good food traveller

105+ Easy Road Trip Meals & Snacks: Best Road Trip Food

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Road trips are exciting adventures to take with your friends, family or solo. However coming up with a list of the best road trip food & easy road trip meals and snacks can be hard.

Which is where our ultimate list of the best food for road trips comes in handy. To help you avoid hangry companions, outrageous food costs, and unhealthy gas station food stops.

We’ve taken our share of cross country & multi-day road trips over the years, both as adults, and with kids from months old to teenagers. So we know quite a few tricks when it comes to road trip meal planning.

Our list includes easy ideas for healthy snacks, breakfasts, lunches & dinners, for all ages we love. As well as gluten-free, and vegetarian options too.

Plus we provide essential packing tips and a list of non-food items to bring along, at the end of this post. Hop in the car, & let’s go!

Table of Contents

ULTIMATE HEALTHY ROAD TRIP MEALS LIST

If you plan ahead and pre-make some yummy snacks and meals, your family will be well fed on the road. Whether you are heading on a Southwest USA road trip or a coastal road trip from Boston to Acadia National Park or elsewhere.

Healthy road trip food & easy meals the whole family will love.

Why Bring Make Ahead Meals For Road Trips?

Before I get into our epic food list, I’ll quickly go over a few reasons why we bring our own make-ahead road trip meals and snacks. And why you should too:

• Road trip meal planning is a great way to reduce fast food temptation, junk food and save money for your family road trip .
• Bringing good food for road trips frees up some of your hard earned cash to splurge on meals you will actually look forward to . 
• We find our own make-ahead meals & road trip food tends to be healthier.
• If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, creating a road trip meal plan will allow you to have safe meal options on the road.
• Have fun picnics at rest stops, parks, or in your hotel room along your long drive.
• Avoid hungry kidlets with healthy road trip snacks , so they can focus on road trip activities , not driving you crazy with whining. I know you feel me on this one!

Bringing your own food is well worth the time and money you can save on your adventure. Use our road trip planner to help organize your trip.

I love how make ahead easy travel meals are great for cutting down on the mess, stress and time it takes to prepare and clean up on the road. Because as a parent anything I can do to make my life easier is golden.

Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

We’ve found it’s easy to take these road trip breakfast ideas to go, or quickly eat hot in the morning.

As long as we’ve made them ahead of time, and brought them in our cooler. Or if we have access to hot water or basic kitchen facilities or a microwave.

Grab tasty breakfast recipes .

Cold, Non-Perishable Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

• Granola 
• Cereal Bars & Granola Bars
• Breakfast Bars
• Fruit & Veggie Pouches 

⭐️ PRO TIP : Bring a reusable coffee mug and water bottles for each family member. They’re a great option for filling up with hot water, tea, coffee and water on the go. We’ve found they’re less likely to spill in the car if you use a spill-proof refillable cup and snack cup for the littles.

Cold Breakfast Ideas for Road Trips

• Yogurt – Tubes, Drinks
• Fresh Fruit
• Rye Crisp Breads & Goat Cheese
• Chia Pudding – Make the night before
• Granola & Overnight Oats – Make the night before
• Muffins & Peanut Butter (or other nut or seed butters)
• Egg Muffins or Mini Quiches (To heat or not to heat. That is the question)
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Breakfast Cookies 
• Vegan Blueberry Muffins
• Bagels and Cream Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Banana Wrap
• No Bake Oat Bites 
• Apple Pie Oat Bliss Balls
• Croissant, ham, cheese
• Croissant, jam & cream cheese
• Pancake Sandwiches – nut butter / jam between two mini pancakes (make ahead)

Hot & Quick Breakfast Ideas

• Instant Oatmeal 
• Cup of Soup or canned soup
• Pre-made Mini Quiche (just heat up)
• Egg, Cheese, & avocado tortilla wrap
• Haloumi Cheese and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
• One Pan Chickpea Hash (fried chickpeas, veggies, herbs) & Fried eggs

More kid friendly breakfast ideas here .

Road Trip Lunch Ideas

Road trip lunch ideas are probably the easiest for most people to come up with, when it comes to thinking of meal planning for road trips . We like to think of them as picnic lunches.

What is the first thing that comes to mind, but sandwiches. Sandwiches are such a staple we’ve given them their own section below. 

To be honest, I often just prepare and pack foods I would usually take for lunch at work, for the first day or two.

Then I add easy road trip lunches to grab and prep along the way, like sandwich fixings. Or cheese, meat  and cracker plates for a longer trip.

