travel food ideas for adults

THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP FOOD LIST: 50 Scrumptious Travel Snacks

Post Summary: The definitive road trip food list with 50 snack ideas and meals to keep you happy the entire car ride. Plus, tips for what else to bring and recommendations for the best road trip coolers.

Road trips are the classic adventure that everyone needs to do at least once in their life, whether you’re traveling solo, with your best buds, or packing in the whole family. What’s the secret to a great road trip? Besides having your maps already downloaded to your phone (travel must #1), it’s to have a collection of the best road trip food at your disposal. Being prepared with good travel food will ensure you don’t:

• Kill your travel mates because you’re hangry.
• Get killed by your travel mates because they’re hangry.
• Get lured in by every gasoline stop and somehow end up with bright orange Cheetos and Slim Jims.
• Waste your travel budget dining on Subway and Wendys road trip meals.

After road tripping with a toddler for half a year around the US, we’ve figured out the ultimate road trip food list so we can enjoy the journey together feeling nourished and happy. Our list includes road trip food ideas for adults and kids as well as healthy car snacks.

After the road trip food list, we’ve included non-food items you’ll want to bring and some tips on choosing the best road trip cooler.

Need More Road Trip Tips? Check out our other articles below:

The Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 41 Essentials For The Road 160 Fun, Deep, and Sometimes Silly Road Trip Questions 41 Fun and Challenging Road Trip Trivia Questions 17+ Fun Things To Do On A Road Trip How To Survive A Road Trip With A Toddler 40 Must Have Items To Have In Your Camper

*This road trip food list post may contain affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission if you purchase from them. This is at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely think are helpful.

The Ultimate Road Trip Food List

Healthy snacks for a road trip

We’ll start with healthy snacks for the road. I don’t know about you, but when we go on road trips, we tend to fall back on fast food and junk food. In an effort to have a quasi healthy road trip we make sure to include some healthy options so we can at least feel like we’ve balanced out all our snickers bars and Wendy’s frosties. Here’s our list of the best road trip foods that won’t leave you feeling sluggish at the end of the day. We also added in a few recommendations of some of our favorite brands.

Healthy Snacks For Car Rides 1. Fruit: Bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, oranges 2. Sliced veggies: carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, pickles, radishes 3. Cherry tomatoes 4. Olives (buy the pitted kinds) 5. Salsa 6. Deli sandwiches or wraps (already made from home or pre-purchased) 7. A simple charcuterie spread (summer sausage, pepperoni, sliced cheese, dried apricots, olives, crackers, etc.) 8. Popcorn 9. Yellow corn chips, blue corn chips, kale chips 10. Granola Bars and Energy Bars ( Munk Bars are our favorite! ) 11. Dried Fruit 12. Crackers (cheese crackers, saltines, whole wheat crackers, these almond crackers are my favorite!) 13. Pretzels 14. Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamia, walnuts, pecans) 15. Trail mix 16. Tuna (Get the kind that doesn’t need to be refrigerated! It can become a snack on crackers, a sandwich, or added to a salad) 17. Coconut chips ( Dang chips are our favorite. ) 18. Dark chocolate 19. Wasabi peas 20. Fruit leather 21. Whole-grain muffins 22. Bread (pretzel rolls, pita bread) 23. Water (Preferably in a water bottle like a Hydro Flask that will keep your water cold for hours.) *The following are all still healthy snacks for a road trip but will require a cooler. Skip them if you are going sans cooler. Further down, we’ll talk about the best road trip coolers. 23. Hard-boiled eggs 24. Small yogurt containers or drinkable yogurts 25. Humus 26. Guacamole 27. Pasta salad 28. Lentil salad 29. Grocery store salad kits (Can be eaten out of the bag! Just cut the top, pour in the salad dressing, and shake it away. You can also opt to do salads in a jar) 30. Cheese

Essential Road Trip Snacks

These road trip snacks might not be the healthiest, but look…you can’t always be perfect!

Road Trip Snack List 32. Beef Jerky 33. Chips 34. Fun candy (Any kind of candy that brings you joy for your road trip. Gummy bears, reeses pieces, airheads) 35. Ranch dip to go with your healthy veggies 36. Fun drinks (Just make sure the drink is able to be resealed or small enough that you’ll drink it all quickly. My favorite road trip drink is coconut water!) 37. Cookies

Road Trip Snacks For Kids And Toddlers

While we don’t put a distinction between road trip food for the adults and road trip food for kids, here are some fun ideas you can add in addition to the travel food listed above. We found that allowing for leniency with what we let our kid snack on will mean a more fun time for everyone in the car.

Road Trip Snacks For Toddlers and Kids 38. String Cheese or Babybels 39. Peanut butter pretzels 40. Clementines 41. Squeezable applesauce 42. Squeezable nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter) 43. Graham crackers 44. Goldfish 45. Fruit snacks 46. Fruit roll ups 47. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich 48. Dry cereal 49. Nutella 50. Snap pea crisps ( I love the wasabi ones from Harvest Snaps . I can only get them online because my grocery store never has them!)

Essential Non Food Items

Now that you’ve got your travel food and made your road trip food list, let’s talk about non food items to have on your road trip packing list. We are both advocates for minimal waste living so we do advise using reusable items like real utensils, glass containers, and reusable straws rather than single-use items. I know it can feel like a nuisance, but once you get used to doing it, it’s easy to integrate it into your habits. We’ve provided links to different products, so you can check out some good options.

-Trash bags (old shopping bags work well) – Stackable glass or plastic containers (While glass may feel like a hazard, I find that most of them are built for endurance and would require some extreme throwing around to actually break. Either way, bringing containers rather than an entire bag of snacks is a great space saver.) -Reusable straws (we like this multipack option here ) -Bento boxes (another option is to make individual bento boxes with everyone’s preferred snacks put in. It’s essentially a healthier version of a Lunchable. Great option if you’re traveling with kids.) Check out these cute bento boxes here . -Utensils -Plates -Paper towels -Hand sanitizer -Ziplock bags -Wipes -Cups if you want to share drinks -Ice packs for the cooler (We prefer to use reusable ice packs like these , but frozen water bottles or ice cubes in a ziplock back will do the job as well.) -Reusable grocery bag to carry your non-perishable stuff -Plastic tub (If you’re going on a long road trip and will have lots of snacks, a good option is to pack all your non-perishable items in a tub like this .) -Cooler

Related : A Comprehensive Guide To the Best Toddler Carriers For Traveling

Best Road Trip Coolers

If you’re going on a long road trip, you’ll definitely want to bring a cooler so you can have more options for the journey. Things to consider when deciding what kind of road trip cooler to bring.

• How much space will you have in your car?
• How many days will you be driving and subsequently how much food will you need?
• Cost of the cooler
• If you road trip or camp a lot and will use a cooler several times a year.

Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

Our choice for the best road trip cooler is the Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler . It’s a mid-sized cooler that can fit a bottle of wine standing upright. We like its lightweight design and that its compact size can fit on the ground behind the passenger seat.

It has a mid-range price point, so if you are wanting something more economical, you’ll probably want our next pick.

Igloo MaxCold Cooler

If all you need is a no-frills cooler to keep your food cold, the Igloo Maxcold Cooler is a great option. The thin design also makes it a great choice for someone wanting to save room in the car.

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze

If you like a soft cooler, the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze consistently offers the best bang for your buck.

Yeti Tundra 45

Lastly, if you are wanting a high-end cooler that will be great for camping and can take the wear and tear of consistent use, the Yeti Tundra 45 is your best bet. Yeti is the reigning champion of coolers and you can’t go wrong with anything you purchase from them.

Before you head out on your epic road trip, we suggest packing the night before. Alleviating as much stress as possible on the day you leave, especially when you’re doing a road trip with a toddler , is key to enjoying the road trip journey. We find that the night before, it’s best to:

• Wash, cut, and peel all vegetables and fruit.
• Pack up all non perishable food and supplies.
• Prepare any road trip sandwiches you plan to eat.

Lastly, don’t forget to make sure all your tasty road trip snacks are within reaching distance in the car.

We hope you enjoyed our complete road trip food list. Happy road tripping!

** For more road trip inspiration follow us on Instagram . We travel… a lot.

NEED SOME TRAVEL INSPIRATION? A Complete Guide To A Utah National Parks Road Trip How To Plan A Cross Country Road Trip + Fun Routes To Take 10 National Parks To Visit In The East 50 Family Bucket List Experiences In The US

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Hi, we’re Christina and Brad, Idaho based writers and photographers who live to explore. We did a short stint of traveling full time with our two year old and discovered we're much happier as part time nomads. What does that mean? We travel a lot! And then we go home. We love helping fellow parents and everyday adventurers discover new places and experiences.

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Road Trip Food List: Easy to Pack Meals & Snacks

This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy .

Are you looking for a road trip food list that includes the best road trip snacks and other food to bring on a road trip?

Road trips can range from being budget-friendly to out-of-this-world expensive if you do not plan ahead, especially when it comes to eating food.

The temptation to grab a snack at every gas station, as well as to eat out at restaurants or gorge on fast food, can really start to add up in terms of money and wasted time.

One way to save money and time while road tripping, however, is to bring your own food!

By making a road trip food list and packing fun road trip snacks, you’ll avoid having to stop and spend as much.

Our road trip food list includes easy road trip snacks, as well as portable breakfast, lunch, and dinner options – plus, a FREE Road Trip Food List printable to take with you to the grocery store.

The links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Road Trip Food List: Breakfast

One of our absolute best family road trip tips is to leave bright and early in the morning when starting a long road trip.

As the most important meal of the day, luckily, having breakfast on the road is the easiest meal to eat cold and on the go.

If you decide to hit the road early, or if your hotel en route doesn’t offer a free breakfast, plan ahead by bringing along these simple road trip breakfast foods.

Our tried-and-true road trip food list awaits!

Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

• Yogurt tubes and granola bars
• Muffins, donuts, and scones
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Squeezable applesauce
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Peanut butter, banana, and granola wrapped up in a tortilla
• Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

Additional planning tip: For added morning fun, use the category “breakfast foods”, “brands or cereal”, or “types of fruit” while you play a road trip word game .

Road Trip Food List: Lunch

When it comes to planning for lunch and beyond, your road trip packing list should always include a reliable portable cooler .

Whether you chill made-ahead sandwiches, salami & cheese, fruits, or veggies, there are so many awesome road trip food ideas when it comes to having lunch on the go.

What we love about these road tip lunch ideas is that they keep us out of congested cities and fast-food drive-thrus during the busy noon hour.

Road Trip Lunch Ideas

• Premade sandwiches with deli meat and cheese (make them extra fun by using shaped sandwich cutters !)
• Peanut butter sandwiches (skip the jelly to avoid sogginess)
• Pita pocket with mozzarella, tomato, basil, turkey, cheese, hummus, cucumber, and/or tuna salad
• Home-ade Lunchables with summer sausage, cheese, and crackers
• Tortilla with cream cheese, sliced olives, and pepperoni
• Veggies and single-serve packs of ranch dressing, hummus, or guacamole
• Pre-assembled Salad In A Jar

Road Trip Food List: Dinner

If there is one meal that you choose to splurge on, I recommend stopping to have dinner at a roadside restaurant or cafe.

Though this may not be your final destination, experiencing another city in this way will help you check more places off of your family travel bucket list !

If you’re not keen on stopping, however, here are the road trip foods we enjoy that are tasty and hearty enough to serve as dinner.

Road Trip Dinner Ideas

• Cold rotisserie chicken, chunked and served with a garden salad (package in a disposable salad container )
• Pre-made pasta salad, such as Pizza Pasta Salad
• StarKist ready-to-eat tuna salad in an avocado half or on a bun
• Chicken and pickled veggies in pitas
• Hummus veggie wrap

Additional planning tip: If you’re road tripping in the winter when driving conditions are much more unpredictable, packing extra road trip food is an essential component of your winter road trip packing list .

Road Trip Food List: Snacks

In my opinion, snacks   are the No. 1 way to keep everyone (including you!) happy on a family road trip.

Homemade snack mixes and individual pre-purchased snacks are also a great way to help cut costs associated with buying food on the road.

For this reason, I suggest assembling an entire tub filled with fun and appetizing snacks and surprises that you know your kids will love.

We use these  16-quart storage tubs from Sterilite  that are the perfect size, price, and durability!

Road Trip Snacks Ideas

• Chips and pretzels
• Animal crackers (Suprise them with Barnum’s Originals !)
• Filled crackers (peanut butter, cheese)
• Nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts)
• String cheese, Babybel, Laughing Cow cheese wedges
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Healthy no-bake cookies
• Candy and gummy candy

Be extra organized for your family road trip by clicking the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list that is both customizable and printable!

Travel Snacks for Toddlers

Road tripping with toddlers presents its own set of challenges and requires additional thought when it comes to toddler-friendly road trip activities and food.

