so almost everywhere is a drive, from a day trip out to the Menindee Lakes to the long run to the city. When the next town is a long way off, packing the right snacks matters.
What Makes a Good Road Trip Snack?
- Low crumb. Flaky pastries and crumbly biscuits end up in every seat crack.
- Not sticky. Skip anything that needs a wet wipe after every bite.
- Won't melt. Cars get hot, so chocolate is best kept in the cooler bag or left for a stop.
- Easy to open. Kids should be able to open the container themselves without help from the front seat.
- Already portioned. One snack box per child means no arguments over who got more.
Savoury Road Trip Snacks
- Cheese sticks or cubes.
- Crackers. Sturdy ones like rice crackers or Jatz travel better than thin ones.
- Pretzels.
- Plain popcorn.
- Twiggy sticks or cabana slices.
- Mini sandwiches or wraps cut into quarters.
- Pinwheels. Cream cheese and ham rolled in a wrap and sliced.
- Boiled eggs, peeled at home.
- Mini muffins. Cheese and zucchini or banana.
- Rice cakes or corn thins.
- Roasted chickpeas.
- Cold sausage rolls for the first meal stop.
Fruit and Vegie Snacks
- Apple slices. A squeeze of lemon stops them going brown.
- Grapes. Cut them lengthways for little ones.
- Mandarins. Peel at home to save sticky hands.
- Bananas for the first hour, before they bruise.
- Strawberries and blueberries.
- Carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.
- Snow peas.
- Cherry tomatoes, cut in half for younger kids.
- Sultanas and dried apricots.
- Freeze-dried fruit. Light, crunchy and no juice.
Sweet Treats for the Car
- Muesli bars. Check for nuts if you're sharing.
- Bliss balls, kept cold.
- Anzac biscuits. Less crumbly than most.
- Banana bread, sliced.
- Yoghurt. Freeze a reusable yoghurt pouch the night before and it thaws by snack time.
- Lollies for later. Save a few for the last hour of a long drive.
- Arrowroot or animal biscuits for toddlers.
Road Trip Drinks
- A water bottle each. Our 750ml kids water bottle has a lockable flip-top lid, so it doesn't spill when it tips over on the floor.
- Frozen water bottles. They keep the cooler bag cold and become cold drinks later in the day.
- Fruit boxes.
- Cans of soft drink on ice for the grown-ups.
- Smoothies in a reusable pouch.
- Hot chocolate in an insulated food jar for winter drives.
Snacks to Leave at Home
- Chocolate outside the cooler bag. It melts fast in a hot car.
- Flaky pastries and crumbly biscuits.
- Juicy fruit like peaches and watermelon, unless you're stopping to eat.
- Anything in a jar or tub that needs a spoon while the car's moving.
Little ones are safest eating while you can see them, so for babies and toddlers, plan snacks around your stops.
How to Pack Road Trip Snacks
- One snack box per child. Fill a snack box for each child with their share for the leg of the trip. When it's empty, it's empty until the next stop.
- A shared snackle box. A Roundie snackle box on the back seat holds six different snacks around a centre dip container, so everyone can pick without passing packets around.
- A cooler bag for the cold stuff. Our Insulated Cooler Tote Bag has a leakproof PEVA lining, so you can tip ice straight in and it won't leak on the car floor when it melts. On our day trips from Broken Hill, we leave early in the morning, and when we get home in the evening at least half the ice is still frozen.
- Keep drinks separate. A second cooler bag for drinks means the food bag stays shut and cold.
- Snacks within reach. Keep the snack boxes in the back with the kids and the cooler bag behind the front seat, not in the boot.
- Bring a rubbish bag and wipes.
Make a Snack Plan for Long Drives
On a long drive, snacks work better with a plan than as a free-for-all. Split the trip into legs, pack a snack box for each child for each leg, and keep the treats for the last stretch. Stopping to eat a proper meal at a rest stop or town park gives everyone a break, and our picnic food ideas work just as well on the side of the road.
Road Trip Snack FAQs
What are good road trip snacks for kids?
Low-crumb, non-sticky snacks that won't melt: cheese sticks, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, cut fruit, vegie sticks, mini muffins and muesli bars, packed in a snack box for each child.
How do I keep snacks cold on a road trip?
Use an insulated cooler bag with ice or frozen water bottles, and keep drinks in a separate bag so the food bag stays shut. A leakproof lining means melted ice won't end up on the car floor.
What snacks don't make a mess in the car?
Cheese sticks, sturdy crackers, pretzels, popcorn, grapes, apple slices, carrot sticks and freeze-dried fruit are all low-mess. Avoid chocolate, flaky pastry and very juicy fruit.
How do I stop kids fighting over snacks in the car?
Give each child their own snack box for each leg of the trip. When it's empty, it's empty until the next stop.
What drinks should I take on a road trip?
A water bottle each with a lid that won't spill, plus frozen water bottles that double as ice packs. Keep extra drinks on ice in a separate cooler bag.
Less chaos, more calm.