Easy Non-Refrigerated Road Trip Lunch Ideas

• Canned Tuna & crackers – The mini pull tab tins come in many flavours
• Protein Bars , Energy Bars
• Sardines or Mackerel canned with avocado, crackers or bread
• Snacks for lunch: Beef Jerky, Trail Mix, Smoothie Pouches, Nut Butter Pouches
• Peanut Butter (or other nut & seed butter) & Jam Wraps
• Canned grape leaf rolls

Cold Road Trip Lunches

• Sushi / nori rolls – sweet potato, cucumber and avocado,  smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado, smoked salmon & cream cheese
• Sandwiches (see Road Trip Sandwiches below for ideas) 
• Tortilla Pinwheels
• Meat Kabobs
• Pasta Salad
• Corn & Zucchini Fritters
• Fruit (apple slices, cantaloupe, grapes), cheese and bread or crackers
• Charcuterie plate – cheese, deli meats, olives, dried fruit
• Chickpea or Bean Salads
• Quinoa Salad
• Mason Jar Salad – keep the dressing separate
• Pre-made Quesadillas – Refried beans and cheese. Keep salsa & sour cream separate in small leak-proof containers

Sides to Add to Lunch Ideas

• Cut up veggie sticks and hummus
• Fruit – apple, berries, melon, grapes
• Homemade cookies or energy balls
• Cucumber, cherry tomatos & peppers salad

Road Trip Sandwiches

What’s a road trip, without a sandwich or two. In fact sandwiches are so iconic, portable, easy to make and ideal for lunch and family vacation dinners they deserve a section, all on its own.

For easy,  awesome sandwiches we’ve found you will only need a few things to mix and match:

• Bread: First you’ll need some kind of hearty bread (kaiser bun, wraps, pita, baguette, ciabatta)
• Protein: Pair with protein such as deli meat, sliced chicken or beef, bacon, eggs, tofu, nut butters
• Extras: Add on the extras such as cheese, lettuce, pickles, fruit 
• Condiments: mayo, mustard, olive tapenade, other sauces

Tasty Sandwich Ideas for Traveling:

• Cheddar and Jam
• Egg Salad 
• Cream cheese and cucumber
• Spicy Tuna and Cucumber – leave out the spice if it’s not your thing
• Pesto Egg Salad Baguette
• Ham & Cheese Baguette or Wrap
• Turkey and Cheese Baguette or Wrap
• Turkey Club Sandwich
• Turkey, Pear, Feta Wrap
• Apple, Cheddar and Mustard Sandwich
• Roasted Red Pepper & Hummus Sandwich
• Curry Chicken or Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Tips for Packing Sandwiches on Road Trips

• Start with heartier bread or toast it first . Put a layer of mayo, or mustard on each side. It actually helps prevent soggy sandwiches.
• I often toast the bread, and then wait until it’s completely cooled before making and storing the sandwiches.
• Keep wet sandwich ingredients separate like tomatoes. We add them right before eating.
• Pack each ingredient separately . Then everyone can assemble their sandwich how they like, on-the-go. We’ve found this helpful with our pickiest eater.
• Pack sandwiches in a hard sided container . Either use reusable individual sandwich containers or larger leak-proof containers for multiple sandwiches. We also love silicone sandwich bags to cut down on plastic.
• Keep the sandwiches on top of the cooler for easy to grab meals on the road.

You may also like 50+ Easy to make, healthy road trip snack recipes

Easy Road Trip Meals Dinner Ideas

Dinner is the one meal we often splurge on, and choose to eat out at a local restaurant, instead of on the road when possible. 

I like to do a bit of research and see what the area is known for, or if there are special meals we can’t get at home. Also after a few days of packed road trip meals, it’s nice to sit down at a restaurant and have someone else clean up and organize.

However, there are times I find when you need a few dinner in the car ideas on hand. You can always re-use the lunch or even the travel breakfast ideas , because they are all tasty anytime of day. 

Check out our favourite easy vacation dinner recipes .

Cold Road Trip Dinner Ideas

• Pasta Salad & Greek Salad
• Cobb Salad 
• Other Cold salads – Potato, bean, egg, chickpea, salmon, tofu, quinoa, rice and bean
• Sandwiches – check out ideas in sandwich section
• Chicken salad / caesar wrap
• Falafel Wrap
• Rice Paper Rolls & Peanut Sauce
• Chicken wings & pre roasted veggies
• Grilled or roast chicken, rice and veggies
• Tortilla Chips, Bean Dip and Salsa
• Egg roll pinwheels with spinach, and cheese 
• Mason Jar grain + protein + roast veggies (pre-made)

Salad Tips – Keep the ingredients & dressing separate. That way each person can assemble to their liking, and the lettuce doesn’t get soggy from swimming in the dressing all day.  

KOA has 10 fun on-the go recipes to try.