(It’s much harder to keep a close eye on them when they’re in the backseat, and you’re in the front.)

When considering toddler road trip foods, the most important thing is to avoid giving them anything to eat that could be deemed a choking hazard.

In addition, opt for healthy versus overly sweet options that may give them a tummy ache.

Our favorite healthy toddler car snacks and road trip foods include:

• Graham crackers
• Snap pea crisps
• Applesauce and/or yogurt pouches
• Cheese sticks
• Soft mini muffins
• Whole-grain crackers
• Bananas and/or this apple slices

9 Essential Tips For Traveling With Food

As seasoned travelers, we’ve assembled a list of tips for traveling with road trip foods and make-ahead hotel room meals.

• Use up your most delicate fruit first when on long-haul road trips.

In other words, start by eating bananas and berries, then move on to more sturdy produce such as apples and oranges that don’t spoil as easily.

2. Every family needs an organized packing strategy !

When it comes to road trip food, tortillas, pitas, or other sturdy flatbreads work better to bring along than do loaves of bread. They take up a lot less room and do not risk getting smashed.

3. When packing a cooler with items that need to stay chilled, be sure to lay the ice on the top, versus the bottom of the cooler.

This is because cold air sinks and will, therefore, disperse itself more evenly if laid on top of the food.

4. Aim to open the cooler only 1 or 2 times a day in order to maintain its refrigeration and keep the ice from thawing.

5. Also, make all food, including snacks, easily accessible throughout the duration of your family road trip.

This prevents someone (likely mom or dad!) from having to constantly bend over the back seat or stop to open the trunk every time hunger or boredom hits.

6. Avoid bringing anything made of glass on your road trip, including glass food containers. Glass is heavy, bulky, and very dangerous when broken within the confines of your family vehicle.

7. Assemble and bring along a road trip kit with the following road trip essentials for spills, clean-ups, and car sickness:

• Anti-bacterial wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Garbage bags
• Ziplock bags
• Napkins/paper towels
• Saltine crackers and motion sickness medicine

8. Each time you stop while on a road trip, don’t forget to pitch any garbage that has accumulated.

This prevents build-up and smelliness.

9. Head to the grocery store with our FREE printable checklist and purchase all of your road trip food in one shopping trip!

If you enjoyed reading our best Road Trip Food List , click here to check out our Related Posts:

• Top 10 Tips for Planning a Family Road Trip (And Enjoying it Too!)
• 7 Road Trip Word Games to Play in the Car With Kids
• 18 Amazing “Are We There Yet” Road Trip Activity Bags
• Top 16 Tips for Flying With Kids & Ways to Keep them Calm
• The Ultimate Guide for International Travel with Kids
• 8 (Unexpected) Benefits of Traveling With Kids

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Jen Brommer is a family travel expert. She has been featured as an authority on several notable travel websites and is a member of the Family Travel Association (FTA), Midwest Travel Network, and TravMedia global media network.

A prominent content creator and influencer on Instagram, Jen has over 150K unique monthly blog readers from countries all over the world. She has spent the last 16 years planning fun, and hassle-free family vacations for her family of 5.

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Thank you for the road trip food list and travel tips.

You’re welcome! Was there something you saw that you hadn’t thought of before? Happy travels!!

This is a great list as we also big in road trip. Snacks is so important especially to keep them from asking are we there yet. Haha… I myself like peanuts to keep me awake when it’s my turn to drive.

Thanks for reading and for sharing your favorite road trip snack!!

This is such a comprehensive list and it is so helpful as I predict a lot of us will be going on more road trips once we can. Prepping these meals will definitely save some money and help the kids feel less bored. I know that my kids are usually pleased munching stuffs during road trips. I also like that it is more likely for the road trip snack to be more healthier than what you’ll buy elsewhere.

Thank you! Yes, the health factor of pre-packing is a big one, as is the enormous cost savings 🙂

I like to have a good mix of healthy (kids like apples, those are easy to eat) and snacky/salty. I am also very particular. about road trip drinks. Big coffees, la croix, iced tea!

I like your ideas! We’d be good road trip buddies!

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25 Easy Make-Ahead Road Trip Meal Ideas they’ll love!

Planning a road trip? Looking for easy, make-ahead meal ideas, whether for a weekend break or a longer trip? Or maybe you want some easy recipes for meals on the road? Here are 25 great ideas for you!

*We work hard to make this the best motorhome travel blog and road trip website possible, full of helpful content for you. The website is supported by our readers, so if you buy through links on this site we may earn a commission- at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own .

If you find this post useful, you can also treat us to a coffee – we promise to enjoy it while creating more useful content like this- we might even indulge in a biscuit (or two!)

JUMP AHEAD TO...

Easy Make-Ahead Road Trip Meals

I’ll be honest- planning meals for a road trip is one of the things I dislike most.

Don’t get me wrong- I like cooking and I DEFINITELY like eating … but I am not good at creating a meal plan.

I also have a daughter who has gone from eating whatever we give her to being more and more particular about what she likes- and she’d rather not eat at all than eat something she doesn’t love. At home, it’s pretty easy to cook separate meals, but in the van, it becomes a whole different issue- and it makes the process of meal planning a lot harder.

Why plan meals on a road trip at all??

Oh, I hear you. In an ideal world, we’d just head off into the unknown and see what we find. One of the things we enjoy most about travelling is sampling local foods and dishes and enjoying discovering new things.

Both Mr WB and myself are fairly easy to please and can make do with all sorts, but anyone with kids knows that it’s just not that easy. I also don’t want to spend my time on the road worrying about whether she’ll eat anything- so it makes MY life easier if I plan it out a little in advance.

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Road Trip Meal Planning

So, where do you even start with planning meals for a road trip??

For me, I break it down into 2/3 day intervals. Generally, we like to pop into a shop and buy fresh bread, fruit and other bits every 2/3 days. We don’t do MASSIVE week long shops when we travel- our fridge is nowhere near big enough to deal with that and there’s the worry about what happens if you lose power or gas? All that food will go to waste.

Of course, if you’re only going to a weekend, you can easily make-ahead several dishes and just heat them up- much easier.

TOP TIP for picky eaters- Make them choose some meals

One way I tackle our favourite picky eater is to get her to pick 5-7 dinners she will eat. (Annoyingly, this seems to change every week or so!) I also make her come shopping with me- I find if she chooses it, there’s a higher chance she’ll eat it.

While we’re on the subject of kids, here are some posts you might find useful:

• 21 EPIC Children’s car games & road trip activities
• 14 quiet time activities for kids, tweens and teenagers

Our Normal Road Trip Food shopping method

On a ‘normal’ two-week road trip to mainland Europe, this is my tried and trusted routine:

• Buy stuff in UK which we struggle to get overseas (see below)
• Make-ahead meals for first night or two
• Buy things as you travel (at local markets, supermarkets or Lidl)
• Do this every couple of days so we can buy fresh bread, fruit and croissants! Yum!!
• Try to ignore jeans not doing up….!! 
• Remember that people eat EVERYWHERE and try not to overbuy before you leave the UK.

This system has worked fairly well for us. It’s allowed us to discover new things, let Jade choose what she fancies and my stress levels don’t get too high trying to plan out a whole weeks worth of meals.

What about perishable foods?

We have a fridge which works both whilst we’re driving (battery) and when we’re parked up (gas). So we bring a small amount of perishable food with us- milk, cheese, ham, meat, yogurt, fruit, bacon.

We don’t buy too much in case there is a problem and the fridge breaks- it’s always been a little tempermental and is the part of the motorhome I trust the least!!

Easy Road Trip Recipes

When I’m on a road trip, especially if it’s a holiday, I don’t want to spend hours of my time in the galley, prepping, washing, chopping, cooking and washing up!

Here are a few easy recipes we use and love. Most only use one pot and many can be made in advance if you prefer.

5 easy road trip Breakfast ideas

• Greek Yogurt and fresh fruit
• Muesli/ cereal
• Scrambled eggs in a wrap or on toast (toast is HARD to cook on a gas hob though!)
• Bacon/ sausage sandwich (bring your own bacon from the UK. Alternatively, look in European supermarkets- but it won’t look the same. It’s usually much thinner and cooks MUCH faster.)
• One Pan English Breakfast 

Note how those went from fairly healthy to full-on delicious! I’m making myself hungry!

10 easy Lunch ideas for a road trip

We tend to do lunch as we travel- or if we’re exploring we’ll treat ourselves to a cheeky lunch out. Just don’t do that at Neuschwanstein Castle ! ( Jeez- you thought Norway was expensive!!!! )

• Fresh crusty bread and… anything. Cheese, ham, tuna, butter, garlic cheese, crisps, chicken, leftover beef, fish fingers…
• Salad. We try and add some fruit or salad in where possible- we’ll pretend to be healthy every once in a while! If we’re parked up I love to fry up some chicken and pop it onto a quick salad with avocado, tomatoes and peppers. Or try these delicious healthy salad recipes . TOP TIP- WASH your salad. Even the ones in bags. They don’t always wash it in Europe. It also doesn’t seem to last as long (that might be the heat) so don’t over buy.
• Grilled Cheese (see below for recipe)
• Couscous (see below)

I have still not found a decent way to make toast in the van. It’s an ongoing process that I will continue to work at! Still, Grilled Cheese sandwiches are a perfect snack:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

• Sliced Bread
• Cheese (Cheddar and Mozzarella work well)

Butter bread thinly and put butter side down into hot frying pan (not too hot and use butter, not oil.) Add slices of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Add other slice of bread on top, butter side up. After a couple of minutes (when bottom slice is brown but not burnt), flip sandwich over. Grill for a couple of minutes. For an extra touch, transfer sandwich to oven tray and bake in oven at 170’c for 5-7 minutes until cheese is totally melted.

Burritos are basically large wraps, with beans and/ or rice added into the wrap. One of the easiest ones is the bean and cheese burrito, but you can easily add in meat, sauces and any leftovers you might have.

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole-grain tortilla wrap
• 1 medium-sized can of black beans (cook in advance if needed)
• Cheese- sliced or grated

Simply spread ingredients over wrap, fold in all ends tightly and enjoy!

5 Easy Road Trip Sandwich ideas

Sometimes, simple is best. Here are some easy road trip sandwich ideas:

• Sausage or Bacon Sandwich – great for breakfast or lunch!
• Ham/Chicken/ Salami Sandwich – with or without cheese
• Jam or Peanut Butter Sandwich
• Egg Mayo Sandwich
• Tuna sandwich

Couscous is magical. Lighter than rice and so versatile. I make a big helping of this and it lasts for lunch and dinner quite happily.

The trick is to double the amount of liquid to cous cous. One cup couscous= 2 cups stock. I love to use chicken or vegetable stock. Nothing fancy; those little cubes in some boiling water are just fine. Stir until the cube disolves, then pour it over the couscous. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. The beauty of this is you can add whatever you like to it. We like lemon, mint, feta, avocado, red peppers, spring onions, celery… the list is endless. I generally make a bowl of plain couscous and we each add different fillings to it.

10 easy or make-ahead road trip meals for dinner

Ahhhh… now this is the fun part. Everyone’s been driving in the exact same motorhome for several hours… and as soon as you arrive somewhere and the van is parked up for the night, they all turn to you and ask ‘what’s for dinner?’…!

All of these recipes take no more than 30 minutes or you can make many of them ahead for the first few days of the trip.

TOP TIP- Be kind to yourself. Many people dislike ‘pre-made’ sauces, feeling that they’re ‘cheating’ if they don’t cook everything from scratch. But it’s your trip too, so don’t be judgemental about sauces from a jar. Yes, there might be a bit more sugar or salt- but it’s a heck of a lot better than a pizza or McDonalds. So be kind to yourself and make things easy.

Some easy or make-ahead meal ideas for dinners on the road:

• 3-way mince (Bolognaise, Chilli, Savoury)- can be made in the slow cooker

Spanish Omelette

• Easy make-ahead taco Bowl

Chicken Quinoa

• Pea/ Pesto Pasta

Cheats Pizza

3-way mince: bolognese, chilli or savoury.

Here’s the recipe for 3 way mince bulk cooking. You can get savoury mince, bolognese and chilli from 1 pack of mince. It’s the perfect ‘make-ahead’ recipe and is very easy to heat up on the road.

1 pack of 500g mince makes 5 meals: 2 x savoury mince 2 x chilli 1 x bolognese

Start with chopped onion, pepper, garlic and grated carrot all in one large pan with a little oil (or butter) until softened.

Split the mix between 3 pans & add the mince. Cut it long ways in the packet before adding so it’s easier to break up in the pan.

You can add any vegetables at this point. Previously I’ve used courgette, mushrooms and aubergine, all finely chopped. You can get 6/7/8 kinds of vegetables in there!

Brown the mince on a low to medium heat so it doesn’t clump together, break it up with a spoon as it cooks.  Add the seasoning to the chilli pan (cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic powder and paprika) and garlic powder to the savoury mince & bolognese pans. 

