"My husband and I are no strangers to road trips. We have now done two cross-country drives; our first when moving from the East Coast to the West Coast. Five years later (and just a couple of weeks ago), we did the reverse drive for our move back east.
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The road trips were incredibly different. The first one was just us and a dog in our backseat. The second had a dog in the backseat again, but also a toddler, plus a pregnant belly upfront (oh, and during a pandemic). Even though the experiences couldn’t be more different, my number one piece of advice for a road trip of any length remains the same: pack snacks!
And not just a few snacks, pack more snacks than you think you’ll need. Even if you’re just driving a couple of hours away, you’ll want those snacks. Road trips can be boring, may include restless kids in the backseat, and can be a bit unpredictable with traffic, weather, and overall timing. As many activities as you can come up with during the ride to entertain, I find food to be the best distraction along the journey.
For our recent road trip, we prepped with a big trip to Trader Joe’s. Here are my favorite road-tripping snacks; they are relatively mess-free, are filling, and don’t require refrigeration.
Note: The below are great for adults and depending on your kid’s age, many are good for toddler and big kids as well, but keep in mind what stage of eating your own child is in when deciding what is safe for them to snack on in the car.
1. Chomps
2. Organic Watermelon Jerky
3. Cauliflower Crisps
4. Dried Mango
5. Fancy Medjool Dates
6. Dried Golden Figs
7. Apple Fruit Snacks: Mango Jalapeno Flavor
8. Fruit Bars
9. Sweet, Savory, & Trek Mix
10. Plantain Chips
11. Organic Mini Cheese Sandwich Crackers
12. PB&J Bars
Read More: 11 of Our Favorite Toddler Snacks From Trader Joe’s