20 Nutritious Road Trip Snacks

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When planning a car journey, it’s important to consider how you’ll stay energised on your adventure. Many traditional road trip snacks can be full of added salt, added sugar, and saturated fat. These kinds of foods can give you a quick boost but often leave you feeling tired, thirsty, and lethargic instead of feeling nourished, energised, and balanced. But eating nutritiously on the road can be easier than you think.

When planning your snacks, consider the many phases of a road trip. Choose foods that can nourish your excitement as you get on the road but will also keep you going towards the end of your trip. Good snacks to take on a road trip include foods that pack well, contain fibre and protein, and offer a variety of textures and flavours for the journey.

Depending on how long your travels are, there may be energy slumps, naps, and even some irritation as the question “Are we there yet?” starts to arise.

Good nutrition can manage the ups and downs of the road, helping to reduce the risk of getting overly hungry or upset in the car. If you experience any delays like heavy traffic, car troubles, a flat tyre, or even an intentional detour, you’ll be thankful you have nutritious options on hand.

In addition, drivers will feel more energised and alert behind the wheel when they have proper hydration and nutrition. Drivers need to stay focused, especially on long driving days.

When you’re properly prepared with food for the road, you’ll make fewer stops and save money on meals. Planning ahead can actually add up to big savings!

Consider how you’ll effectively pack your snacks for the entire journey. Reusable packaging like glass containers, jars, or snack bags that provide easy access are great for road trips. Pack a cool box or bag to keep drinks and perishable snack options cold, and refill it with ice at a petrol station or charging stop if needed.

Pack snacks in bulk and label them so you know what to bring out at the right time while on the road. Foods you can hold in one hand that don’t drip or cause a mess in the car are also an important consideration, especially for the driver.

Bringing a variety of foods, flavours, and calorie levels can help you navigate every part of a road trip from start to finish. When packing for your next adventure, consider how long you’ll be on the road and pack one snack from each category below (crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet) for each traveller per day. Label each bag or container with what the snack is and what category it fits into so if you or another travel companion is craving something salty or sweet, you know exactly what to hand them.

Snacks with fibre-containing carbohydrates, satiating protein, and unsaturated fats are great for road trip adventures. Keeping both sweet and salty options as well as crunchy and creamy snacks can also help satiate any level of hunger or craving along the way.

In addition to balanced snacks, many road trippers look for snack qualities that fit their food choice values. You can eat clean on a road trip by choosing the right kinds of foods. Look for plant-based options that are certified organic. If this is a priority for you, choose produce, grains, nuts, and other products that are labeled organic at the store.

Whether you’re craving something crunchy, creamy, salty, or sweet, there’s a road trip snack to meet your needs.


If you crave a crunchy snack, there are so many options, from nuts and seeds to CLIF BAR White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Flavour Minis and dried veg. Fresh produce is also a great crunchy option while you’re in the car, and many fruits or veg pack better than you may realise.

• CLIF BAR Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis: 100-calorie crunchy snack bars that are made with plant-based ingredients and feature organic peanut butter mixed with crunchy peanut pieces
• Almonds and raisins (1 handful each)
• Roasted chickpeas
• Homemade or store-bought muesli: Consider sprinkling over a single-serve yoghurt cup
• Make-ahead simple salad in a jar: Layer dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, cooked barley, and hearty greens like chopped kale; when ready to eat, shake and enjoy
• Chopped broccoli florets or fresh sugar snap peas: Consider dipping in a single-serve hummus cup


Smooth, creamy, decadent snacks can also be nutritious and suitable for a road trip. Many of these foods need to be kept cold, so pack your cool box and keep it stocked with ice cubes or reusable ice packs. Be sure to pack reusable spoons for creamy snacks you need to scoop to eat.

• Chia seed pudding: 2 tablespoons (30g) chia seeds with 125ml milk of your choice and a teaspoon (5g) of honey and/or flavouring like vanilla extract or cinnamon. Make this one day ahead of time so it has a few hours to set into a pudding-like texture
• 20-25g cheese slice
• Fruit pouch
• Greek-style dairy or non-dairy yoghurt
• CLIF Nut Butter Bar: This bar has 7 g of plant-based protein and is made with satisfying ingredients like delicious, creamy nut butter, and whole grain rolled oats

Craving a little salt? Not a problem! Many nutritious foods can provide that salty flavour that you’re looking for on your adventure. Eat salty snacks with plenty of water on your trip so you stay balanced and hydrated. Too much salt can make you feel thirsty, dehydrated, and low on energy.

• Popcorn: Portion a larger bag into smaller, compostable bags or jars for easy car snacking
• Whole-wheat tortilla with lentil dip spread, some cold meats or seasoned tofu, and a cos lettuce leaf wrapped up for the road
• Jerky: Meat-based, fish, or even soya or mushroom options
• Make-ahead peanut butter or almond butter sandwich on whole meal bread. Feel free to add some jam or berry slices as well.


There’s nothing wrong with a sweet treat, especially on a road trip. Think beyond chocolate bars and fizzy drinks as you expand your snack options to foods that will help maintain your energy on the journey.

• Fresh strawberries: Don’t forget to pack a bag or container for the tops!
• Fruit rolls: Homemade or shop-bought
• Homemade or store-bought muffins: Consider a recipe that uses wholemeal flour and/or oats and shredded carrots, courgette, and/or chopped berries
• Apple slices with yoghurt dip made from ¼ cup (60g) dairy or non-dairy yoghurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
• Homemade energy balls: 1 cup (80g) oats, ½ cup (125g) nut butter, ¼ cup (85g) honey, ½ cup (50g) shredded coconut, 1/3 cup (50g) chopped nuts like hazelnuts or walnuts. Make these ahead of time by adding all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, pulsing until it turns to a dough, then rolling it into bite-sized balls with your fingertips and storing in the fridge until you leave

While you’re packing for car holiday, don’t forget the nutritious snacks. Stay healthy and satisfied while you’re hitting the road by planning some of these simple road trip snacks to enjoy along the way.