Once browned, strain peas & sweetcorn (one small can of corn & 1 small can of peas and add to savoury mince pan.

Add one can of chopped tomatoes to the chilli pan & 1 to the bolognese, stir through. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and add to the chilli. I used half a can of beans, I’ll save the rest for a salad.

Rinse the tomato cans out with a little water & add to the savoury mince pan. Stir in Bisto granules (or beef stock & maybe cornflour or thickener as needed). Add a little Worcestershire sauce & pepper to taste.

Taste & adjust seasonings if necessary.

Divide & eat, or store in the fridge until ready.

Many thanks to Phillippa from PhilyaBelly for the recipe – follow her on Instagram

Serve with:

• Spaghetti, rice or potatoes.
• Garlic or crusty bread
• Grated cheese
• Side salad if your family will eat it.

I LOVE this Spanish Omelette. It’s so easy to make and only uses one pan.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

Heat the oil in large frying pan. Peel potatoes and slice thinly. Put the slices in the pan with the onion & garlic. Cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are tender, turning them occasionally. Beat the eggs.

When the potato and onion mixture is cooked, add it to the eggs and mix together. Heat another spoon of oil in the pan, and turn the heat down as low as it will go. Pour the egg, onion & potato mixture into the pan.

The essence of this dish is slow cooking and it should take about 20 minutes. When there is no liquid left turn omelette over for 2 minutes. It’s now ready to serve and eat! Delicious- perfect with salad or french loaf.

Lamb Kebabs

Take 500g (4 people) of lean lamb mince and add spices (salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika… whatever you like!) Mould into balls or around a skewer and cook on BBQ or in oven until browned.

If using BBQ and wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes first.

Serve with Tzatziki- Greek yogurt, mint, lemon and cucumber

Easy make-ahead Taco bowl

• 1 can of beef
• ½ of a small jar of salsa
• Bag of tortilla chips
• 1 can of beans
• 1 avocado/ guacamole

Warm beef and cook beans as directed on label. Mix and add on top of chips (can be warmed in oven) Add Salsa, avocado/ guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese as desired (we pop the whole thing in the oven to melt the cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp. herb de Provence (or any herbs)
• 1 cup. quinoa
• 1/4 cup. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup. olive oil
• 2 green onions
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 cup. rocket/ lettuce/ salad
• 2/3 cup. olives, quartered
• 12 oz. tomatoes, halved
• Season chicken breasts with herbs, salt and pepper. Grill 3 minutes per side on medium-high or until cooked through.
• Cook quinoa as label directs.
• Mix vinegar, olive oil, green onions, Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss half of the vinaigrette with cooked quinoa, salad/ rocket, tomatoes and olives. Serve chicken over quinoa with remaining vinaigrette.

Pea / Pesto Pasta

• Pasta  
• fresh or frozen peas
• Chopped chives, for serving
• Cook pasta. Drain and return pasta to pot. 
• While pasta is cooking, roughly chop 1 cup peas. Add ricotta and lemon zest and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Add ricotta mixture, remaining 1/2 cup peas, and pasta water; toss to combine. Sprinkle with chopped chives, if desired.

Alternatively, cook pasta, add several large spoons of pesto and some grated cheese and mix well.

Salmon with rice and vegetables

We eat salmon a lot- it’s very good for you.

Grill (or use a low-wattage air fryer ) and serve with rice, couscous (see above) and vegetables.

Sure, you can make your own dough and add toppings- and if that works for you, then go for it. However, we cheat.

• Grab 2 pitta breads per person and pop them under the grill
• You want them warm, but not ‘crispy’
• Turn over, and spread with pesto (green or red)
• Add mozzarella cheese, ham, salami, mushrooms… whatever you like!
• Grill until bubbling

If you’d like more inspiration, here are a couple of our favourite camping cookbooks:

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

We’ve done an entire post on 15 quick & healthy road trip snacks (many of them Keto friendly) but here are a couple more ideas for you:

• 1 large can of tuna
• ½ cup of cranberries
• A packet of whole-grain crackers

First, take the tuna out from the can and empty it into a bowl. Next, mash a whole avocado and add it with the cranberries into the tuna. Use whole-grain crackers to dip into your tuna.

Apple Cookies

• 2 green apples
• Peanut butter
• Dark chocolate chips
• Almond slices

Cut an apple into slices that resemble a cookie, then layer the rest of the ingredients in between two slices to make the snack look like an apple sandwich. The snack will stay fresh in an ice cooler for two days.

Barabrith – great snack for afternoon tea!

Other things:

Whilst we’re on the subject, don’t forget to bring:

• Washing up liquid
• Big scrubbing pad for BBQ if using
• cleaning supplies
• Kitchen roll
• Bottle/ can opener
• Mugs and glasses
• Tea/ coffee/ sugar

How else can I help you today??

• See the BEST Road Trip Journal to record your adventures!
• Show me essential Road Trip Accessories
• Get 100+ essential road trip songs (+ playlist)
• Help me plan my road trip
• See gift ideas for road trippers

Kat never planned to buy a motorhome. She also never planned to quit her job as an air traffic controller, go touring around Europe in said motorhome, start one of the UK’s largest motorhome travel websites… or get a cocker spaniel.

Find out how she went from stuck in the rat race to being a digital nomad and inspiring thousands of people to have their own epic adventures here.

If you’d like to connect with Kat, send her an email or follow her adventures on social media.

Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Hi Kat I’ve not tried these yet but they get a good review on Amazon. As I’ve bought the barbecue you recommended in your blogs I thought I would try to keep my new BBQ clean as I absolutely hate scrubbing it after use. Just bought a pack to try on our trip to France in September BBQ Grill Mat, Set of 5 Beeway® Non Stick Barbecue Baking Mats for Charcoal, Gas or Electric Grill – Heat Resistant, Reusable and Easy to Clean, FDA Aproved – Bonus 12″ Just thought you may also find these useful

They look amazing- let me know how you find them 🙂

The https://wandering-bird.com website is one of the best we have found, and the 15 Easy Road Trip Meal Ideas article is very well written and useful! Thanks and kisses! 🙂

I recommend a ridge monkey for camper van cooking. You can cook chicken breasts, steaks, poach eggs, bake a cake, make an omelette, and it also makes great toast!

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Travel Tips and Trivia

Last Updated: February 21, 2024

50+ Tasty Road Trip Food Ideas and Tips [Ultimate Road trip Food List]

Wondering what food to pack for a road trip? Discover the best food for road trips in this comprehensive road trip food list (complete with my top travel food tips!).

Danny Newman

I hope this road trip food list helps you plan the perfect travel food for your upcoming trips!

You’ve planned the route.

You’ve made your road trip playlist.

Now all that’s left to do is pack a trunk full of road trip food !

But what should you take?

With no fridge to keep things fresh nor kitchen to prep meals, deciding what to put on a road trip food list is tough.

Want help deciding what food to take on a road trip? Check out this comprehensive list.

Heads up, this post contains affiliate links.

Unsure what what road trip food to take on your upcoming trip? Here are 50+ ideas that should go down a treat!

You might also like these:

• 20 road trip games for couples
• 50 funny road trip quotes
• Quotes about roads in life
• 85+ road trip trivia games and questions
• Gifts for road trippers

Food for Road Trips: The Essentials

Just like the essentials you stock in your kitchen cupboards, the coming road trip food ideas are versatile, flavourful, and should mean you never go hungry.

If you don’t take any other food on your road trip, I recommend packing:

1. Peanut butter (100% peanuts)

Delicious, filling, and somewhat nutritious (full of protein and good fats), I eat an ungodly amount of peanut butter both in general and on the road.

Put it on crackers, in sandwiches, on your cereal (trust me), or consume straight off the spoon! You can’t beat it.

2. Bananas &/or apples

Bananas are another tasty, nutritious, and hunger-busting snack that also count as one of your 5-a-day.

I love bananas by themselves, sliced and put on top of almost everything (especially cereal, crackers, or toast) or mushed up and made into pancakes (mash the fruit and mix in some oats for an easy batter).

Same goes with apples! These have practical benefits too though.

For one thing, you get some refreshing fresh fruit into your system. For another, they’ll keep for longer and are at less risk of being squashed compared to softer fruit!

3. Oats/Oatmeal

I eat oats/oatmeal every single day for an unbeatable breakfast. They’re also ideal as a snack between meals (try oats, cinnamon, sliced banana, mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, and chopped dates with a spoonful of peanut butter on top).

They’re awesome for road trips (almost as awesome as these road trip questions to spark conversation in the car) for numerous reasons:

• First, they’re healthy.
• Second, they fill you up.
• And third, they stay fresh (once opened) for ages.

Nuts are a perfect snack to take along in the car. Packed full of protein, good fats, and various vitamins and minerals, they’ll fill you up and fuel your body at the same time.

I eat them as road trip snacks, on my breakfast, and sometimes in salads too.

5. Pita bread, bagels, or tortilla wraps

I like having some sort of easy carb in the car for lunches and dinners (and an occasional extra meal if I’m particularly hungry).

Tortilla wraps are my go-to because they last for ages in the packet (make sure it’s re-sealable) and are less carb/calorie-dense.

They’re versatile too.

You can put whatever you want inside- regardless of the meal. My favourite?

Chickpeas (from the can), hummus, a sauce of some kind, avocado, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, and other salad stuff I have in the car/van.

It’s tasty, filling, and full of good, healthy stuff.

Even better, you can keep most of it in your vehicle/cool box for a while without it going off.

Pita bread, bagels, or even ordinary sliced bread could work as well. Just be prepared for these to go stale quicker.

Being stocked up on essentials is one of my number one road trip food ideas! Here are a few more basics that are sure to come in handy on the road…

6. Crackers

There’s no shortage of cracker varieties out there! Pick your favourite and stick it in the car for a super quick and easy snack to eat on the road.

I tend to get flavoured rice crackers, which are relatively tasty by themselves, but even better with toppings (think avocado and hummus, peanut butter and banana, and so on).

7. Tinned legumes/pulses

Legumes/pulses of one form or another are an ideal travel food too.

Full of protein and unlikely to ever go off (when you buy them in cans/tins), they’re a great meat-substitute to put in your meals.

You can’t go wrong with chickpeas. But I also like to take kidney beans, black beans, and cannelloni beans on occasion too.

Tins of pre-cooked lentils are great as well.

You can stick them in things like veggie pasta for a quick protein boosting addition.

Tip: if you do buy tins/cans of legumes, make sure you have a sharp knife or a can opener too- just in case they don’t come with a ring pull!

8. Spices, herbs, salt & pepper

Going on a long road trip (AKA a week or more)? I recommend taking something to flavour your travel food with.

Even if it’s just salt and pepper, you’ll be grateful for the added taste at the end of a long day on the road.

I always pack:

Salt and pepper, dried cinnamon (for my breakfast), dried cumin, dried coriander, dried turmeric, dried chilli flakes, dried smoked paprika, dried mixed herbs.

9. Plant-based milk

Switching from cow’s milk to plant-based milk (such as soy, almond, oat, or rice milk) might not be on your agenda. But it would make a difference on long road trips! Why?

Because unopened, you don’t have to store these types of milk in the cold.

They stay fresh until you open them, which means you save some all-important space in the cooler. Simply pop your plant-based milk with everything else until you need it for your cereal/tea!

10. Sauces (ketchup, mustard, BBQ…)

Sauces serve the same purpose as the herbs and spices.

It might seem a little bit ‘extra’, but having your favourite sauces in the car can turn an average meal into something far more enjoyable.

11. Olive/coconut oil

Aside from adding extra flavour to things, having olive or coconut oil in your pots and pans should stop them becoming a nightmare to wash-up.

Having travel food in the car is perfect for when you want/need to pull over. You can stop, eat a snack, and get back behind the wheel feeling refreshed.

Love road trips? You might enjoy these blog posts too:

• 40 Things to Do On a Road Trip
• 125 Road Trip Questions to Spark Conversation in the Car
• 25 Fun RV Accessories
• The Advantages & Disadvantages of Travelling By Car
• Expert Tips for Full-Time RV Living

Road trip foods for Breakfast

With the staples sorted, it’s time to move onto the main meals. Here’s a selection of quick-fire ideas for what to take/eat for breakfast when you’re on a road trip:

(Be sure to refer back to the ‘Essentials’ section above for specific ideas on how to use/consume them.)

12. Oats (whole or rolled)

13. Dry cereal

14. Peanut butter (& banana) bagel/crackers

15. Sliced bread + topping of choice

16. Fresh fruit

17. Nuts and seeds (eat alone or with cereal)

18. Breakfast burrito (hard boil the eggs and keep any meat/cheese in the cooler!)

19. Sweet/savoury muffins

20. Tea/Coffee (not strictly food, I know, but you can’t miss your morning cup of Joe when you’re driving and having to concentrate all day long!

Love coffee? Check out these travel French presses for ideas on how to brew it up and take it away.