Mason Jar Meal tips

Mason Jars are a fun and easy way to store pre-made meals.

They are fairly sturdy (I’ve dropped them many times without breaking them) and come in different sizes. The 500ml and 250 ml are perfect for individual meals.

Choose a grain + a protein + roasted, steamed or stir fried veggies and you have a delicious meal to go.

• Pre-cook a grain: brown rice, basmati rice, white rice, quinoa,
• Choose a protein : roast chicken or beef, curried chickpeas, tofu
• Cooked veggies: stir fries, steamed broccoli, curries, stew,

Hot Road Trip Dinner Ideas

One pan or pot dinner ideas are perfect for travel, camping and road trips. Especially if you ‘ve been entertaining the kids with road trip conversations all day.

As long as you remember the hot plate, or cook stove. I’ve been there, done that, forgetting the stove. Another option is to choose motels, or places to stay that have basic kitchen facilities. 

I’ve also gone the route of meal prepping ahead of time and putting individual meals in separate containers that are easy to reheat and clean up. 

If you are a camping family, what you plan for pre-made camping meals is similar.

Think easy camping type meals:

• Baked Beans
• Cup of Soup or Canned Soup
• Frozen Homemade Soup (use the first day or two after it defrosts. Bonus it helps keep the cooler cold)
• Bacon or Sausages and Eggs
• Quesadillas
• Rice and beans or ground beef for tacos or wraps
• Chickpea Curry and Rice (pre-make and heat up)
• Spaghetti 

ROAD TRIP SNACK & DRINKS LIST

We have a full article on our favorite road trip snacks to bring that both adults and kids will love. Good food for long journeys.

Here are a few snack ideas to get you started:

• Energy Balls
• Baby Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Snap Peas, Celery Sticks & Dip 
• Cheese and Crackers
• Apple Pear Muffins
• Jerky, Beef Sticks
• Potato Chips
• Plantain Chips
• Moon Cheese
• Cheese Crisps
• Seaweed Snacks
• String cheese
• Sunflower seeds
• Gluten-Free Bars –  We like these mini Gluten-Free Bars  

Who doesn’t drink too much on the road because they are avoiding using restrooms at pull-outs or gas stations?  

I’m guilty of this too, but this often leads me to crankiness and wicked headaches, sooo…… Do as I say, not as I do (said Parents everywhere).

Staying hydrated is super important. While water should be the number one choice, sometimes you need a little something different like:

• Coconut water
• Water with crushed berries, or cucumber slices, or lemon
• No sugar added fruit juices 
• Flavoured Sparkling water 
• Almond / Oat / Soy Milk

🚙 More road trip ideas 7 day Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon itinerary

Road Trip Food & Meal Planning Tips

Meal Planning Tips

When meal planning healthy road trip foods, I think it’s important to consider a few key important things:

• What road trip meals you want to bring, and which one’s you’d like to buy.
• If travelling with kids, which foods do they already like. They aren’t going to magically start liking raw broccoli and raisins on your long trip. Adapt your food for road trips with kids.
• Road trip meal ideas – Make a list of food ideas for breakfast , lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. Make sure they’re easy food to travel with.
• Creating a road trip grocery list is a good idea, so important items don’t get forgotten. But don’t stress, as usually you’ll be able to pick up ingredients along the way if needed.
• How to pack food for your road trip, so it doesn’t get squished, and stays cool longer.

With so much to do when planning a road trip, it’s sometimes hard to be prepared when it comes to traveling food.

Road Trip Food Tips

Beyond throwing a bunch of items into the cooler and food bag and hoping for the best. Let’s give you a few of my top tips to make packing a bit easier:

• Bread: Bring wraps, pitas and flatbreads – we find they take up less room, and won’t get squished like bread loaves
• Perishables: Eat your perishables and more fragile fruits first (bananas, raspberries, pre-cut fruit like melons, pineapple, mango etc.)
• Freeze Water bottles: When hot out, freeze a couple of the water bottles the night before. They’ll keep your cooler cold, and we love that they give us cold water to drink as they melt.
• Pre-Make Meals & Portion Out: Pre-make meals, and portion them out in mason jars or reusable plastic or glass containers.
• Place your cooler somewhere cool the night before, or pre-chill the cooler for up to 12 hours with ice / ice packs you won’t be using on your trip. 
• Lay solid blocks of ice or reusable ice packs on the bottom, plus put a layer of ice on the top
• Pack the cooler full – too much space helps the inside heat up faster
• Freeze food you won’t need for a couple of days, and use frozen water bottles to help keep the inside colder, longer
• Try to limit the number of times you open the cooler in the day.
• Pack your food in order of when you want to eat it, leaving the next day or two’s meals on top. 
• Garbage Bag for the car: We always have a designated garbage bag for the car. It helps to keep the garbage contained, and the car organized.
• Clean-Up Kit :  Bring a clean up kit. Kids, adults, toddlers all on occasion make messes. Having a clean-up kit handy just in case is good practice. Include wipes, paper towel, extra water, and an easily accessible change of clothes.
• Storage: To keep things organized, we usually use small stackable Rubbermaid containers to pack our non-perishables.

