Too much salt can bring on the bloat, and too much sugar can mess with moods as blood sugar levels spike and drop. Changes to schedules, lots of sitting and not enough fiber and water can also do a number on the digestive system. To stay satiated, prevent travel-induced bloating and constipation, and keep the “Are we there yets?” to a minimum, pack healthy road trip snacks filled with fiber and protein and without a ton of sodium and added sugar. Ready to go? Here are healthy (or, at least, healthy-ish) snacks to satisfy every craving and please even the pickiest of palates whether you’re on a short road trip to grandma’s house, or taking a cross-country round trip adventure. Plus, these snacks are portable, easy to eat, and low-mess.

Protein-packed road trip snacks

  1. Jerky: Jerky in all forms—beef, turkey, salmon or even plant-based—is a road-trip superstar. But it’s high in sodium (and salt equals bloat) and easy to overeat, so keep an eye on portions.
  2. Cheese: Taking a cooler? String cheese or Babybels are an easy win. Want to use less plastic? Cut your own squares from a block, or grab a bag of Target’s Good & Gather mini-string cheese.
  3. Hummus with fresh veggies or multigrain crackers: Who doesn’t love a good dip? A single-serving 2-ounce container of hummus packs about 4 grams of protein. Pair that with fiber-rich crackers or virtually any veggie—carrots, bell peppers, snow peas, grape tomatoes, broccoli, celery—for a super-satisfying and healthy snack.
  4. Homemade energy bites: No-bake energy or protein bites are endlessly adaptable, often made with a combo of oats, chia seeds, nut butters and a sweetener, like dates or maple syrup. Check out some these sugar-free keto energy bites.
  5. Trail mix or mixed nuts: Nuts are a great source of protein and fiber, but trail mix can easily verge into dessert territory when it includes dried fruit, M&Ms, yogurt-coated raisins and mini-marshmallows. Choose just one sweet add-in or a mix that’s predominantly nuts and fruit to hit the right trail mix ratio. Or stick to mixed nuts. This Coconut Cashew Trail Mix recipe offers good balance.
  6. Nut bars: Bars from KIND and Larabar put nuts front and center and come in a slew of flavors. Their mini-varieties are the perfect size for smaller appetites.
  7. Seeds: Good things come in small packages. Seeds are great sources of healthy fats, protein and fiber. Munch on roasted and shelled pumpkin and sunflower seeds or look for snacks containing filling chia seeds (like from Health Warrior).
  8. Protein bars: With seemingly endless choices of protein bars, it can be tricky to know which to choose. For adults, look for ones that have at least 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber and no more than 13 grams of sugar (preferably from natural sweeteners). Kid-friendly options include Clif Z, Larabar and thinkKIDS.
  9. Yogurt: Yogurt tubes, drinks and pouches are portable and convenient, but they’re often pretty sugar-heavy. Still, they’re great sources of healthy probiotics and protein. Choose ones made with Greek yogurt (like Chobani tubes) or Icelandic yogurt (like siggi’s tubes) or kefir (like Lifeway ProBugs pouches).
  10. Hard-boiled eggs: If you’re bringing a cooler, bring some HBE’s for energy-boosting, hunger-blasting protein. One large egg contains 6 grams of protein.
  11. Cottage cheese: Creamy cottage cheese is a healthy favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. Single-serving containers are a must-add to the car’s cooler. (Just don’t forget the spoons.)
  12. Meat roll-ups: Meet the inside of your favorite sandwich in a neat, easy-to-eat package. Top slices of turkey, ham or other deli meat with a slice of cheese, slather with a bit of cream cheese, Laughing Cow or other spreadable cheese, and roll them up.

Easy fruit snacks for car rides

  1. Fresh fruit: Fruit is filled with fiber. Choose healthy fruits that aren’t too mushy, too messy, can be kept cool, and won’t get brown. Not-too-ripe bananas, pre-peeled oranges and crisp whole apples fit the bill.
  2. Applesauce and other fruit pouches: No spoon? No problem. Choose unsweetened applesauce or pureed-fruit pouches without added sugar. Some varieties also contain healthy veggies, chia seeds and yogurt.
  3. Fruit chips: Munch away on no-sugar-added dried fruit chips, like from Bare, to satisfy a craving for something crunchy and naturally sweet. Varieties include apple, banana, coconut and pineapple.
  4. Dried fruit: Dehydrated fruit—prunes, apricots, figs, raisins—is a good source of fiber, but it can be really easy to eat too much. Watch portions and stick to varieties without any added sugar.