With lots of ground to cover, being well stocked up on food for road trips is all-important! Here’s what I’d take for lunch:

Best Lunchtime Food for Road Trips

With breakfast down, let’s move on to lunch. Here are some top travelling food ideas for what to eat on a road trip at lunch:

21. Leftovers!

Leftovers are literally my go-to meal of choice for lunchtime on the road.

I cook up a big meal in the evenings and make sure I have enough to eat for an easy and filling lunch the next day.

Pop the leftovers in a container/sealable bag, stick them in the cooler, and voila- lunch is served whenever you want it the next day.

22. Pita pockets/tortilla wraps

Your choice of filling! Meats, cheeses, legumes, salad…It’s all good in a pita pocket or wrap.

23. Filled sandwiches/bagels

As above, sandwiches and bagels (filled with whatever you have in the car/feel like eating) are a quick and easy meal to eat on a road trip.

You can either prepare them the night before or pull over and prep them at a pit-stop.

24. Premade falafel & salad

I love falafel! It’s healthy, filling and packed full of protein- a winning combo in my eyes.

However, it can be a hassle to make from scratch when you’re on the move. That’s why I recommend buying it pre-made from the store to eat in wraps and with salads (just remember to store in the cooler!).

25. Mixed salad

Most salad stuff goes bad quite quickly when it’s left out of the fridge/cooler.

Nevertheless, I still recommend taking it (in small quantities) on a road trip because it’s nice to have something fresh and nutritious to eat.

Eat it alone or in sandwiches/wraps, but be sure to keep it in the cooler when not in use.

26. Hard-boiled eggs

Alas, taking ordinary eggs in the car is a recipe for mess. That’s why (if you want some eggs for lunch) you should always try to hard-boil them ahead of time. Put them in a salad, stick them in a wrap, or eat alone for a quick protein fix in the middle of the day.

27. Veg & dips

Looking for something quick, no-nonsense, and really good for you? Chop up some peppers, carrots, and celery and pair with whatever dips you want!

Whether you make or buy them, guacamole, hummus, and spicy tomato salsa always go down well.

Road trip foods for dinner can be particularly hard to choose. Here are a few ideas that should provide an easy, filling, and nutritious meal in the evenings:

Food to Pack for a Road Trip: Dinnertime

Last but not least: dinner! It isn’t just your car that needs refuelling.

After a long day of driving, you need something that’ll both fill you up and provide all the nutrients you need to feel replenished and energized. At the same time, you don’t want to spend forever preparing it, cooking it, and cleaning up!

The following meals should tick all of those boxes- simple, healthy, and hearty:

28. Chicken salad

If you eat meat and can keep it fresh in the car, then there’s no reason not to buy it for your road trip!

Fry up some chicken with a basic marinade, combine it with a simple salad (think lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, etc…), and away you go.

29. Lentil Dahl

If you don’t eat meat or don’t want the hassle/risk of transporting it in a hot car, then try cooking up a lentil dahl.

Simple, and nutritious, you can make it in one pot, boil up some rice in another, and bob’s your uncle! A delicious and nutritious meal.

However, you will need some spices to make it taste like anything other than lentils and rice…

30. Lentil Bolognese/Pasta

Prefer pasta? Use those lentils in a pasta sauce instead.

31. Veggie Curry

Veggie curry is one of my favourite travel meals.

Super cheap, you can buy a bunch of veg (I like combining onion, garlic, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and spinach), pop in some spices, legumes (chickpeas work well) and tinned tomatoes, and let it cook away for 30 mins or so.

Eat with rice for another hearty, healthy meal.

32. Stuffed Tortilla/Pita Bread

Remember the essentials I talked about before? It’s time to break them out for a super quick and easy meal with minimal prep or cleanup required.

Stuff your wraps/pita bread with anything you want/have in the car. Legumes, meat, refried beans, cheese, eggs, salad, sauces, leftovers from the night before…You name it, and it’d (probably) go well inside.

33. Bean Burrito

Bean burritos are another personal favourite road trip food of mine.

I’ll cook up some black/kidney beans (with onions, garlic, tinned tomatoes, cumin and paprika) and put them inside a tortilla wrap with rice, avocado, lettuce, and hummus. It hits the spot every time.

Don’t want a burrito? Do everything the same as above but without the wrap. Instead, break open a bag of chips and serve yourself a hearty plate of nachos.

Top tip: take it up a notch and serve with guacamole and a tin of sweetcorn.

36. Stir Fry

Slice up an assortment of veg and fry it up with chicken (or chickpeas if you’re veggie).

Add a packet of pre-bought stir-fry sauce and away you go- another quick, delicious and nutritious meal. You could also buy a packet of pre-steamed rice to pad it out a bit.

Want to make it even quicker?

Prep everything in advance (chop the veggies etc) and place it in a container/re-sealable bag so you can put it straight into the pan at dinner time.

36. Burger & Salad

It doesn’t matter whether it’s veggie or meat-based, you could fry up a patty (or two) that you’ve been keeping in the cooler, pop it between some bread (or inside a pita), slather over some sauce and eat with a side salad!

37. Cold Pizza

Whether you made or purchased pizza the night before, eating it cold for dinner on the drive makes for a fast, filling, and tasty meal on the move.

38. Eat Out!

If you’re not on a budget, then you could always eat out for dinner as well.

Pull over, explore a new town, and find somewhere with good reviews that serves nice food at a reasonable price.

Aside from eating restaurant-quality meals, you save the hassle of cooking and cleaning up after yourself too.

The best food for road trips is usually quick and easy to make! These quick-fire road trip food ideas tick both boxes:

Quick & Easy Road Trip Food Ideas

Cooking might be the last thing on your mind at the end of a long day’s driving. Looking for road trip food ideas you can prep and eat in a hurry?

These five options should help:

39. Avocado (sliced or smashed) on crackers/bagels/bread (with hummus)

40. Peanut butter & jelly/banana sandwiches

41. Hummus & chopped veggies (in a wrap, with salad, or by themselves)

42. Pita bread/tortillas wraps with varied fillings

43. Eat your leftovers

Good Road Trip Food for Snack Time!

If you’re anything like me, then you’re sure to get hungry outside of meal times too. Want some good road trip food ideas to eat as snacks as you drive?

Check these out:

44. Dried Fruit

Dates, raisins, apricots, banana chips, cranberries…Dried fruit’s a firm personal favourite when I’m on a road trip. It doesn’t matter which fruit you go for either- delicious, healthy, and long-lasting, they’re ideal for the road.

45. Fresh Fruit

Harder to carry and quicker to go off, fresh fruit isn’t always ideal from a practical perspective. However, the all-important vitamins contained inside justify its place in the car!

I tend to go for hardier fruit (such as apples, bananas and pears) because they’re usually less messy.

Tasty, nutritious, & filling, nuts are an ideal snack for any road trip. They’re also easy to eat when you’re trying to keep your eyes on the road and will last for ages without going bad/off.

47. Trail Mix

Whether you put it together yourself or buy it ‘ready-made’, you’ll have a tasty and nutritious snack that’s sure to stave off hunger on your road trip.

48. Potato Chips

Not the healthiest of road trip snacks, but potato chips are definitely a tasty treat to munch on when driving! Just be wary of crumbs…

49. Dark Chocolate

Another not-so-healthy option, but I love having a bar of dark chocolate with me on the road. It’s perfect when you need a pick-me-up on a long drive.

Road trips should be fun, and there’s nothing more fun (especially if you’re a child) than having some candy to chew on as you go!

Pop some family favourites in the car for a sugar kick when you need it.

51. Granola/Protein Bars

You can’t go wrong with granola bars. Sweet and filling, they’re great for keeping the wolves at bay until your next stop/meal.

Just be wary of the sugar content, which can be crazily high (even in supposedly healthy options!).

52. Beef Jerky

Look no further than beef jerky if you’re looking for a carnivorous, protein-filled snack that won’t go bad for days/weeks.

Now you know the food to pack for a road trip, it’s time to think about how you actually pack and keep it fresh in the car…

Tips for Packing Road Trip Food

You’ve got the food and the gear. Now it’s time to get it all packed up into the car. Unfortunately, this is another task that can be easier said than done.

How do you pack your road trip food so that it:

• Can be accessed easily, and
• Won’t go off too soon…or roll/slide around in the back…or get squished…or (my personal pet peeve) jiggle and jingle annoyingly as you drive?

If you’re asking yourself those kinds of questions, then this next set of ‘packing food for road trips’ travel tips should help:

i) Use a cooler

Taking a cooler (or two, if you’re feeding lots of people) isn’t just a handy way to keep your food fresh. It should help you keep everything that’s inside it organized and in one spot as well.

Pack the cooler up (remembering the ice/ice packs), sandwich the whole thing in place inside the trunk to stop it sliding around or falling over, and away you go.

Oh, and avoid cramming too much other stuff around and on top of it- you want to be able to get inside with minimal fuss at the end of the day!

Try putting frozen gel ice packs around the inside of the cooler instead of putting actual ice in there. It’ll:

• Keep everything cold without ice melting and making a watery mess
• Prevent food from being ruined by said water (more on this next), and
• Mean you can re-use the ice packs on the homeward journey

ii) Make sure packages are watertight

The last thing you want is ice-cold water from the cooler getting into your bag of sandwiches!

If you’re packing food into a cooler and putting plain old ice inside, then make sure nothing could be ruined by the meltwater.

iii) Separate meals before you go

Want things to be nice and organized in advance? You could plan your meals before you leave and separate everything into individual containers or zip-lock bags.

Imagine having a chicken salad for dinner.

You could take sliced, pre-cooked chicken and pop it into a re-sealable bag with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, and so on; then put it into the cooler.

At dinner time, you’ve got everything ready-made to put onto a plate and eat. This saves time, reduces clean up, and means you’ve got less to worry about all-around.

iv) Take the right food

Packing your road trip food will be a thousand times easier if you take the right food in the first place!

Make sure everything will keep (aka remain edible) without spoiling, breaking, moving around too much, and so on.

Quick tip? Anything canned (be it baked beans or entire meals) or pre-made (such as falafel burgers) will usually work well.

v) Separate your stuff into different boxes/bags

When I was travelling around Australia in my van, I had boxes in the back that were full of particular things:

One had my dried food (rice, pasta, tortilla wraps etc) and spices. Another had my breakfast stuff and teas/coffee. And then I had two more that were full of my pots, pans, and cutlery.

Oh, and then I had my mini-fridge with all my fresh stuff.

This worked well for me for two main reasons:

First, I knew where everything was at any given time, which made prepping meals more efficient. Second, the boxes kept it all in place and meant I didn’t have food flying everywhere as I drove!

You could try doing something similar in your car/truck to enjoy the same advantages.

Food for travelling can get tricky when you’re on the road! These tips should make life a little easier:

Road trip Food Tips & Ideas

Last but not least, here’s a bunch of my best travel food tips that might prove useful on your road trip:

1. Use free water refill stations whenever possible

It isn’t just food you need to think about when road-tripping! Staying hydrated will be just as important.

Sure, you could fill the car up with water bottles.

But for a more eco-friendly and cost-effective choice, try taking advantage of the free water refill stations that you’ll come across along the way.

State parks, rest stops, and water fountains in cities are all useful sources of water.

2. Collect & stash napkins in the glovebox

Eating in the car can be a messy business! Having some napkins to hand at all times can be a life-saver when you’ve got ketchup all over your hands and face…

Want my advice? Get into the habit of grabbing a handful whenever you go to a cafe or rest stop! Nobody will bat an eyelid and you’ll never be short of napkin when you need it.

3. Keep the essentials in reach! (cooler, snacks…)

Life on the road is always easier when you keep things organised. With that in mind, try keeping the most important food and drinks close-by and easily accessible!

You won’t be digging around at the bottom of the cool box for a beer, rifling around the backseats for a snack, and so on.

4. Don’t open the cooler too much

Having a cooler is great. But it can’t do its job if you keep opening it every few minutes!

Warm air gets in every time, which jeopardises the temperature of whatever you have inside; fresh food won’t stay fresh for as long as it could have done.

Do yourself a favour and only open the cooler when you have to.

5. Cook double quantities at dinner

Leftovers always make for the quickest and easiest of travel meals. That’s why I always try to cook up double portions at dinner.

Do the same, and you’ll have lunch ready and waiting for you whenever you want it! You won’t have to stop and go through the hassle of preparing (and cleaning up) yet another meal.

Food for Road Trips: Gear Ideas

Stocking up your car or truck with road trip food is one thing. But it’s also important to think about how you’ll store, cook, and keep things fresh on the move.

That’s where having the right gear comes into play.

From prepping dinner and storing leftovers to keeping the beers cold, taking a few simple pieces of equipment on a road trip can make an almighty difference to your culinary experience.

With that in mind, I thought I’d begin with a few key culinary items that I recommend anybody takes on a road trip (especially long-distance ones):

1. Cooler/Coolbox

Of all the gear to take on your road trip, having a cool box is arguably the most important!

