Road Trip Snacks for Kids- With summer underfoot we’re all planning where to go and who to see. One of my all time favorite memories growing up were the road trips that my family would take in the summer. We would take out the middle seat of our Astro Van and load in all the luggage, snacks, games and dog to head out on an adventure. My sister and I would take naps, play games, sing and have an awesome time while Mom and Dad navigated the way to our destination. We would mostly drive to see family in Michigan, Oklahoma or to camping trips. One year we drove to Disney World and that was especially memorable.
I’ve now continued on the tradition with my own family. First, with my husband and now with our daughter. One integral part of road tripping is choosing the right snacks. My husband and I always had our go-to snacks that were a requirement for any long ride. Mt. Dew and a Kit Kat for him and Sunkist and Almond Joy for myself (and likely a bag of pizza combos for substance). Now that we have a daughter adventuring with us, we need to think more logically about our nutrition and what will sustain us happily for our travels.
What I’ve learned, as a Mom to a four year old, is that if you ask them ‘what would you like to eat?’ the answer is always ‘McDonald’s with chocolate milk!’ This is why on our road trips we now bring along our snacks and there is not thinking about where to stop. The best thing ever is to prep the snacks at home so it’s a surprise when they open them on the ride. We like to put the snacks in a bento box or tackle box with little dividers so there are lots of options but not a ton of food. Best for clean up as well as multiple choices.
Road Trip Snacks for Kids
- Popcorn (the Cousin Willie’s White Cheddar Popcorn is the best you’ll ever have)
- Nuts (you can do a mixed nut or go fancy with the coco covered almonds)
- Bananas (fruit is kind of hard to keep fresh but bananas are perfect because they come in their own container)
- Trail Mix (we mix sunflower seeds, cranberries and chocolate chips)
- Candy of their choice (we let her pick out one candy to take with on the trip so she’s not begging for treats every time she sees a billboard for ice cream)
On of the best parts about this is that there is no waste on the trip and no plastic waste from the purchase. The only waste is the popcorn bag. The rest of the snacks can all be purchased in bulk. If you’re joining the ‘Plastic Free July‘ challenge you can still travel and have snacks without plastic waste! What other snacks does your family bring with you on road trips? I’d love to know any tips you might have for smooth family travels as well!
This is not a sponsored post but there are affiliate links to my favorite snacks on Amazon. Photo credit goes to Upsplash.
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