🚙 More Road Trip Ideas: 4 Day family friendly itinerary in Acadia National Park

Road Trip Essentials

Now that we’ve got the meals all planned out, and the best road trip SNACKS organized  let’s move on to the non-food items you’ll need to add to your road trip packing list. 

Reusable Items

Our goal is to reduce our impact on the earth whatever mode of travel. Bringing reusable items on our trips to cut down on waste is one simple way to do this. If you make it part of your routine, you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it becomes.

Here are some other reusable items to pack for your road trip:

• Plastic, glass or stainless steel containers – Can be used for leftovers, as dishes, hold snack packs, or even small toys, art supplies
• Cutlery – knives, forks, spoons, 
• Dishes – Cups, plates, bowls
• Coffee Mugs – Our favs are Yeti Mugs or the Klean Kanteen  
• Reusable Straws
• Water bottles for the kids
• Water bottles for the adults
• Cloth fruit bags 
• Bento Boxes
• Garbage bags – reuse grocery bags

Storage & Cleaning Supplies

• Reusable Ice Packs 
• Hand sanitizer
• Paper Towels & Wet Wipes 
• Biodegradable Soap

Travel Backpacks

You will definitely want to make sure you and your kids have their own travel backpack for the trip.

A good travel backpack can be multipurpose, for hiking, storing road trip activities and entertainment, plus give easy access to a couple of snacks, and a handy change of clothes.

There’s been numerous times my “safety first” approach & extra clothes has saved us on long trips. From puking children, to epic diaper blow outs, and unexpected spills, with kids it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Best Road Trip Coolers

Coolers provide more flexibility with the types of meals and snacks  you can bring on your trips. We think they are a road trip essential, without a doubt. Before choosing one, there are a few things to consider:

• How long is your trip?
• Which meals will you be packing from home?
• How often will you have access to a grocery store?
• How much space do you have in your vehicle? Where do you want to put the cooler?

Answers to these questions will give you an idea of the size and cooling ability needed from your cooler. We’ve put together a list of the best coolers to try, that are easily available on Amazon.

Best Overall Cooler – Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

The Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler is narrow, so it easily fits behind the seat, is well insulated, which holds the cold, and is lighter than previous versions.

It can also be transformed into a stool if you buy the cushion. It’s a bit of an invesment, so a good buy if you are planning on using it a lot.

Best Afforable Family Cooler – Coleman 316

The Coleman 316 Cooler is a top pick for size, flexibility and price. It can hold a lot of food and ice, which can be kept cool at higher temps for 2-3 days.

Perfect for shorter trips, or if you plan on replenishing your food / ice every few days.

Best Soft Sided Cooler – TOURIT Leak-Proof Backpack

The Tourit Leak Proof soft-sided backpack is an excellent option for shorter road trips or if you are planning a picnic or day at the beach. This leak-proof high-density insulated backpack can keep food cold for up to 3 days. It also has side pockets for extra storage.

Tips to Prepare For Your Next Road Trip

Anything you can do the day or two beforehand to prep your food, and pack your non-perishables, do it. This will save rushing around at the last minute, and forgetting important things like your water bottles.

We recommend doing the following ahead of time:

• Make a Shopping list and meal plan.
• Check off the items as you pack them. 
• Wash and cut veggies and fruit
• Prepare sandwiches, meat slices, cheese slices
• Freeze meals and water bottles the night or two before
• Prepare the snack bags or snack tote 
• Prepare your Clean up kit
• Pack non-perishable foods in small totes or bags
• Pack your perishable foods in the cooler, & an airtight container, right before you leave.

PRO TIP: Pack your car the night before you leave, to make sure everything fits. Make sure your cooler and essential road trip snacks are easily accessible. 

Conclusion: Ultimate Easy Road Trip Meals & Snacks List

With over 100 delicious and easy road trip meal ideas, you will find a party in your cooler for all taste buds or your next long journey.

 Plus don’t forget that a little pre-trip planning can go a long way towards a stress free vacation.

Grab a great road trip snack or two and head on out on the open road. I hope this helps you have an epic road trip.