Without the fridge-freezer you’re used to at home, you need something to keep any fresh food, well, fresh (…and the beers ice cold!).

The easiest way to do it? Grab yourself a cool box (or two), pop some bags of ice and/or ice packs inside, and away you go.

–> Check out this Yeti Cooler on Amazon!

2. Cooking Equipment

Whether or not you decide to cook on the road is up to personal preference and the type of road trip you’re going on.

For example, someone going on a day-long (or even two-day) drive might not need or want the bother of cooking on the go; stopping in at restaurants or cafes could be preferable instead.

But if you’re driving huge distances over days and weeks, then being able to cook can:

• Help you save money, and
• Provide greater control over your diet as you travel.

That’s where having a camping cooker or something similar can come in handy. Without it, you’ll be stuck eating cold meals or eating out for the duration of your trip.

…Using a gas cooker? Don’t forget to take a lighter or some matches too!

–> Check out this Coleman cooker on Amazon!

3. Plates, bowls, cutlery…

There’s a good chance you’ll need some plates/bowls on which to serve the meals you prepare and some cutlery with which to eat it too.

Keep the porcelain at home though! Too brittle for the rigours of the road, you’re far better off with some unbreakable camping crockery instead.

Check out these mess kits if you’d like some further ideas on what you could take.

–> Check out this camping crockery set on Amazon!

4. Insulated Flask (Growler)

Having a high-quality insulated flask isn’t essential for the road, but it does make a difference.

For instance, you can brew up your tea/coffee in the morning and keep it hot all day long, keep your soup hot overnight to eat as a quick and easy lunch the next day, or stop your water from going warm to quench your thirst on long, hot driving days.

–> Check out this Stanley growler on Amazon!

5. Food storage containers/bags

Leftovers from the night before are a lifesaver when you’ve got miles of road to cover (and can’t be bothered to cook/prepare anything new up).

That’s where food storage containers or re-sealable bags come into play.

You can put your leftovers inside and stow them in the cool box for whenever you next get the munchies.

Of course, they’re also ideal for storing anything that might otherwise spill/leak in your car, as well as any food you might want to keep fresh as you travel.

–> Check these Rubbermaid tupperware containers out on Amazon!

6. Mini-Fridge

When I travelled around Australia in a campervan last year, there was one bit of kit that made all the difference to the experience (aside from the camping shower !):

A mini-fridge.

Sure, a cool box could have sufficed. But I would have had to buy ice from supermarkets as I went, which would have been both expensive and inconvenient.

Instead, powered by the van’s cigarette lighter, I could plug in the fridge and drive for days in sweltering heat without having to worry about my fresh food going bad.

It was a game-changer on that trip and I fully recommend anyone does the same if they’re going on an extended road trip!

–> Click here to see this AstroAI fridge on Amazon!

Don’t Forget This Road Trip Food List!

Planning a road trip? Well, taking the perfect road trip food is sure to add to the experience.

You’ll stave off pesky hunger pangs, stay in better control of your diet, and save money. Alas, not all food is made equal when you’re travelling in a car!

Hopefully, though, the road trip food list above has helped out.

Keep it in mind (along with the food for traveling tips), and you should be a step closer to packing the perfect road trip food for your upcoming trip.

Unsure what to listen to in the car? Check out these top adventure songs next!

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

Posted on Published: November 18, 2020  - Last updated: June 21, 2023

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!)

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

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!

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?

Here’s the list of healthy road trip snacks

• Sugar snap peas and ranch
• Healthy granola (think savory seasoning, not sweet ingredients)
• Popcorn (my favorite budget-friendly snack using this air popper )
• Homemade trail mix
• Carrots and ranch
• Strawberries
• Sugar-free, gluten free muffins
• Veggie chips (store bought or homemade)
• Blueberries
• Basil, tomato and mozzarella salad
• Rice cakes with nut butter
• Cottage cheese and almonds
• Pita chips and hummus
• Healthy zucchini muffins
• Yogurt with mix-ins (just watch the sugar content)

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!

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

High energy foods on-the-go

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:

• Greek yogurt
• Ham, chive and cream cheese pinwheels
• String cheese
• Cinnamon apple energy bites  
• Hard boiled eggs
• Energy bars ( RX bars are my favorite for road trips and hiking snacks)
• Salmon in a pouch
• Favorite energy drink (as needed) for driving over night

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.

Kid-friendly road trip snacks:

• On-the-go yogurt
• Homemade double chocolate zucchini muffins (my kids go crazy over these!)
• Kid-friendly trail mix
• Suckers (or any long-lasting sucking candy)
• Applesauce pouches
• Pirate’s Booty
• Fruit snacks (save money by buying them at a bulk bin grocery store)
• Pepperoni slices and cheese cubes
• Baby carrots
• Juice boxes or pouches
• Kid-friendly pinwheels
• Fun cheeses, like Baby Bell or Laughing Cow
• Raisins or cranberries
• Healthy toddler mini muffins

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

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.)

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

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!

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

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.

Anyways, back to best meals for road trips:

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

More snacks to pack on-the-go

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

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

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.

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

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

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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!

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

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

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

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

Awesome list! I definitely saved on Pinterest for later 😊

Glad you got some inspiration from this list! :)

Sunday 22nd of November 2020

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

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Thanks - glad you found it helpful!

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

Oh yes Jiayi! They're so good!!

75+ Easy Road Trip Snacks To Pack, Grab & Go

Packed for Life contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Disclosure policy for more info.

Road trips are fantastic adventures to take with friends, family or solo. You’ll definitely need a road trip food list and all the best and easy road trip snacks for a successful trip. Because who wants hangry travel companions? Not to mention all those fast-food stops can really add up cost-wise. 

We’ve taken our share of road trips over the years, from cross country adventures to many, many multi-day road trips back and forth between our current home and where our extended family lives. Both as adults, and with kids ranging from months old to teenagers, and everything in between. 

With young kids, there is a strategy for finding the best road trip snacks . One’s that aren’t too messy, too crumbly, won’t stain or are low risk for choking.

Our road trip food list includes ideas for kids, adults, healthy car snack ideas , keto & gluten-free snacks. Plus tips for packing and what you’l l need to bring to pack all the snack essentials.

Table of Contents

Ultimate Road Trip Food List: Best Road Trip Snacks

There is something about road trips that lends itself to snacking on junk food and grabbing something somewhat edible to go from the gas station.

Vibrant orange Cheetos and a snickers bar are ok on occasion (hey, snickers has peanuts, that’s protein, right?).

While I’m all for a bit of indulgence on the road, let’s balance it out with foods that won’t leave you feeling sluggish or weird at the end of the day.

Here are some of the best road trips snacks around.

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

Let’s focus first on healthy road trip snacks. Many non-refrigerated prepared snacks are full of sugar and things that are hard to pronounce or spell.

While I do like the convenience, as there are soooo many details when planning a road trip (like this one from Boston to Acadia) . Just make sure to check the ingredient list first. 

We’ve broken up the healthy road trip snacks into those requiring a cooler and those that are non-perishable, to make planning a bit easier.

⭐️ Or check out some healthy & delicious snack recipes here

Healthy Road Trip Snacks Non-Refrigerated

Sometimes you need a boost of energy and nutrients on the road. Having a few non perishable snacks for travel on hand makes things easier.

From dried fruit to granola bars, here are some fun ideas for non-refrigerated road trip food to pack:

• Fruit; apples, blueberries, grapes, cherries
• Fruit Leather
• Dried fruit – dates, apricots, figs, mango
• Granola Bars
• Protein & Healthy Snack Bars
• Trail Mix / Homemade Trail Mix
• Roasted Legumes 
• Cheese Crisps 
• Homemade muffins
• Mary’s Gone Crackers
• Tuna – the little cans (come in many flavours) with pull tab 
• Bread – pizza buns, PB&J, pretzel buns etc.

Learn some tips for making a trip meal plan.

Healthy Road Trip Snacks That Require A Cooler

Many of these car snacks can be replenished along the way at a local grocery store. If you know there will be long distances between towns, make sure to stock up on travel food, and ice for the cooler before you leave for the day.

• Pre-Cut veggies – carrots, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, celery
• Cut up fruit for a sweet treat – pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew melons
• Energy Balls / Protein Balls
• Crackers and cheese
• Charcuterie plate – get all “fancy” with crackers, cheese, olives, salami, pepperoni, dried fruit
• Sliced meat -roast chicken, turkey, beef
• Yogurt / Yogurt drinks
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Broccoli Cheese Bites
• Egg Bites – ham, cheese, peppers, spinach
• Egg Muffins – olives, feta and sundried tomato
• Sausage rolls
• Stuffed Grape leaves (or buy canned food version for ease)
• Chicken wings
• Hummus Packs & pita bread/pita chips ( my daughter loves dipping pretzels in hummus)

Essential Road Trip Snacks

A road trip is not a road trip without your favourite road trip snacks. I mean hey, you gotta live a little, and you are on vacation, right. Splurge a little. These are good additions to add on occasion. 

I fondly remember our summer road trip each year where we were given a 5 pack of Hubba Bubba gum to chew as we pleased throughout our holiday. As the flavour would be gone in 5 minutes, we soon had chipmunk cheeks full of gum. 

Whether you are road tripping through the States to Bryce Canyon National Park , or taking a weekend trip up Vancouver Island, Canada to the sea side town of Parksville, BC , you’ll want to pack some yummy snacks.

Essential road trip snacks non refrigerated

These non perishable road trip food ideas are a great option for a little bit of a treat when you’re craving a little bit of sweet or salty goodness.

Sweet non-refrigerated snacks for your sweet tooth:

• Dark Chocolate
• Cookies – Homemade chocolate chip is the best 
• Candy – I like to add some gummy bears and smarties to the trail mix to get a little indulgence and some protein/fat at the same time.
• Licorice, small packs of oreos
• Rice Krispie Squares
• Black Bean Brownies

A salty non-refrigerated snack or two :

• Potato Chips
• Corn Chips & Salsa
• Plantain Chips
• Salted, roasted sunflower seeds

Road Trip Snacks For Kids

In addition to the other essential family road trip snacks mentioned previously, here are some additional classic road trip snacks kids will love. These aren’t just for kids. I like checking out the lions and camels in animal crackers with the best of em’.

Packing their favorite high-protein snack with some healthy fats, will tide them over til their next meal.

Here are some easy kid-friendly travel snacks for your next long road trip:

• Cheese strings
• Babybel Cheese
• Fruit Pouches or Smoothie Fruit Pouches (no refrigeration needed)
• Nut butter pouches
• Moon Cheese
• Seaweed Snacks
• Green Pea Crisps (Black Pepper is our favourite)
• Apple Crisps
• Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
• Yogurt – small containers or drinks
• Veggies & dip – Baby carrots, snap peas, cucumbers
• Ants on a log – Peanut butter & raisins on celery
• Fresh Fruit
• Goldfish crackers
• Animal Crackers
• Kids Trail mix – combine pretzels, goldfish, smarties, cereal, nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamia, brazil, hazelnuts etc.)
• Bagels & cream cheese or nut butter
• Cereal 

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Staying hydrated is an integral part of any road trip. I know the tendency is to try not to drink too much, so there are fewer bathroom breaks. Gas Station and pull-out restrooms are NOT my favourites either. 

Drinking water is essential and should be the number one choice, but sometimes you want something a little more exciting. Here are some other healthy road trip drink options:

• Coconut water
• No sugar added fruit juices 
• Flavoured Sparkling water (or fizzy water as we call it in our house)

Road Trip Food List: Road Trip Snacks for Special Dietary Needs

If you are road tripping with special dietary requirements or restrictions, packing your own food will be the best option. Taking a rest stop and buying travel food at convenience stores may or not pan out.

Best to be prepared with your favorite road trip snacks on hand. Just in case.

Keto Road Trip Snacks

If you are strict keto, then packing some low-carb snacks will help prevent the temptation to stray, “just this once.” Not to mention these are all yummy, so the non-keto peeps in your road trip party will enjoy them as well.

• Beef sticks
• String Cheese
• Cheese Crisps
• Seaweed Sheets
• Giant Pickles
• Pecans, Macadamia nuts, Brazil Nuts
• Olive snack packs 
• Berries – raspberries, blueberries
• Coconut Chips
• Cherry tomatoes, Cucumbers
• Celery sticks & Peanut Butter or cream cheese
• Fat Bombs or Keto Nut Butter with MCT Oil packaged

Gluten-Free Road Trip Snacks

The majority of items listed above can be gluten-free, as long as you watch the ingredients list and check the labels of pre-packaged food. Here are a few of our favourite gluten-free snacks/brands:

• Seaweed Snacks – Sea Snaxs – salty cruncy goodness!
• Cheese Crisps – Whisps and astronaut cheese Moon Cheese
• Gluten-Free Bars – favs include these mini Gluten-Free Bars and their cousin the Gluten-Free Bites
• Nut Butter packets – Yumbutter (twist-off tops)
• Chips – Late July (often available at Costco too)
• Jerky – Country Archer Jerky or their beef sticks
• Beef Sticks – Paleo Valley Beef sticks
• Crunchy, Salty, Protein Snacks – Hippeas Puffed Chickpeas

PRO TIP: We pack everything in small stackable Rubbermaid containers.