Healthy sweet snacks to quench road trip cravings

  1. Oat bites: Oats are a great source of filling fiber and protein. Bobo’s Oat Bites are vegan, gluten-free, and contain 2 grams each of fiber and protein. Or make your own ahead of time, like these Blue-Zone Oatmeal Breakfast Bites.
  2. Drizzled popcorn: Drizzled popcorn offers the best of both worlds: salty (but not too salty) and sweet (but not too sweet) in one snack. The Safe + Fair Food Company makes several vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO flavors: birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, key lime pie and dark chocolate.
  3. Breakfast cereal: Not all cereal or granola needs to be eaten in a bowl with milk. It can be great finger food, too. But cereal can be a sugar bomb, so choose cereals that contain less sugar and are made with whole grains, like Cheerios, shredded wheat or homemade granola.
  4. Flavored rice cakes: Sometimes you just need something sweet when you’re on a long road trip. Flavored rice cakes can heal the hankering without sending blood sugar levels skyrocketing. Quaker Oats’ rice cakes come in flavors such as chocolate, caramel and apple cinnamon.
  5. Muffins: Most manufactured muffins are overloaded with sugar. Making a batch at home before the road trip allows you to control the ingredients. Plus, you can freeze and defrost them ahead of time. Try these healthy muffin recipes.

Healthiest crunchy snacks

  1. Popcorn: Both Skinny Pop and Angie’s Boomchickapop have less sodium than many other brands and are available in handy single-serving pouches, so each passenger can have their own bag.
  2. Veggie chips: Not to be confused with their potato brethren, these healthy crisps are made with veggies such as kale, beets, sweet potatoes and carrots. Brad’s Plant-Based, Bare, and Terra varieties are good sources of protein and fiber without a ton of salt.
  3. Cheesy snacks: OK, they’re still cheese puffs, but they’re a slightly more elevated take on the neon-orange kind. Target’s Good & Gather Parmesan crisps, classic Goldfish and Harvest Snaps Yellow White Cheddar Popper Duos are made with real cheese. Non-dairy “cheese” options include Hippeas organic chickpeas puffs or Spudsy sweet potato puffs.
  4. Roasted chickpeas: The crunchy little legumes pack a punch, with 6 grams each of protein and fiber per ounce. Make your own savory chickpea treat at home, or try Biena chickpea snacks in flavors such as sea salt, ranch or habanero.
  5. Brown-rice cakes with nut butter: Rice cakes made from whole-grain brown rice offer more nutritional value than those made with more refined white rice. Squeeze some nut butter from a single-serve pack (like Justin’s almond or peanut butter) on top and add some fresh fruit, like berries or bananas, to add even more fiber and protein.
  6. Seaweed snacks: Plant-based, nutrient-dense, low-calorie and light as air, roasted seaweed can cure a craving for a snack with umami flavor. GimMe Organic seaweed sheets and Annie Chun’s organic seaweed snacks and crisps come in flavors such as sea salt, teriyaki, wasabi and toasted sesame.

Healthier drinks for road trip sipping

  1. Water: Don’t leave home without it. Sip plenty to stave off dehydration—which can lead to sleepiness, grumpiness and headaches—but not so much you’ll need to stop for a bathroom break every few miles. Water is also essential for keeping digestion working well.
  2. Milk: Toss a few single-serving packs of protein-rich white milk or almond, oat, or other non-dairy milk (preferably unsweetened) into the cooler for a creamy refresher.
  3. Sparkling water: Fruit-flavored sparkling water can be a great no-sugar, no-caffeine alternative to plain water or soda. Some brands, like Polar and bubly, make mini-cans—perfect for teeny hands. Just don’t overdo it: Carbonated drinks can fill the belly with air and cause bloating.
  4. Kombucha: Quench your thirst and keep your digestion running smoothly with fizzy, fermented kombucha, which is loaded with gut-friendly natural probiotics. Sugar is needed for the fermentation process, but brands with low- or no-sugar options include Revive, Better Booch and Humm.

Healthy road trip snacking tips

If you still need inspiration for packing healthy foods on your road trip, use these general tips for pleasant road-trip snacking: Before you hit the road, check out 10 Tips For A Stress-Free Road Trip With Kids. 

31 Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks 2021 - 7031 Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks 2021 - 4231 Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks 2021 - 2531 Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks 2021 - 26