Related travel tips and destination articles:

• Easy ways to take a frugal road trip
• Epic RV Gift Ideas: Gifts RV Owners will love and use
• Epic Gifts for Beach Lovers – prep for your beach vacation
• Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips
• Complete Road Trip Packing List For Families

Donna Garrison is the founder of Packed for Life, an ever curious traveler with a passion for making memories with her family. With a unique perspective on travelling on a budget gathered over 30 years, 20 countries and 5 continents she gives families the tools & resources they need to experience the joys of travelling more for less through practical solutions. She helps over 20,000 families a month plan & take the family travel, camping and road trip adventures of their dreams in Canada, the USA and around the world. Contact her at: Donna [at] packedforlife.com

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Road Trip Food List: Easy to Pack Meals & Snacks

This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy .

Are you looking for a road trip food list that includes the best road trip snacks and other food to bring on a road trip?

Road trips can range from being budget-friendly to out-of-this-world expensive if you do not plan ahead, especially when it comes to eating food.

The temptation to grab a snack at every gas station, as well as to eat out at restaurants or gorge on fast food, can really start to add up in terms of money and wasted time.

One way to save money and time while road tripping, however, is to bring your own food!

By making a road trip food list and packing fun road trip snacks, you’ll avoid having to stop and spend as much.

Our road trip food list includes easy road trip snacks, as well as portable breakfast, lunch, and dinner options – plus, a FREE Road Trip Food List printable to take with you to the grocery store.

The links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Road Trip Food List: Breakfast

One of our absolute best family road trip tips is to leave bright and early in the morning when starting a long road trip.

As the most important meal of the day, luckily, having breakfast on the road is the easiest meal to eat cold and on the go.

If you decide to hit the road early, or if your hotel en route doesn’t offer a free breakfast, plan ahead by bringing along these simple road trip breakfast foods.

Our tried-and-true road trip food list awaits!

Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

• Yogurt tubes and granola bars
• Muffins, donuts, and scones
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Squeezable applesauce
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Peanut butter, banana, and granola wrapped up in a tortilla
• Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

Additional planning tip: For added morning fun, use the category “breakfast foods”, “brands or cereal”, or “types of fruit” while you play a road trip word game .

Road Trip Food List: Lunch

When it comes to planning for lunch and beyond, your road trip packing list should always include a reliable portable cooler .

Whether you chill made-ahead sandwiches, salami & cheese, fruits, or veggies, there are so many awesome road trip food ideas when it comes to having lunch on the go.

What we love about these road tip lunch ideas is that they keep us out of congested cities and fast-food drive-thrus during the busy noon hour.

Road Trip Lunch Ideas

• Premade sandwiches with deli meat and cheese (make them extra fun by using shaped sandwich cutters !)
• Peanut butter sandwiches (skip the jelly to avoid sogginess)
• Pita pocket with mozzarella, tomato, basil, turkey, cheese, hummus, cucumber, and/or tuna salad
• Home-ade Lunchables with summer sausage, cheese, and crackers
• Tortilla with cream cheese, sliced olives, and pepperoni
• Veggies and single-serve packs of ranch dressing, hummus, or guacamole
• Pre-assembled Salad In A Jar

Road Trip Food List: Dinner

If there is one meal that you choose to splurge on, I recommend stopping to have dinner at a roadside restaurant or cafe.

Though this may not be your final destination, experiencing another city in this way will help you check more places off of your family travel bucket list !

If you’re not keen on stopping, however, here are the road trip foods we enjoy that are tasty and hearty enough to serve as dinner.

Road Trip Dinner Ideas

• Cold rotisserie chicken, chunked and served with a garden salad (package in a disposable salad container )
• Pre-made pasta salad, such as Pizza Pasta Salad
• StarKist ready-to-eat tuna salad in an avocado half or on a bun
• Chicken and pickled veggies in pitas
• Hummus veggie wrap

Additional planning tip: If you’re road tripping in the winter when driving conditions are much more unpredictable, packing extra road trip food is an essential component of your winter road trip packing list .

Road Trip Food List: Snacks

In my opinion, snacks   are the No. 1 way to keep everyone (including you!) happy on a family road trip.

Homemade snack mixes and individual pre-purchased snacks are also a great way to help cut costs associated with buying food on the road.

For this reason, I suggest assembling an entire tub filled with fun and appetizing snacks and surprises that you know your kids will love.

We use these  16-quart storage tubs from Sterilite  that are the perfect size, price, and durability!

Road Trip Snacks Ideas

• Chips and pretzels
• Animal crackers (Suprise them with Barnum’s Originals !)
• Filled crackers (peanut butter, cheese)
• Nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts)
• String cheese, Babybel, Laughing Cow cheese wedges
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Healthy no-bake cookies
• Candy and gummy candy

Be extra organized for your family road trip by clicking the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list that is both customizable and printable!