Non-Food Items To Add To Your Road Trip Packing List

Now that we’ve got the most crucial thing sorted, SNACKS, let’s move on to the non-food items you’ll need to add to your road trip packing list. 

Reusable Items; Cutlery, Water bottles, Containers and more

We like to bring reusable items on our trips as much as possible to cut down on waste. It’s also quite easy once you get the hang of it and make bringing these along part of your routine.

Here are \ reusable items you’ll feel good about using and bringing on your next road trip:

• Cutlery – Knives, Forks, Spoons, 
• Dishes – Cups, Plates, Bowls
• Coffee Mugs, Thermos
• Straws of many colors
• Plastic, glass or stainless steel containers
• Water Bottles
• Cloth Fruit Bags 
• Bento Boxes
• Chopping Board
• Garbage bags – reuse grocery bags

Pro Tip: A few empty plastic, stainless steel or glass containers are super handy to have in the car just in case. Empty containers can do double duty as dishes, store leftover food, and hold sandwiches or snack packs for the next day. They also can become emergency crayon/toy holders in a pinch.

👉 You may also like Tips to save money on road trips .

Storage & Cleaning Supplies

• Reusable Ice Packs 
• Hand sanitizer
• Paper Towels & Wet Wipes (not just for kids, awesome for road trips)
• Washing items: Sponge, tub, biodegradable dish soap

PRO TIP – We pack everything non-perishable into small stackable Rubbermaid containers to keep things organized.

Travel Backpacks

We like to make sure both adults and the  kids have their own travel backpack for the road trip.

A good travel backpack can be used for many things. These include hiking, storing road trip activities and entertainment, using as a pillow in a pinch, plus provides easy access to a couple of snacks, and a handy change of clothes.

Essential for when you have a fully packed vehicle. Staying organized is easier.

How to Pack For a Road Trip: Tips for Keeping Snacks Organized

Snacking Tote – Yes, those Pinterest road trip hacks will come in handy. Grab a small plastic Dollar Store Caddy / Open Tote that you can throw your snacks into that don’t need to be cooled. As well it can hold entertainment items (crayons, books, small toys, magazines etc.). Reorganize and restock at the end of the day, for your next day’s adventures.

Water Bottles – Bring a stainless steel water bottle for each person. If you are travelling in the summer or in hot weather, freeze the bottle the night before, take it out in the morning, and it will melt as the day goes on. 

Handing out food – For young kids, bring a spill proof snack cup (it will fit in the cup holders), and fill with snacks.

Snack Bags – For older kids/adults, make each person a snack bag before your trip; they can keep with them. Avoids the constant asking for snacks, and they can monitor their own snacking. Of course, this will depend on the age of your kids. 

Clean-Up Kit – Kids, adults, toddlers all on occasion make messes. Have a clean-up kit handy just in case; wipes, paper towel, extra water, change of clothes.

Garbage Bag for the car – Have a designated garbage bag for the car, to keep the garbage contained. Empty or replace at rest stops. Reuse plastic grocery bags. 

Road Trip Coolers

A cooler is the essential item to add to your road trip packing list. It will provide you more flexibility with the types of snacks and food you can bring.

You may even want to cook up some make ahead vacation dinner recipes and keep them fresh too.

We’ve outlined some things to think about and a few great road trip cooler options available on Amazon, to help you out. 

Here are some things to consider before buying a cooler :

• How long is your trip?
• How much space do you have in your vehicle? Where do you want to put the cooler?
• How much food will you need? Can you stop at grocery stores along the way to replenish supplies quickly (ie. can you get away with just a day or two worth of food)

Best Overall Cooler ( Size and Holds the Cold) – Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

This Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler is narrow, so it easily fits behind the seat , is well insulated, which holds the cold, and is lighter than previous versions. It can also be transformed into a stool if you buy the cushion. Plus it comes in cool colours.

Best Family Cooler & Long Road Trips – ORCA ORCP026 Cooler 

This Orca Cooler is a top pick for size and flexibility . It can hold a lot of food and ice, which can be kept frozen for up to a week or more. Plus it has cool whale tail latches.

Best Soft Sided Cooler – TOURIT Leak-Proof Soft-Sided Cooler Backpack

This Tourit Leak-Proof soft-sided backpack is an excellent option for shorter road trips or if you are planning a picnic or day at the beach . This leak-proof high-density insulated backpack can keep food cold for up to 3 days. It also has side pockets for extra storage.

Tips to Prepare For Your Road Trip

Check your road trip food list to see if there is anything you can do ahead of time, to make food prep and snacking easier while on the road. We recommend doing the following ahead of time:

• Make a Road Packing List, and check it off as you pack
• Wash and cut veggies and fruit
• Prepare sandwiches, meat slices, cheese slices etc.
• Prepare snack bags or snack tote – for easy grabbing
• Prepare your Clean up kit
• Pack non-perishable foods
• Pack your perishable foods in the cooler, right before you leave.

PRO TIP : Pack your car the night before you leave, to make sure everything fits. Make sure your cooler and essential road trip snacks are easily accessible. 

What foods are easy to pack?

Foods that are easy to pack for road trips include single serving foods such as applesauce or fruit pouches, granola bars, trail mix, string cheese hummous and tuna. Other easy foods to bring require a bit of preparation like sandwiches, whole fruit (apples, oranges and grapes), or baby carrots.

What Snacks are good for a trip?

Snacks that are good for trips are high in protein and contain some good fats, as well as one’s that are full of nutrients like fruits and vegetables. Our top picks for travel snacks include grapes, homemade trail mix, bagels with creamcheese or peanut butter, popcorn, energy balls, beef jerky, and cheese and multugrain crackers.

What can I eat to keep me awake when driving?

If you are trying to stay awake while driving, focus on eating crunchy foods like apples, carrots, celery and grapes, combined with protein like nuts, deli meats, nut butters or beef jerky. Make sure you are well hydrated (carbonated water is fun), and avoid eating too many sweet snacks as dehydration & sugar swings can also cause tiredness.

Chocolate or a little bit of caffeinated coffee or tea can also help you stay awake.

Road Trip Food List: 75+ Easy Road Trip Snacks

With over 50 delicious road trip snack options, you will find something for everyone in your party. Plus some tips to make packing and travelling easier.

Now all you need is your next road trip destination. Here are some family favourites:

• Zion National Park in Utah .
• What not to miss at Bryce Canyon in a day
• Big Sur California Road Trip itinerary; Best places to visit, eat & stay
• Boston to Acadia National Park

What are your favourite road trip snacks and favourite hacks for keeping food and snacks organized? Let us know in the comments below, or connect with us on social media, we’d love to hear from you.

Related Family travel tips and resources :

• Camping gift ideas outdoorsy kids will love
• Road Trip Packing List, all the essentials you’ll actually need & use
• 150 Road Trip questions to entertain your travel companions
• Best Anti-Theft Travel Bags

Packed for Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca.

Donna Garrison is the founder of Packed for Life, an ever curious traveler with a passion for making memories with her family. With a unique perspective on travelling on a budget gathered over 30 years, 20 countries and 5 continents she gives families the tools & resources they need to experience the joys of travelling more for less through practical solutions. She helps over 20,000 families a month plan & take the family travel, camping and road trip adventures of their dreams in Canada, the USA and around the world. Contact her at: Donna [at] packedforlife.com

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Great tips! It gets better as the kids grow up and become less messy and fussy:)

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111+ Healthy Road Trip Food Ideas (Non Refrigerated Snacks)

Updated: Feb 17, 2024 by Max · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Bringing healthy foods that don't need refrigeration is a great option to save money and time while on the road. Since I travel most weeks for work, I've gotten to truly test out the best nonperishable foods to bring on a road trip for kids and adults.

All these healthy road trip foods don't need refrigeration for at least a day, and most of them will last indefinitely. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a cross-country adventure, any of these healthy non perishable snacks will keep you satisfied without having to constantly stop at restaurants or grocery stores.

This article covers well over a hundred road trip food ideas that don't need refrigeration, including pre-packaged nonperishable snacks, meals for each time of day, delicious chocolate snacks , and some recipes you can make ahead of time. Simply use the table of contents below to navigate to what type of road food you seek.

Healthy Non Perishable Snacks

Healthy road trip snacks for kids, fruits to bring on a road trip, gluten-free road trip snacks (non refrigerated), healthy road trip meals for breakfast, healthy road trip meals for lunch, healthy road trip meals for dinner, sweet but healthy road trip snacks (non refrigerated).

Healthy pre-made snacks are among the best foods to bring on a road trip, because not only do they save you time, but they're easy to find and can please kiddos as well as adults.

• Snacking Ramen
• Protein Bars
• Homemade Pop-Tarts
• Mini Muffins
• Seaweed Sheets
• Garlic Peas
• Tahini-Based Fruit Dip (for crackers, chips, or other fruits)
• Fresh Walnuts
• Thai Chili & Lime Cashews (from Trader Joe's)
• Shell-On Pistachios (Wonderful Pistachios are reliably delicious)
• Salted Sunflower Seeds
• Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Whole Peanuts
• Raw Macadamia Nuts
• Spiced Pecans (homemade are easy & less expensive!)
• Chocolate-Covered Almonds

• Animal Crackers
• Freeze-Dried Snap Peas (they'll be so obsessed with the crunch they won't even realize it's vegetables!)
• Pretzels (filled or plain; whichever your kiddos prefer)
• Cheese Sticks (mozzarella sticks are easiest to find)
• Freeze Dried Cheese Bites (like Moon Cheese)
• Apple Juice Packs
• Fruity Chia Squeeze Packs
• Healthy Fudge (Nut Butter or Seed Butter Base)
• Graham Crackers
• Annie's Fruit Snacks
• Single-Serve Dry Cereal
• Nut or Seed Milk (this shelf-stable option comes in single-serves, as well, and can make getting your kid to eat breakfast just as easy as at home, especially with the addition of the crunchy freeze-fried fruit!)
• Cherry Tomatoes

• Dried Fruit (i.e. mango, pineapple, apple, etc.)
• Freeze-Dried Fruits (for kiddos with missing teeth or anyone who doesn't like the tough texture of the dried versions; I recommend trying strawberries or mangoes)
• Applesauce Cups
• Mixed Fruit Cups
• Canned Fruit
• Fruit Leather
• Raisins or Dried Cranberries
• Toasted Coconut Chips
• Watermelon Squares
• Cherries on the Stem
• Apples or Apple Slices (great with peanut butter or tahini)
• Asian Pears
• Strawberries
• Dragon Fruit
• Blueberries
• Squeezable Fruit Pouches

Finding gluten-free snacks for road trips is easier than ever these days, and for my fellow grain-free friends, most of these options are also free from grains.

• Veggie Straws
• Flaxseed Pudding in Mason Jars
• Baby Carrots
• Celery Sticks With Dip
• Pre-Cut Bell Peppers
• Lentil Crackers (these can be homemade or sometimes found in stores)
• Tortilla Chips
• Cassava Chips (the Siete brand one comes in several shapes & sizes and we love it with hummus or salsa at my house)
• Potato Chips
• Plantain Chips
• Simple Mills Grain-Free Crackers
• Popped Sorghum
• Clusterbucks (Chocolate Buckwheat Treats)
• Roasted Chickpeas
• French Macarons (fillings vary)
• Coconut Cookies or Macaroons
• Halva (Sesame Seed-Based Sweet Treat)

• English Muffins
• Blueberry or Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Cereal Bars
• Granola (here's my favorite recipe )
• Waffles (making studier versions ahead of time makes them easy to be stored in bags & drizzled with jam, nut butter, or chocolate spread for a sweet breakfast treat)
• Banana Bread

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
• Pita Bread (with deli meats, nut butters, pomegranate seeds, a sprinkle of granola, or any combination of flavors you take along)
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Trail Mix (Homemade or Store-Bought)
• Crackers and Hard Cheeses (like parmesan or gouda)
• Chips and Salsa
• Packets of Nut Butter (Justin's brand is reliable)
• Pita Chips and Hummus
• Sweet Potato Chips

• Canned Chili (Annie's brand is great)
• Canned Soups
• Canned Beans
• Salmon Jerky
• Canned Tuna or Chicken
• Packet Rice or Quinoa
• Packets of Lentil Stew or Chickpea Stew
• Salami Sticks (can easily be sliced, or you can buy small ones for easy snacking)
• Premade Falafel Balls
• Baked Sweet Potatoes

• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Almond Flour Brownies
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Homemade Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Treats
• Rice Pudding Cups
• Nut Butter Cups
• Sugar-Free Candy Bars
• Chocolate Tahini Spread
• Candied Ginger Pieces
• Energy Bites
• Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans
• No-Bake Cookie Dough
• Pepero Sticks (or Pocky )
• Peanut Brittle
• Dark Chocolate Bars

More Vegan Recipes and Chocolates

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25 Best Travel Snacks For Your Next Trip

These picks are approved by our registered dietitians and taste testers for your next adventure.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Our top picks:

CHOMPS Grass Fed Original Beef Jerky Snack Sticks

Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Walnut Superfood Oatmeal

Justin's Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs

Frooze Balls Double Filled Energy Balls (6 Pack)

LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn (24 Pack)

Mariani Probiotic Prunes (4 Pack)

UNiTE Protein Bar Variety Pack (12 Pack)

Sweet Loren's Breakfast Biscuits, Cinnamon Sugar (30 Count)

Whisps Baked Cheese Bites (12 Pack)

Simple Mills Pop Mmms (3 Pack)

Ideal snacks for travel include ones that will keep in your backpack, purse or carry-on without melting or falling apart. If you're traveling by plane, you'll want to make sure the snacks are TSA-compliant , so no liquid or gel food items over 3.4 ounces. Most importantly, the best snacks should have a combination of protein and fiber to keep you fueled and satisfied. Try to aim for about four grams each of protein and fiber, and keep added sugar to a minimum (under eight grams is ideal per snack, which is the equivalent of two teaspoons). Always prioritize fresh produce when possible, since they offer a great combination of fiber and antioxidants to keep you feeling your best during your travels.

