8 Nonperishable Road Trip Snacks For Kids

One key road trip essential is to make sure you have enough snacks. These 8 nonperishable road trip snacks for kids will keep them fed and busy while you make it a few more miles. These are great snacks for diaper bags too!

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According to my kids, I don’t actually carry a diaper bag. 

I carry a snack bag. 

They are not wrong. 

While there are certainly diapers in the diaper bag (and wipes plus a change of clothes per kid), it mostly contains snacks. A big old plastic ziploc bag of snacks. Heaven forbid we are out and about on some adventure or another, the kids get cranky hungry, and I don’t have any snacks.

The results of that would be to bail on the entire mission and promptly head home to feed the kids. 

I obviously cannot let that happen. I don’t sit still well and I certainly don’t sit still in my own house well. 

As such, a bag of snacks is the very prominent feature no matter where I am. This includes driving cross country (multiple times) both with and without kids.

Since the nature of our schedule right now with three kids is such that we are often in the car during snack time, I have a few rules that I follow when I plan a road trip and the best snacks to bring:

• Snacks that look easy to pack and toss at kids, like apple sauce pouches or yogurt tubes, are hard for them to eat. You are asking for a huge mess of spilled sauce and crusted yogurt with these. 

• Definitely have a snack cup the kids can eat out of. This means you can buy snacks in larger packages rather than individual ones and pour them into the cups. A cup also makes it easier for little hands to get into. 

• Don’t pick items that are easily chokable. There are certain foods I am fine giving the kids when we are home and eating at the table that I will not give them while we are driving. If something were to get stuck, I wouldn’t be able to get back there quickly to clear it. 

• Choose foods that do not need a cooler. You want nonperishable items so if you forget to unpack the cooler for a day or two, you are not kicking yourself. 

• Opt for foods that tolerate heat. With most road trips taking place during nice weather, you want foods that will be fine in a hot car. Pass on homemade muffins.

• Skip snacks that get squashed easily underweight. Your car is full of kids, luggage, and all the gear. You don’t need to stress about where the snacks are.

With these parameters in mind, here are the top 8 nonperishable road trip snacks for kids I always pack for longer car rides. 

Apples

Okay, I know that these are perishable, but they last a really long time, hold up to the squish test, and it takes the kids longer than 12 seconds to eat them. Apples also hold up well in the car heat or if you forget them in there for a day or two.

Dried Fruit

Dried mangoes and dates are two of our family’s favorite snacks. Sweet, full of fiber, and non-perishable make them an easy win for a road trip.

Fruit Leather 

I know you are sensing a fruit theme here, but since my kids just adore fruit (and our youngest would be happy to only eat fruit), there are many of these options. 

We have gone through many variations of fruit leathers, but the kids’ favorites are Stretch Island, That’s It Fruit Bars, and Good & Gather Fruit Strips from Target.

Jerky 

Personally, I don’t love jerky, but the kids and Rob really like it. It serves as a good protein snack for road trips. My favorite jerky brands to feed everyone are Chomps, Dukes, and Fire Creek Snack Sticks.

Bars

Bars are super convenient to throw in the road trip snack bag. However, you need to pay attention to the sugar and sodium content in many of them. I am pretty picky about the types of bars I buy for the kids as some of them can border on being a fancy candy bar. 

The ones I feel good about us having are Thunderbird Bars, Date Bars, Made Good Bars, and RX bars. The RX bars are a little bit harder texture-wise, so I typically save these for the adults. I also personally love these granola bars for the simple ingredients (but Rob and the kids do not prefer them).

Crackers 

During a road trip, having something you can really crunch on is very satisfying. While apples can fit that bill, crackers also serve this purpose. 

The crackers we like are RW Garcia Organic Sweet Potato Crackers and Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers.

Road Trip Snacks For Older Kids and Adults 

As you know, I am very cautious about the snacks I give the kids while we are driving. I want to avoid choking at all times, but especially in the car. 

These two additional road trip snacks are reserved for the older kids and adults.

Popcorn 

I love popcorn for a road trip because you can eat a lot of it when you have the driving munchies. You do have to be cautious with it as it can get squished under heavier bags and gear.

Pop it yourself and pack it (so simple and cheap!), or buy some prepopped bags.

Trail Mix

A good trail mix can bring so much road trip joy. I know that sounds weird, but it really does have a little mix of everything. Trail mix serves as a bit of healthy fats, protein, and fun. Make your trail mix yourself, or buy some premade ones. Just be mindful of keeping these in the car when it’s hot as any chocolate items will melt.

These 8 nonperishable road trip snacks for kids are ideal for any long drive or plane trip. Just make sure you can easily reach the snack bag in the car from where you will be sitting. Quick access to them is going to be key to everyone staying happy and fed.