Road trips with healthy snacks

For many families, the summer road trip is a much-anticipated part of the holiday break - and considering the size of our state it can be quite an expedition!

Travelling with kids can be a lot to organise - especially when trying to anticipate the weather, where the best break spots will be and what food will be available along the way.  

If you’re planning a road trip this summer, why not take some time to plan the snacks for the journey as part of your usual packing and prepping tasks and stock up before you set off. Having healthy food to grab on the go means less need to stop, less chance of junk food in the car and more savings to spend on the important things once you arrive at your destination.  

This doesn’t have to mean hours spent in the kitchen either. There are plenty of creative ways to pack healthy food for the road. The best part is, you can restock and refill for the drive home if you have the right containers on hand to begin with.

Our favourite healthy road trip snacks 

Make you own (MYO) fruit cups

This is as simple as chopped fruit in a cup, or reusable zip lock bag if using a spoon is too tricky for the car. Grab a selection of seasonal fruit and chop into bite size pieces. Why not visit an orchard or a ‘pick your own’ farm on your holiday and buy some local produce for the drive home.

Popcorn

Popcorn is hard to beat. Leave off the butter and salt and you have a healthy, wholegrain snack that kids love to eat.  Air popped popcorn can be flavoured in lots of different ways: think cinnamon, cocoa or even cajun spices for a savoury blend! Get the kids involved in the prep and pack into brown paper bags or reusable zip locks.

Vegie sticks  

Chopping up a handful of fresh vegie sticks is about as easy as it gets. Reach for a range of colours using vegies such as carrot, celery and capsicum and add some hummus, guacamole or tzatziki for dipping if your kids need a little extra encouragement.  Long drives can make the tummy a bit sluggish so boosting fibre with vegie snacks is a great way to keep kids regular. 

Dry cereal

Instead of biscuits, pack a container of dry cereal to snack on. Choose a wholegrain variety that comes with added pieces of dried fruit, roasted coconut or nuts and seeds in the mix. Or if you are feeling a little adventurous, why not put together your own blend for the trip?

Mini muffins

Whipping up a batch of mini muffins before the trip is a great way to use up any last fruits or vegies that would otherwise go to waste. Use our ‘choose your own adventure‘ muffin recipe and adjust your ingredients depending on what you have on offer. We find it works best to keep these smaller and more bite sized for road trips, which means less car crumbs.

Cheese and crackers

You can’t beat a classic! Cheese and crackers are a tasty, wholesome snack that can be very cost effective. Buy some bulk grainy crackers, cut slices of cheese from the block and pack individual serves in an airtight container. Check out our cracker article for the low down on the best crackers to reach for.

Simple wraps

Wraps are a great lunchtime option when on the move. Keep the fillings simple to avoid mess and try to include a veg, a protein and a healthy sauce or dip. Hummus, chicken and spinach is a family favourite in our car. If you plan to stop for lunch at a park or nature reserve, you could pre chop all the fillings and make them up fresh to serve.  

Roasted chickpeas

Ditch the chips and try these crunchy, tasty treats instead. Roasted chickpeas are packed full of protein and fibre and can be flavoured with almost any seasoning. Enjoy them on their own or mix with a blend of your favourite nuts and seeds for a trail mix with a twist. Check out our sweet and savoury chickpea recipes. 

MYO muesli bars

Muesli bars are the ultimate convenience snack, but unfortunately many commercial varieties are packed full of sugar. Making your own is worth the effort and we have just the recipe for you! Not only is our toasted muesli bar easy to make, it also doubles as a healthy breakfast option for those early morning starts.

Whichever snacks you choose, planning and packing healthy food for the drive is a great way to save money and time whilst knowing your family is fuelling up with the good stuff. We are surrounded by convenient food options at every turn so showing our kids that we can be more resourceful and thoughtful about our food choices will help them build healthy habits that have long lasting benefits.