Non too messy car trip snacks...

jessg

DIsney we will see you yet again
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
So we will be leaving approx 2-3 am when we go and will drive through to Savannah and stay the night there and finish our drive to disney the next morning. We will be doing gas/bathroom stops as needed but will stop for a light breakfast and light lunch as too not eat too heavy on the way. So what are your go to food trip snacks. I will be dividing eat kid their own snacks up so everybody had the same amount of the same things! So lovely disers give me ideas
 
Grapes, carrots, raisins, pretzels, I’ve actually lightened up on the snacks. I found that DD doesn’t eat that much and I don’t need to be eating in the car because I’m not moving. We do water, diet sodas (I need the caffeine) and gum to chew on as well.
 
Our go to car snacks are cut up fruit and veggies, trail mix, pretzels, and sometimes popcorn.
 
Good suggestions above. At the same time, as long as it's not "stain the seats" messy, we'll bring any snack the kids (or DW and I) want to eat. Vacuuming the car after the trip isn't fun, but not a big deal and having some good snacks to hold over for the long drive is worth the trade off. We do veggies and grapes for sure, but for crunchy snacks we do things like Pringles (easier to handle than chip bags), pretzels, crackers.
 
A cooler with drinks will really save on having to buy them at the gas station. Throw in some string cheese. We also like the applesauce pouches as they aren't too messy, jerky or packs of pepperoni, nuts, and fruit snacks.
 
Pretzels, teddy grams (the honey ones), Peanuts, sandwich crackers (like the ones with peanut butter in them). I just avoid anything greasy or that is neon orange. I personally avoid fruit snacks and gummy candy because it never fails one of the kids falls asleep eating it and then its on something it shouldn't be. I have younger kids tho.

I usually would fill a cooler with drinks. I always went for drinks with lids so no juice boxes but rather small bottles of apple juice. Nothing that goes bad if it gets warm for us so no cut fruit, milk, cheese, etc.
 


So we will be leaving approx 2-3 am when we go and will drive through to Savannah and stay the night there and finish our drive to disney the next morning. We will be doing gas/bathroom stops as needed but will stop for a light breakfast and light lunch as too not eat too heavy on the way. So what are your go to food trip snacks. I will be dividing eat kid their own snacks up so everybody had the same amount of the same things! So lovely disers give me ideas
not a food tip but be careful with crayons and carseats. had a piece of crayon get lodged unknown in side of seat bet you know where this is going. 2 ruined outfits and a new carseat later no more crayons in car. we used colored pencils after that
 
not a food tip but be careful with crayons and carseats. had a piece of crayon get lodged unknown in side of seat bet you know where this is going. 2 ruined outfits and a new carseat later no more crayons in car. we used colored pencils after that

A bit more pricey but I like to use the "color wonder" markers. My kids are younger but this way they only mark on the right paper. I will say we did lose some caps during our last road trip. It was worth it to have something fun for the car but still something I don't have to worry about messes.
 
We also pack an ice chest. Drinks, lunchables, fruit, etc. We also bring snack crackers like cheez-its.
 
We make snackelboxes for our trips. Each kid (or adult) in the car gets to fill their own small plastic taklebox with the snacks of their choosing. Usually things like crackers/nuts/seeds mixed with candy like M&M's or gummy worms. I saw the idea on line a few years ago and fell in love with it. The compartments can be adjusted to fit different size snacks, and each kid gets to build/eat their own so there is no fussing over who gets what.
 
I have been doing the 'everybody gets a packed lunchbox' idea for a few road trips now. Last trip hardly any of them ate anything for some reason. Some favorites-Babybel cheese, string cheese in a pinch, pistachios, grapes, ring pops, imitation crab meat, sweet bologna spread with cream cheese and rolled up. We only do water because they inhale anything else and then we are stopping for a bathroom break every 2 hours. Fun fact-goldfish crackers stain if they fall onto a car seat and get sat on.
 
For us it was not about the snacks it was about the container it was in. If you use ziplocks they get on the seat sideways on the floor. We use solo cups put a handful of chips,goldfish, cereal etc in it. Fits in drink holder. And disposable if needed.
 
I've been fortunate in having others around me that follow the same food philosophies for the most part. That means nothing overly processed w/ odd colors, as well as high sugar, salt and ingredients I cannot pronounce. I take a grand I'm raising, her schoolmates, neighbor kiddos, and nieces and nephews with us on different vacations so being on the same page food wise makes all the caretakers' lives easier.

We pack a combo of fruit salad, dried fruits and nuts, celery sticks, carrots, and hummus packs w/ flat pretzels, squeezable applesauce, fruit leather for snacks. Sometimes I make homemade granola clusters but it depends on how messy the kiddos are that I'm traveling with. Nevah gonna happen again w/ my grand nephew, LOL. A longer trip will include yogurt, hard boiled eggs, individual salads with cheese added for those who like it. I generally make a large sandwich on crusty bread doused in olive oil that we share during road stops with a thermos of cold or hot soup since I'm not a fan of most foods served along interstate highways. Playing with making a gluten free black bean and chocolate brownie for our next camping trip; time will tell if it'll make the cut. If it works well I could see it being eaten as a car snack also.

Our car drinks are frozen water and unsweetened iced tea packed in bottles; they make nice ice packs too. Oh and we all love clementines/sweeties so we often bring a bag of them as well.
 
We don't take snacks. We all grab a drink to take when we leave, drive 4-5 hours, eat breakfast, get gas and they can grab a drink and one snack. We don't care what they grab cause we're on vacation! plus one snack will hold them till we arrive since the total drive is only 7 hours. It does help that we leave in the middle of the night so they sleep the first 4-5 hours.
 
My kids know the road trip rules. We only stop if the car needs gas. You may buy whatever junk you want to eat at the gas station when I stop. You must use the restroom when I stop. Do not ask me to stop to use the restroom - if we are not out of gas, we are not stopping. This means planning what you eat and drink accordingly.

Now my husband doesn't follow the road trip rules. So we tend to road trip without him, lol. He likes to stop and go in and eat ... blah blah blah ... then he has to use the restroom an hour or so later ... ugggghhhh ... adds way too much time to the trip.
 
Your kids will learn to adjust to your travel routine. We also are stop only for gas kinda people ( unless it’s an emergency of course) so we try to limit drinks somewhat. We do some prepackaged things like Rice Krispie teats, snack sized cookies or chips. Jerkey is a favorite but goes quickly. Avoid chocolate at all costs!! Cut up fruit is good but can be messy. If they are real little, puffs are a good snack
 
When I traveled with others grapes and cheese were the go to snacks, which I’ve seen mentioned multiple times already. I would just add that I had a “no crunching” rule in my car so definitely no chips, pretzels, etc.
 
Fruit pouches! We love the Go-Go-Squeeze because of the different flavors, they pack flat, and are resealable. We even pack them in our park bag for a quick snack.
 

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