Fruits and vegetables also are packed with water, a smart way to stay hydrated during your trip. Hydration in general is the key to savvy travel — especially for long plane rides, so don't forget to bring an empty water bottle with you to fill after you go through security at the airport. Since the altitude is dehydrating, and turbulence/delays can make beverage service unpredictable, it’s worth the investment to buy a second, unsweetened drink at the airport. Pair that with these nutrient-dense snacks and you'll be sure to have a great vacation.

Made from sustainably sourced proteins, these convenient jerky sticks are a notch above from what you'll find at a traditional convenience store en route to your travel destination. The beef and venison varieties are 100% grass-fed and finished, and turkey options are free-range. Every CHOMPS option is hormone-free, antibiotic-free and has lower sodium counts than other options on the market.

Per serving (one stick): 90 calories, 6g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 25mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium, 0g total carb, 0g fiber, 0g total sugars, 9g protein

Oats are an easy base for when you're at a hotel or during any travel experience. Ones that come in a convenient cup like this from Purely Elizabeth just require a bit of hot water that you can ask for on the airplane. While oats can be a great source of fiber and whole grains, flavored varieties tend to be very high in added sugar and void of any protein. That's why these cups are a top pick for us since they only have six grams of added sugar and pack in nine grams of protein from collagen, creating a well-balanced choice.

Per serving (one container): 230 calories, 5g total fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 130mg sodium, 37g total carb, 5g fiber, 9g total sugars, 6g added sugars, 9g protein

Nut or seed butter packs offer a great dose of healthy fats and you can add them to crackers, cereal, oatmeal, fruit or other snacks you've packed (or simply enjoy them on their own). Bonus: Packs smaller than 3 ounces, like these ones, get the thumbs-up from TSA . They even pack in seven grams of protein too.

Per serving (one pack): 210 calories, 18g total fat, 3.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 6g total carb, 1g fiber, 2g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 7g protein

These energy balls are the perfect bite to stash in your purse or backpack for your trip. Made from dates, nuts and fruit, each bite has two freshly made fillings inside and is seriously satisfying. Flavors include caramel chocolate peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut, dulce de leche, lemon, peanut butter and jelly, raspberry dark chocolate and triple chocolate fudge. The tiny packs are great for travel.

Per serving (two balls, peanut butter and jelly): 126 calories, 6g total fat, 2g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 32mg sodium, 16g total carb, 2g fiber, 12g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 3g protein

Popcorn is a great volume-rich snack, meaning you can eat quite a bit of it for very little calories. It is also considered a whole grain and good source of fiber. Skip the movie theatre popcorn dripping in butter, and opt for air-popped or lightly oil-popped varieties. The convenient mini bags from LesserEvil are great to stash in your carry-on and are made with organic extra-virgin coconut oil.

Per serving (one bag): 50 calories, 3g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium, 7g total carb, 2g fiber, 0g total sugars, <1g protein

Between lengthy travel plans and a new environment, keeping things regular can be a challenge. That's why our dietitians suggest having some prunes on hand during any trip. Prunes have a slew of health benefits , and research suggests that prunes are as effective as over-the-counter products to help with constipation. We especially love these prunes from Mariani that add in probiotics for additional gut health and immune support to keep you healthy during your trip and beyond.

Per serving (five to six prunes): 100 calories, 0g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 26g total carb, 3g fiber, 16g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Protein bars can make for an easy travel snack, but not all of them are created equal (some mimic the nutrition facts of a candy bar more than anything else). We like these gluten-free bars from UNiTE that are nutrient-dense and made with dates, nut butters and whey protein. The churro flavor was a tester favorite and packs in 10 grams of protein and five grams of fiber at under 200 calories.

Per serving (one bar, churro): 190 calories, 9g total fat, 1g sat fat, 35mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 19g carb, 5g fiber, 9g total sugars, 7g added sugars, 11g protein

We can't get enough of these sweet breakfasts biscuits that come in convenient packets of three and are made with better ingredients than others on the market. One serving makes for a light breakfast on-the-go or a layover snack, and is packed with 19 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and five B vitamins. Plus, the biscuits are gluten-free and come in blueberry, cinnamon sugar, and chocolate flavors.

Per serving (one pack): 200 calories, 8g total fat, 3g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 180mg sodium, 32g carb, 3g fiber, 11g total sugars, 11g added sugars, 4g protein

Bringing perishable foods like yogurts and cheese sticks might not be possible during your travels, but you'll get the best of both worlds with these baked cheese bites from Whisps that are shelf-stable. Whisps first ingredient is protein-packed cheese and each bite is super crispy and satisfying with a whopping 13 grams of protein per serving. They come in a few fun flavors as well and were a family-friendly hit in taste tests.

Per serving (23 crisps, parmesan): 150 calories, 10g total fat, 7g sat fat, 30mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 1g carb, 0g fiber, 0g total sugars, 13g protein

Looking for something to crunch on mid-flight? These bite-sized popped crackers are baked and made with 1/3 cup of vegetables per serving like organic butternut squash. They have a cheesy flavor and are light and airy. Throw some in a handy reusable snack bag that you can refill all trip long.

Per serving (44 crackers): 140 calories, 5g total fat, 1g sat fat, 5mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 21g carb, 1g fiber, 1g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 2g protein

Natural Delights Medjool Date Strips with Tajin

Who knew that fresh Medjool dates and Tajin chili lime seasoning would pair so well together? This snack offers a unique flavor profile for sweet and spicy lovers, and the simple ingredient list is one to rave about. "Loved the spicy flavor. A flavorful snack and good for on the go," one tester said.

Per serving (one pouch, six pieces): 100 calories, 0.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 340mg sodium, 22g carb, 3g fiber, 19g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Prevail. Grass Fed Beef Jerky (4 Pack)

Our dietitians are fans of this jerky from Prevail since it is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef jerky and is free from fillers and additives. Taste testers appreciated its tender texture and balanced flavor since it is cherrywood smoked and seasoned with organic spices. Most importantly, it has lower sodium and sugar counts than competitors, so you won't get bogged down on your trip. And with 12 grams of protein per serving, it's perfect to keep you fueled on those long rides in the car.

Per serving (one ounce, original): 70 calories, 1.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 30mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 5g total carb, 0g fiber, 4g total sugars, 12g protein

Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips (15 Pack)

A top performer in our potato chips taste test , these sweet potato chips from Jackson's come in perfectly sized snack packs for travel. They are made with premium avocado oil and cooked low and slow to maintain the stability and integrity of the oil's healthy fats. The brand uses non-GMO heirloom sweet potatoes , and while the sea salt is the healthiest options, the flavored choices are truly delicious.

Per serving (one ounce): 150 calories, 9g total fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 16g total carb, 2g fiber, 3g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Junkless Chewy Granola Bars, Chocolate Chip (24 Bars)

An upgraded version of your favorite chewy granola bar, this snack is actually significantly lower in sugar than other brands and is free from high-fructose corn syrup or sugar alcohols. Made from simple ingredients, we love the soft and chewy texture of the bar and that it has no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. "Nice and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate chips to peanut butter," one taste tester said.

Per serving (one bar): 130 calories, 3.5g total fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 22g total carb, 2g fiber, 5g total sugars, 3g protein

Biena Roasted Chickpea Snacks, Sea Salt (10 Pack)

Crispy chickpeas are the perfect protein-packed snack to keep in your carry-on that won't crumble or fall apart. Of course you can make them on your own , but a pre-made pack like this is extra convenient for travel. We love that each portable pouch offers a filling combination of eight grams of both fiber and protein per serving.

Per serving (one pouch): 140 calories, 3.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 20g total carb, 8g fiber, 1g total sugars, 8g protein

Sweet Nothings Nut Butter Bites (6 Pack)

Wholesome and delicious, these disc-shaped, organic bites feature a chewy outer shell of dates, oats and flaxseed wrapped around a nut butter filling with all-organic, no-added-sugar ingredients. Free from gums, stabilizers, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package offers up to four grams of plant-based protein. The bite size treat is perfect for tiding you over at the end of your flight.

Per serving (one package, oatmeal raisin): 145 calories, 5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 23g total carb, 3.5g fiber, 15g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 4g protein

Siete Grain-Free Mexican Shortbread Cookies

Skip the oversized cookies at the airport and pack a few of these seriously delicious Mexican Shortbread cookies from Siete. Made with a lightly sweetened blend of almond flour and pecan pieces with a dash of cinnamon, testers couldn't believe that each cookie only has one gram of sugar. The grain-free treat has a crispy texture and won't fall apart in transit either.

Per serving (five cookies): 150 calories, 9g total fat, 5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 17g total carb, 1g fiber, 5g total sugars, 5g added sugars, 1g protein

Second Nature Antioxidant+ Protein Smart Snack Mix (12 Pack)

Trail mix is a favorite travel snack since it always keeps well and is also resistant to crumbling in your bag. These portion-controlled packets from Second Nature are great for stashing for a road trip or flight. We especially love the flavor combination in the antioxidant mix, and the filling fiber and protein makes this a smart choice. Plus, it doesn't have any chocolate chips like many other mixes which may melt in your bag in transit.

Per serving (one package): 250 calories, 17g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 21g total carb, 4g fiber, 13g total sugars, 5g added sugars, 8g protein

RIND Snacks Straw-Peary Skin-On Dried Fruit (3 Pack)

This chewy whole fruit medley is packed with dried strawberries bursting with jammy flavor, bosc pears and sweet fuji apples. Our dietitians love that RIND maximizes nutrition and minimizes waste by taking upcycled fruit that would otherwise go to waste, retaining their nutrient-rich peels and gently drying them into snackable slices. Plus, dried fruit like this keeps really well when traveling.

Per serving (1/2 cup): 140 calories, 0g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 33g total carb, 5g fiber, 15g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

RXBAR Chocolate Lovers' Protein Bars Box (10 Bars)

When it comes to simple ingredient lists, it doesn't get much better than RXBAR. These tasty bars come in a wide variety of flavors and are loaded with 12 grams of protein thanks to nutrient-dense egg whites. Plus, they are a good source of fiber too — the combo of protein and fiber can help keep you full for longer on those lengthy road trips and train rides. Our registered dietitians point out that these delicious bars are sweetened with dates for binding purposes and contain no added sugar.

Per serving (one bar): 210 cal, 9g total fat, 2g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 23g carb, 5g fiber, 13g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 12g protein

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America’s Favorite Fast Food Joint in Every State (#13 Has a Happy Meal for Adults)

Posted: March 24, 2024 | Last updated: March 25, 2024

Fast food has come a long way since White Castle opened its doors in 1929, becoming the first official chain in the U.S. Today, it's a booming industry, feeding nearly 37% of Americans daily.

But beyond the national giants, a vibrant landscape of regional favorites thrives across the country.

So, grab your top travel credit cards and join us as we explore the most beloved fast food destinations in each state.

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Alabama: Milo’s Hamburgers (Birmingham)

This counter-service destination is a classic destination known for its juicy burgers, fries, and sweet tea.

This fast-food restaurant has several locations, all in Alabama. You’ll have to try the signature sauce to really find out why people come here.

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Alaska: Max Burger (Anchorage)

It’s a smaller location, and you could consider it a bit more upscale than a local dive, but Max Burger is one of the best fast food options in the state.

Noted for their freshly made burgers just the way you like them, it’s a go-to destination for fast, good food.