Travel Snacks for Toddlers

Road tripping with toddlers presents its own set of challenges and requires additional thought when it comes to toddler-friendly road trip activities and food.

(It’s much harder to keep a close eye on them when they’re in the backseat, and you’re in the front.)

When considering toddler road trip foods, the most important thing is to avoid giving them anything to eat that could be deemed a choking hazard.

In addition, opt for healthy versus overly sweet options that may give them a tummy ache.

Our favorite healthy toddler car snacks and road trip foods include:

• Graham crackers
• Snap pea crisps
• Applesauce and/or yogurt pouches
• Cheese sticks
• Soft mini muffins
• Whole-grain crackers
• Bananas and/or this apple slices

9 Essential Tips For Traveling With Food

As seasoned travelers, we’ve assembled a list of tips for traveling with road trip foods and make-ahead hotel room meals.

• Use up your most delicate fruit first when on long-haul road trips.

In other words, start by eating bananas and berries, then move on to more sturdy produce such as apples and oranges that don’t spoil as easily.

2. Every family needs an organized packing strategy !

When it comes to road trip food, tortillas, pitas, or other sturdy flatbreads work better to bring along than do loaves of bread. They take up a lot less room and do not risk getting smashed.

3. When packing a cooler with items that need to stay chilled, be sure to lay the ice on the top, versus the bottom of the cooler.

This is because cold air sinks and will, therefore, disperse itself more evenly if laid on top of the food.

4. Aim to open the cooler only 1 or 2 times a day in order to maintain its refrigeration and keep the ice from thawing.

5. Also, make all food, including snacks, easily accessible throughout the duration of your family road trip.

This prevents someone (likely mom or dad!) from having to constantly bend over the back seat or stop to open the trunk every time hunger or boredom hits.

6. Avoid bringing anything made of glass on your road trip, including glass food containers. Glass is heavy, bulky, and very dangerous when broken within the confines of your family vehicle.

7. Assemble and bring along a road trip kit with the following road trip essentials for spills, clean-ups, and car sickness:

• Anti-bacterial wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Garbage bags
• Ziplock bags
• Napkins/paper towels
• Saltine crackers and motion sickness medicine

8. Each time you stop while on a road trip, don’t forget to pitch any garbage that has accumulated.

This prevents build-up and smelliness.

9. Head to the grocery store with our FREE printable checklist and purchase all of your road trip food in one shopping trip!

If you enjoyed reading our best Road Trip Food List , click here to check out our Related Posts:

• Top 10 Tips for Planning a Family Road Trip (And Enjoying it Too!)
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• 18 Amazing “Are We There Yet” Road Trip Activity Bags
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• The Ultimate Guide for International Travel with Kids
• 8 (Unexpected) Benefits of Traveling With Kids

*Before leaving, be sure to check our  Travel Resources Page  to find our exclusive travel discounts and to book hotels, rental cars, and guided tours.*

Jen Brommer is a family travel expert. She has been featured as an authority on several notable travel websites and is a member of the Family Travel Association (FTA), Midwest Travel Network, and TravMedia global media network.

A prominent content creator and influencer on Instagram, Jen has over 150K unique monthly blog readers from countries all over the world. She has spent the last 16 years planning fun, and hassle-free family vacations for her family of 5.

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Thank you for the road trip food list and travel tips.

You’re welcome! Was there something you saw that you hadn’t thought of before? Happy travels!!

This is a great list as we also big in road trip. Snacks is so important especially to keep them from asking are we there yet. Haha… I myself like peanuts to keep me awake when it’s my turn to drive.

Thanks for reading and for sharing your favorite road trip snack!!

This is such a comprehensive list and it is so helpful as I predict a lot of us will be going on more road trips once we can. Prepping these meals will definitely save some money and help the kids feel less bored. I know that my kids are usually pleased munching stuffs during road trips. I also like that it is more likely for the road trip snack to be more healthier than what you’ll buy elsewhere.

Thank you! Yes, the health factor of pre-packing is a big one, as is the enormous cost savings 🙂

I like to have a good mix of healthy (kids like apples, those are easy to eat) and snacky/salty. I am also very particular. about road trip drinks. Big coffees, la croix, iced tea!

I like your ideas! We’d be good road trip buddies!

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THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP FOOD LIST: 50 Scrumptious Travel Snacks

Post Summary: The definitive road trip food list with 50 snack ideas and meals to keep you happy the entire car ride. Plus, tips for what else to bring and recommendations for the best road trip coolers.

