A road trip with toddlers can be exhausting for everyone in the car. We spent a lot of time preparing endless hours of distractions in the form of games, toys, and books, but what they usually want comes in the form of snack foods. To keep the kids happy, snacks are key! Here we share the best road trip toddler snacks to make your next road trip easier.
25 Best Road Trip Toddler Snack Ideas
Let’s be honest, food just makes everyone happier. But it can be challenge to find snack ideas that aren’t messy, that are healthy, and ones that even picky eaters will enjoy! Here is a list of our 25 favorites–(don’t worry mom, there are some healthy snack options here too)!
Read More: Awesome Road Trip Ideas Across the USA
1. Frozen Squeezable Yogurt Tubes
We pack these in our kids’ lunches during the week. They go in the lunch box frozen. By lunch, they are thawed and ready to eat! My kids also love to eat them frozen, so it’s a win-win either way!
2. Dry cereal
We make this snack more fun by adding a variety of dry cereals. My kids love making their own cereal trail mix!
3. Waffles
Pop them in the toaster before you head out the door and pack them along. Leave the syrup at home but you can make waffles with blueberries or strawberries and they are extra tasty!
Read More: Could You Travel Around the World with a Child Who Eats Only Peanut Butter?
4. Tortilla Roll-ups
Our kids love making these, so it’s a great way to get them involved in the prep work! Grab a few whole-grain tortillas and fill it with your kid’s favorite meats and cheeses! You can make dessert tortilla roll-ups with almond butter, Nutella or peanut butter. My kids actually enjoy dipping tortillas in guacamole and some stores carry individual single-serving guacamole cups.
Read More: If you have older kids, check out these healthy snacks your teens will love!
5. Granola Bars
There are so many options out there and these bars make an easy quick snack. My favorite part is that they are very filling.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Consider renting an RV for your next family road trip. RV travel is the easiest and most affordable way to travel with kids. And there are cabinets for storing the snacks!
6. String Cheese & Raisins
My kids love this combo. I normally tie together a box of raisins with each string cheese.
7. Nuts
You can purchase the individual snack sizes which are great for traveling. Nuts are a great healthy toddler snack as long as there are no allergies to nuts in your family.
8. Squeezable Applesauce
GoGo Squeez is also great for planes as it’s TSA-approved. We’ve traveled with these since my kids were babies!
9. Mini Bagels or Muffins
We love mini bagels for snack time! They are great with cream cheese, peanut butter or jam. The mini muffins are good too because you can typically buy them in a variety pack so that there is a flavor for everyone to enjoy.
10. Dried Fruit
Have you tried dried strawberries? They are delicious and there are many other fruit options to choose from.
Read More: Best Keto-Friendly Snacks to Pack
11. Trail Mix
Make your own healthy trail mix with dry cereal, chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, and almonds or a variety of different dried fruits and nuts. We let each member of our family choose one ingredient; the 5 of us come up with some interesting combos!
12. Cut Veggies
Choose carrot sticks, red peppers, cucumbers, and celery cut into bite-sized pieces. The more colorful it is, the more excited my kids are about eating them! Cut veggies are an easy snack idea!
13. Pirate’s Booty
This is delicious white cheddar popcorn that the kids love. You can order them in bulk which is great considering how popular they’ll be with your kid.
14. Fresh Fruit
Oranges, strawberries, apples, raspberries and blueberries are great fresh fruit options. Most grocery stores have pre-washed apple slices that are wonderful with a side of peanut butter!
15. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Peel them at home and bring something to keep them cold until you’re ready to eat them. Most convenient stores will have salt & pepper packs to use on your eggs.
16. Animal Crackers
No road trip is complete without animal cracks. A classic toddler favorite! Try creating an animal cracker mix with a variety of animal crackers.
17. Graham Crackers
My kids love graham cracker sandwiches (graham crackers with a thin layer of peanut butter or Nutella between them). This is one of our favorite toddler snacks.
18. Fruit leather
Fruit leathers are available in most all grocery stores. Pinterest is full of recipes on how you can make this snack at home which might be a fun “vacation prep” activity for the kids.
19. Fruit snacks
These are my kids favorite snack. I can get a few miles of peace and quiet if they know that a fruit snack is their reward. You can buy these in large quantities at places like Sams and Costco.
20. Hummus
A great dip for crackers or your fresh veggies. Have you tried chocolate hummus?!
21. Goldfish
These delicious cheese crackers are a staple in our home and on every road trip. Try this recipe for ranch flavored goldfish.
22. Fig Newtons
Fig Newtons are the road trip snacks that I remember eating while road tripping with my grandparents.
23. Pretzels
This snack comes in all shapes and sizes. We like pretzel sticks for road trips because we can use them to eat cheese cubes and dip them into our peanut butter.
24. Pepperonis
A great easy protein snack. My kids like to make “kid” kabobs with pretzel sticks, pepperonis and cubed cheese. They enjoy making them and eating them–that’s what we moms call a “WIN-WIN.”
25. Popcorn
Throw a couple of bags in the microwave before you head out the door. Not only is it a great snack but the car will smell great! Is it really snacking if popcorn isn’t included? Check out this recipe for a delicious white chocolate popcorn recipe.
Snack Bags for Each Kid
We’ve master snack time on road trips. My kids like to have their own stuff. My three little ones have always had their own backpacks and snack bags when we travel. That way there are less “discussions” over who ate someone’s “favorite” snack, everyone starts out with the same amount. They also keep their trash in their own snack bags which means less mess for mom to clean!
I normally buy a few extra lunch boxes right after the back to school seasons. You can also find some great reusable snack bags like these. Stock up so that you’ll be prepared for your next road trip!
Happy Toddlers Equal Happy Road Trips
Choosing the right toddler snacks for a family on-the-go is never easy, but hopefully, these ideas will help on your next journey. One of the best ways to keep the kids excited about the snack selection is to keep them hidden and only pull out a few at a time. My kids know that a new state line means new snacks!
Read More: Looking for additional food suggestions? Check out this list:
Family Road Trip Snacks: Those Awesome Highway Convenience Stores
s says
Some nice tips, but squeezable yogurt and applesauce? What do your car seats look like?! I would advise against liquid-y foods that easily get into the fabric.
Syed says
Hey team!
MOR snacks is the most basic snack that’s actually really good. No added sugars. No preservatives. MOR is pure ingredients without the extras. We use freeze dried fruits, dried cheese, and nuts to create the most amazing flavor combos.
We were thinking MOR snacks would be a perfect feature for your readers. We’d love to send you samples and collaborate. Let me know if you’re interested and we’ll make it happen!
Supriya Kutty says
Very nicely explained all the details regarding the road trip snacks and the time required to cook thank you very much for sharing this recipe I really liked looking at the pictures can’t wait to try more of it.
Jennifer says
Well We have no plans to travel anywhere this summer..Not yet anyway! But we will consider these snacks for kids. My son will love it.
Christine Tibbetts says
I really like your concept of “A new state line means serving up a new snack.” Do you hand the kids simple printed maps too?
Dexter-Parr says
Wow, thanks for the tips, there were a few on the list I never thought of. But something for all the grand-kids to nibble one!