Arizona: Angie’s Lobster (Glendale)

Pull up or walk up to Angie’s Lobster for a different take on fast food with a seafood spin.

The menu is exactly what you expect, with lobster, shrimp, and snow crab rolls. They also have breakfast sandwiches.

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Arkansas: David’s Burgers (Little Rock)

David’s Burgers is a well-loved counter-service destination with destinations around the state.

The simple menu is intentionally designed by what you could expect from a butcher shop of the 1950s with fresh, cut-and-ground-daily burgers.

California: Peach Pit (Fresno)

With plenty of chains here, Peach Pit, a small destination in Fresno, stands out as a big-burger destination with the best chili cheeseburgers around.

They also offer other goodies like chicken teriyaki for those who are a bit more choosy.

Colorado: Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard (Denver)

This statewide fast food joint is noted for its decadent burgers and chicken sandwiches.

The frozen treats are the perfect ending to a very comfort-focused meal.

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Connecticut: Ted’s Restaurant (Meriden)

A regional destination since 1959, Ted’s Restaurant is known for offering steamed burgers.

An award-winning destination, you have to try the shakes alongside your burger here.

Delaware: Kick n’ Chicken (Lewes)

Kick n’ Chicken serves simple, really good fried chicken. They never use frozen chicken, which is unique for a quick service destination.

Be warned — it takes more than a few minutes, but it's well worth it.

Florida: The Counter Burger Location (Miami)

Why are we choosing an option in a Miami Airport? The Counter Burger Location is a top destination offering gourmet, build-your-own burgers with outstanding quality and service.

It’s one of the best fast food options for the millions traveling through the international airport.

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Georgia: Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon (Brunswick)

Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon offers a simple menu with the perfect hot dog, freshly made tea served by the gallon, and pork chop sandwiches (with a few other must-try options, too).

It’s better than anything you’ll find at a drive-thru lane, especially the friendly faces.

Hawaii: Lahaina Chicken Company (Honolulu)

Lahaina Chicken Company doesn’t have anything to do with messy burgers but specializes in roasted chicken, roasts, and ribs, all served with the sides you like.

Choose what you want, they carve it for you right there, and you’re well on your way to a fast, ready-to-eat meal.

Idaho: Scotty’s Drive-In (Idaho Falls)

This is how fast food used to be, with a drive-in venue-style lineup of the best cheeseburgers around.

The retro-themed destination is also a hot place for classic car lovers, thanks to the displays.

Illinois: Choppers (Chicago)

Choppers opened in 1987 and has provided the Chicago area with the best burgers around.

They’re famous for their “happy meal for adults,” called The Choppak, which is a juicy double cheeseburger and fries.

Make sure to bring your best travel card on your next trip to the wind city and use it to order this (very) happy meal.

Indiana: Punch Burger (Indianapolis)

The burgers at Punch Burger are made with local, grass-fed Angus beef to create the freshest sandwich around.

It’s all about the smash0style burger on a grill top here, and you’ll love the waffle fries as a side, too.

Iowa: B-Bop’s (Des Moines)

B-Bop’s is a fun destination, a true retro-style drive-thru with all the favorites on the menu.

You’ll love the vibe here, and of course, the vintage tunes playing in the background sets the mood.

Kansas: Spangles (Wichita)

Spangles, a state-based fast food restaurant, has been the place to go since 1978, with its mudslides, tornado shakes, and tasty sandwiches.

Try out the sourdough garlic parmesan bacon steakburger for something decadent.

Kentucky: Taco Tico (Lexington)

Here’s a fast food destination for those who love enchiladas and burritos cooked with care and served with heaping portions.

Stop in to pick up a family pack on your way home for an easy dinner they’ll love.

Louisiana: Smalls Slider (Baton Rouge)

For smaller food with a big taste, check out Smalls Slider. With destinations throughout the region, it is a simple place with ample flavor.

Aside from the sliders, the waffle-cut fries and fantastic shakes make this a fun place for a family meal.

Maine: Rapid Ray’s (Saco)

Ray’s is a family-owned destination serving steamed hot dogs, burgers, and lobster rolls.

The destination, established in 1953, is all about speedy service with good food.

Maryland: Chaps Pit Beef (Baltimore)

Here’s fast food that takes a long time to cook, low and slow. Don’t worry, it’s ready for you fast.

The pit beef destination offers it all up, including beef, turkey, pork, and chicken, with all sides you want.

Massachusetts: Clover Food Lab (Cambridge)

At Clover Food Lab, you’ll find a 24-hour destination perfect for the best coffee in the area and great vegetarian food options.

This is a higher-end quick service establishment in a high-tech infused environment, perfect for the professional or student.

Michigan: Zo’s Good Burger (Dearborn)

Zo’s Good Burger is as Michigan as you can get, with some huge burgers with a wide range of styles, including BBQ, Lebanese, Southwest, and even a chipotle bean burger.

Couple this with onion rings and a shake for a meal full of flavor.

Minnesota: My Burger (Minneapolis)

My Burger is an upbeat counter service destination for, of course, burgers. They have a burger of the month club that launches new options to tempt your tastebuds.

It’s a modern destination with never-frozen beef and fresh ingredients that make a difference.

Mississippi: Johnie’s Drive-In (Tupelo)

You won’t be able to use a credit card here, but you will find a vintage, Elvis-inspired fast-food destination that’s an exceptional testament to old-style American eats.

This drive-in offers a fun menu of goodies, including breakfast, salads, barbecue, and the best ribeye steak sandwich in the state.

Missouri: Town-Topic Hamburgers (Kansas City)

Town-Topic Hamburgers has been the city's best destination for fast food since it opened in 1937, selling burgers for 5 cents.

Today, you’ll find the same counter service destination with great breakfast and dinner food. It’s open 24 hours, too.

Montana: Ford’s Drive-In (Great Falls)

An iconic establishment from the car-hop days, Ford’s Drive-in gives you the fast food vibes of the 1950s — greasy burgers and shakes.

It’s so nostalgic, you have to give it a visit if you’re in town just to check out the super-friendly people.

Nebraska: Runza Restasurant (La Vista)

Here’s a fast food chain that bucks the trend by serving German-style sandwiches.

This regional brand has over 75 years of experience offering tasty treats like the French onion dip.

Nevada: Farmer Boys (Las Vegas)

Farmer Boys is a regional fast food destination that does things a bit differently — they use the freshest ingredients possible from local farmers.

Great ingredients and some flavorful burgers (check out the parmesan-crusted sourdough cheeseburger) make for a must-try destination.

New Hampshire: The Common Man Roadside (Hooksett)

The Common Man Roadside is a regional location with handcrafted food, including lobster rolls, pizza, and freshly made sandwiches.

You can also stop by for breakfast and enjoy the cafe for a mid-day break.

New Jersey: The Hot Grill (Clifton)

The Hot Grill calls itself the “world’s tastiest Texas Wieners” and has been serving up all kinds of combinations of goodness on hot dogs since 1961.

Their hot dogs are a custom blend with the perfect “snap” when you bite them.

New Mexico: Blake’s Lotaburger (Las Vegas)

Blake’s Lotaburger is such an iconic destination. Established in 1952 with simple, good fast food, they continue to impress with burgers and chicken made your way.

This regional destination is noted for its green chile cheeseburgers and huge brownies.

New York: Essen Fast Slow Food (New York City)

Essen Fast Slow Food is a different take on fast food. Stop in, enjoy the hot and cold food bars to make your own meal, and get on your way in no time.

It’s a large selection of goodies, including higher-quality options like sushi.

North Carolina: Snoopy’s Hot Dogs & More (Raleigh)

In Raleigh, you’ll find a small building with lots of people standing outside. That’s Snoopy’s Hot Dogs & More.

This old-style, counter-service fast food location offers BBQ, hot dogs, and some of the juiciest burgers around.

North Dakota: Scotty’s (Bismark)

Scotty’s is a long-established fast food joint known for The Rebel Burger. It’s common to see classic cars here, but the food really is what drives people to this location.

Big sandwiches, secret sauce, and fries with perfectly seasoned gravy make it a hardy meal.

Ohio: Swenson’s (Seven Hills)

A true old-style drive-in (they still come running out to your car when you arrive), Swenson’s is a top stop for burgers like The Galley Boy.

This Midwest regional fast food location was established in 1934 with the goal of serving the best hamburger possible.

Oklahoma: Trucker’s Onion Burgers (Oklahoma City)

Burgers, fries, and shakes done the old-fashioned way is the promise of Trucker’s Onion Burgers. The menu is simple, but the burgers are hot and made fresh when you order them.

From fresh fries and lemonade to their combination of beef and turkey burgers, it’s different enough to bring you back over and over again.

Oregon: Mike’s Drive-In (Oregon City)

Mike’s Drive-In is a true old-style burger joint that’s very simple and basic from the outside, serving up big burger portions with lots of topping options.

They’re also known for their ice cream cone for $1.49 every day, all day — the perfect ending to your meal.

Pennsylvania: John’s Roast Pork (Philadelphia)

John’s Roast Pork is a fixture in the cheesesteak world. Established in 1930, this family-run business serves roast pork on buns.

Huge cheesesteaks-style sandwiches made fresh on a grill top, the food here is exceptional and easily craveable (good thing they offer nationwide delivery).

Rhode Island: Olneyville New York System (Providence)

At Olneyville New York System, you have a local staple serving some of the region's best hot dogs, burgers, and steak sandwiches and noted for its celebrity sightings.

Their wiener sauce is legendary, and the cheese fries are truly over-the-top good.

South Carolina: Zesto (Columbia)

Zesto isn’t just an ice cream shop but a burger and chicken fast-food restaurant as well. The locally owned location opened its doors in 1945 and hasn’t stopped creating fantastic food.

It’s a simple menu, and they aim to keep prices as low as possible, too. Have the corn dog or the Zestoburger with fries and slaw.

South Dakota: Zesto (Pierre)

Zesto (no affiliation with the South Carolina location) is a fantastic ice cream shop serving fish and chip baskets, barbeque, and a pizza burger that’s on point.

Whether you choose one of the slushes or a float, you’ll certainly love the flavor and the smiling staff here.

Tennessee: Hugh-Baby’s (Nashville)

It doesn’t look like much more than a shack, but what they do inside is magical. Fantastic BBQ and burgers, freshly made fries, and sweet-as-can-be shakes make it a must.

This small, fast-food chain offers surprisingly good slow-smoked pulled pork and lots of exceptionally prepared options that go beyond the average fast-food destination.

Texas: Top Notch (Austin)

Top Notch, a two-location old-school burger joint and drive-in, is known for more than its food. They have live music and car shops you have to check out.

A staple in the area since 1971, the menu has plenty of options, including fried pies for dessert.

Utah: Golden Gyros (Salt Lake City)

For fast food prepared in authentic Greek fashion, check out Golden Gyros.

They have a lot of fast food favorites, like mushroom Swiss burgers and bacon cheeseburgers, but they also offer options like the feta burger and, of course, gyros.

They’re a simple destination using old-school recipes to create fantastic meals.

Vermont: Beansie’s Bus (Burlington)

It’s a retrofitted school bus that opened in 1944, offering fries and Michigan hot dogs from April through September each year, but Beanie’s Bus is a true local favorite.

It’s fast food but made with attention to detail from passionate owners.

Virginia: Bo Bo’s Fine Chicken (Virginia Beach)

BoBo’s Fine Chicken isn’t a 99-cent burger type of place because it serves local fried chicken made from scratch.

It’s a simple destination that offers family-style seasoning and hardy portions no matter if you want to come in to sit and chat or go through the drive-thru.

Washington: Lil Woody’s Burgers & Shakes (Seattle)

A local fast food chain, Lil Woody’s Burgers & Shakes is a fun, upbeat burger joint with an environmentally conscious focus.

They source everything they can locally, including Royal Ranch grass-fed beef, and hand-cut the fries on-site.

West Virginia: Tudor’s Biscuit World (Charleston)

At Tudor’s Biscuit World, you can step up to the counter to order from a large menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices. The stacked ham sandwich is just one of several must-try options.

For breakfast, nothing beats a biscuit sandwich prepared with what you love on it.

Wisconsin: JD’s Drive-In (Appleton)

Since 1968, JD’s Drive-In has served American grub counter service style. The burgers are tasty, and the fries are packed full.

What you’ll really want to check out, though, is the frozen custard to end your meal — super sweet with lots of flavor options.

Wyoming: Hamburger Stand (Casper)

Hamburger Stand is the type of fast food location you want when you want comfort food at its best.

This regional fast food destination offers burgers, chili cheese dogs, and corn dogs that are sure to bust any craving.

Bottom line

While the specific forms of fast food may vary across the country, they all share a common purpose: providing quick, convenient meals while helping you keep more cash in your wallet .

From classic options to more adventurous creations, there's no denying the appeal of a satisfying and familiar meal, especially after a long day.

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