Road trips are the classic adventure that everyone needs to do at least once in their life, whether you’re traveling solo, with your best buds, or packing in the whole family. What’s the secret to a great road trip? Besides having your maps already downloaded to your phone (travel must #1), it’s to have a collection of the best road trip food at your disposal. Being prepared with good travel food will ensure you don’t:

• Kill your travel mates because you’re hangry.
• Get killed by your travel mates because they’re hangry.
• Get lured in by every gasoline stop and somehow end up with bright orange Cheetos and Slim Jims.
• Waste your travel budget dining on Subway and Wendys road trip meals.

After road tripping with a toddler for half a year around the US, we’ve figured out the ultimate road trip food list so we can enjoy the journey together feeling nourished and happy. Our list includes road trip food ideas for adults and kids as well as healthy car snacks.

After the road trip food list, we’ve included non-food items you’ll want to bring and some tips on choosing the best road trip cooler.

Need More Road Trip Tips? Check out our other articles below:

The Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 41 Essentials For The Road 160 Fun, Deep, and Sometimes Silly Road Trip Questions 41 Fun and Challenging Road Trip Trivia Questions 17+ Fun Things To Do On A Road Trip How To Survive A Road Trip With A Toddler 40 Must Have Items To Have In Your Camper

*This road trip food list post may contain affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission if you purchase from them. This is at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely think are helpful.

The Ultimate Road Trip Food List

Healthy snacks for a road trip

We’ll start with healthy snacks for the road. I don’t know about you, but when we go on road trips, we tend to fall back on fast food and junk food. In an effort to have a quasi healthy road trip we make sure to include some healthy options so we can at least feel like we’ve balanced out all our snickers bars and Wendy’s frosties. Here’s our list of the best road trip foods that won’t leave you feeling sluggish at the end of the day. We also added in a few recommendations of some of our favorite brands.

Healthy Snacks For Car Rides 1. Fruit: Bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, oranges 2. Sliced veggies: carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, pickles, radishes 3. Cherry tomatoes 4. Olives (buy the pitted kinds) 5. Salsa 6. Deli sandwiches or wraps (already made from home or pre-purchased) 7. A simple charcuterie spread (summer sausage, pepperoni, sliced cheese, dried apricots, olives, crackers, etc.) 8. Popcorn 9. Yellow corn chips, blue corn chips, kale chips 10. Granola Bars and Energy Bars ( Munk Bars are our favorite! ) 11. Dried Fruit 12. Crackers (cheese crackers, saltines, whole wheat crackers, these almond crackers are my favorite!) 13. Pretzels 14. Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamia, walnuts, pecans) 15. Trail mix 16. Tuna (Get the kind that doesn’t need to be refrigerated! It can become a snack on crackers, a sandwich, or added to a salad) 17. Coconut chips ( Dang chips are our favorite. ) 18. Dark chocolate 19. Wasabi peas 20. Fruit leather 21. Whole-grain muffins 22. Bread (pretzel rolls, pita bread) 23. Water (Preferably in a water bottle like a Hydro Flask that will keep your water cold for hours.) *The following are all still healthy snacks for a road trip but will require a cooler. Skip them if you are going sans cooler. Further down, we’ll talk about the best road trip coolers. 23. Hard-boiled eggs 24. Small yogurt containers or drinkable yogurts 25. Humus 26. Guacamole 27. Pasta salad 28. Lentil salad 29. Grocery store salad kits (Can be eaten out of the bag! Just cut the top, pour in the salad dressing, and shake it away. You can also opt to do salads in a jar) 30. Cheese

Essential Road Trip Snacks

These road trip snacks might not be the healthiest, but look…you can’t always be perfect!

Road Trip Snack List 32. Beef Jerky 33. Chips 34. Fun candy (Any kind of candy that brings you joy for your road trip. Gummy bears, reeses pieces, airheads) 35. Ranch dip to go with your healthy veggies 36. Fun drinks (Just make sure the drink is able to be resealed or small enough that you’ll drink it all quickly. My favorite road trip drink is coconut water!) 37. Cookies

Road Trip Snacks For Kids And Toddlers

While we don’t put a distinction between road trip food for the adults and road trip food for kids, here are some fun ideas you can add in addition to the travel food listed above. We found that allowing for leniency with what we let our kid snack on will mean a more fun time for everyone in the car.

Road Trip Snacks For Toddlers and Kids 38. String Cheese or Babybels 39. Peanut butter pretzels 40. Clementines 41. Squeezable applesauce 42. Squeezable nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter) 43. Graham crackers 44. Goldfish 45. Fruit snacks 46. Fruit roll ups 47. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich 48. Dry cereal 49. Nutella 50. Snap pea crisps ( I love the wasabi ones from Harvest Snaps . I can only get them online because my grocery store never has them!)

