What to Bring to Eat on Roadtrip

Updated on September 13, 2011
A.E. asks from Tahoe City, CA
18 answers

I have a 2 and 4 yo and am looking for ideas on food and snacks for our 8+ hour drive to LA this week. We are a very healthy family and I was planning on sandwiches, fruit, hummus with whole wheat pita and veggies and gogurt. What other ideas do you have that won't mess up the car too much?

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K.F.

answers from New York on

My favorite road trip travel food is fried chicken. It is probably the only time I eat it because I don't eat many fried foods. It is a tasty treat for that occassional road trip. Don't forget the buttermilk biscuts or cornbread. YUM!!!

3 moms found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

String cheese, crackers, apple slices, dry cereal, juice boxes, rice cakes, they have the caramel ones, which are healthy and delicious, or different kinds too.

2 moms found this helpful

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C.D.

answers from Dallas on

trail mix! Mix up some peanuts, raisins, pretzels, and M&M's...yummy!

2 moms found this helpful

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

maybe some homemade oatmeal cookies for a treat?
cheese stick

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

gold fish, cheerios, juice boxes, raisins, are all good low key snack items.

1 mom found this helpful

C.P.

answers from Columbia on

I second the trail mix or Chex (I like Crispix) mix.

Popcorn (light butter) would be easy (and the pieces will vacuum up very easily.

I tend to bring sandwich fixings or cold fried chicken. We stop at a rest stop or roadside park to eat, let the kids play, and got potty/wash up. Try not to let them eat for the entire trip or use food to give them "something to do" or you'll constantly be stopping.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

Sliced deli meat
Cheese
Goldfish
Pretzels

1 mom found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

it sounds like you have plenty...the more you bring the more you'll need to stop to potty!!! :)

I love to make my own Chex Mix and add nuts.

I personally love the Blue Diamond Wasabi Almonds...might be too spicy for the kids though...

GOOD LUCK!!

1 mom found this helpful
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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Sounds good. Some cold chicken maybe?

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J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I would suggest that you check out where the road stops are that are along the way as well as fast food places (I know, but hear me out) that have playgrounds. This way you can stop, eat, use the restrooms and let the kids run a bit. Hopefully, you can get some juice at the fast food places so they won't get upset that you're using their facility. Good luck.

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L.B.

answers from San Francisco on

o's, grapes, crackers, cut up strawberries, yogurt drinks, pb&j,cut up cheese.

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M.H.

answers from Sacramento on

We travel a ton with our 2.5 year old- and one thing that we always bring for the plane or car ride is cherry tomatoes and cut up cucumber. It's safe to eat at room temperature and isn't sticky! My daughter also really enjoys the roasted seaweeed that you can buy at Trader Joes.

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3.B.

answers from Cleveland on

Trail mix, Turkey Jerky, dried fruit. I think you have the basics down!

J.H.

answers from San Antonio on

I make trail mix for the kids every week. (Sometimes they make it.) It's great to put in a baggie for the kids to gnosh on through out the day.

K.J.

answers from New Orleans on

Bananas,grapes,dry cereal in a little bag,cheese or peanut butter crackers,garonla bars....thats what I came up with. :)

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J.K.

answers from Chicago on

Freeze dried fruits, crunchy green beans and snap pea crisps which can all be found at Trader Joes are great car foods. Granola bars too.

You could also make some mini pizzas on whole wheat English muffins and they can eat them cold - I just made some for my kid's lunchbox. Just make sure you have some wipes on hand.

J.I.

answers from San Antonio on

We drove 20 hours from Texas to California, then another 20 hours back. We snacked on beef jerky (gotta get some protein), string cheese, mandarin oranges (clementines, easy-peel) fresh from the market, juice boxes, water, goldfish, and apples.

If it were me, I'd stick away from 'dips' unless you plan to sit in the back seat with them and help them eat it. I did NOT sit in the back seat, so did not do dips like hummus or yogurt. I brought some plastic bags (for trash) and napkins, a knife and a couple paper plates for cutting up the apple on our center console and passed that to the backseat. Grapes were too scary with choking while driving, so skipped on that. Banana would be a good snack I'd think. Good luck. Enjoy your trip.

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T.C.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I often will make some grilled chicken ahead of time and put in a ziplock bag. Then, cut up some romaine lettuce. Just put them together with our without dressing. My kids love it. You can also add cukes, or other vegies to the lettuce if you want, but it isn't necessary. You can also roll up some turkey around a cheese stick (or just snack on cheese sticks). Grapes are a good snack also, if you trust the little one with grapes. You could cut them up ahead of time.

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