Essential Non Food Items

Now that you’ve got your travel food and made your road trip food list, let’s talk about non food items to have on your road trip packing list. We are both advocates for minimal waste living so we do advise using reusable items like real utensils, glass containers, and reusable straws rather than single-use items. I know it can feel like a nuisance, but once you get used to doing it, it’s easy to integrate it into your habits. We’ve provided links to different products, so you can check out some good options.

-Trash bags (old shopping bags work well) – Stackable glass or plastic containers (While glass may feel like a hazard, I find that most of them are built for endurance and would require some extreme throwing around to actually break. Either way, bringing containers rather than an entire bag of snacks is a great space saver.) -Reusable straws (we like this multipack option here ) -Bento boxes (another option is to make individual bento boxes with everyone’s preferred snacks put in. It’s essentially a healthier version of a Lunchable. Great option if you’re traveling with kids.) Check out these cute bento boxes here . -Utensils -Plates -Paper towels -Hand sanitizer -Ziplock bags -Wipes -Cups if you want to share drinks -Ice packs for the cooler (We prefer to use reusable ice packs like these , but frozen water bottles or ice cubes in a ziplock back will do the job as well.) -Reusable grocery bag to carry your non-perishable stuff -Plastic tub (If you’re going on a long road trip and will have lots of snacks, a good option is to pack all your non-perishable items in a tub like this .) -Cooler

Related : A Comprehensive Guide To the Best Toddler Carriers For Traveling

Best Road Trip Coolers

If you’re going on a long road trip, you’ll definitely want to bring a cooler so you can have more options for the journey. Things to consider when deciding what kind of road trip cooler to bring.

• How much space will you have in your car?
• How many days will you be driving and subsequently how much food will you need?
• Cost of the cooler
• If you road trip or camp a lot and will use a cooler several times a year.

Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

Our choice for the best road trip cooler is the Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler . It’s a mid-sized cooler that can fit a bottle of wine standing upright. We like its lightweight design and that its compact size can fit on the ground behind the passenger seat.

It has a mid-range price point, so if you are wanting something more economical, you’ll probably want our next pick.

Igloo MaxCold Cooler

If all you need is a no-frills cooler to keep your food cold, the Igloo Maxcold Cooler is a great option. The thin design also makes it a great choice for someone wanting to save room in the car.

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze

If you like a soft cooler, the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze consistently offers the best bang for your buck.

Yeti Tundra 45

Lastly, if you are wanting a high-end cooler that will be great for camping and can take the wear and tear of consistent use, the Yeti Tundra 45 is your best bet. Yeti is the reigning champion of coolers and you can’t go wrong with anything you purchase from them.

Before you head out on your epic road trip, we suggest packing the night before. Alleviating as much stress as possible on the day you leave, especially when you’re doing a road trip with a toddler , is key to enjoying the road trip journey. We find that the night before, it’s best to:

• Wash, cut, and peel all vegetables and fruit.
• Pack up all non perishable food and supplies.
• Prepare any road trip sandwiches you plan to eat.

Lastly, don’t forget to make sure all your tasty road trip snacks are within reaching distance in the car.

We hope you enjoyed our complete road trip food list. Happy road tripping!

** For more road trip inspiration follow us on Instagram . We travel… a lot.

NEED SOME TRAVEL INSPIRATION? A Complete Guide To A Utah National Parks Road Trip How To Plan A Cross Country Road Trip + Fun Routes To Take 10 National Parks To Visit In The East 50 Family Bucket List Experiences In The US

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Hi, we’re Christina and Brad, Idaho based writers and photographers who live to explore. We did a short stint of traveling full time with our two year old and discovered we're much happier as part time nomads. What does that mean? We travel a lot! And then we go home. We love helping fellow parents and everyday adventurers discover new places and experiences.

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25 Best Travel Snacks For Your Next Trip

These picks are approved by our registered dietitians and taste testers for your next adventure.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

The best vacations start with being prepared, from strategically packing your suitcase to stashing some healthy, filling snacks for the journey ahead. Whether you're traveling for fun, work or both, you'll want to try new foods and partake in the local culture wherever you go. But having some nutritious snacks on hand can help you make better choices when you're in a pinch . Here are some of our favorite travel snacks that both our registered dietitians and panel of taste testers gave the thumbs up.

Our top picks:

CHOMPS Grass Fed Original Beef Jerky Snack Sticks

Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Walnut Superfood Oatmeal

Justin's Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs

Ideal snacks for travel include ones that will keep in your backpack, purse or carry-on without melting or falling apart. If you're traveling by plane, you'll want to make sure the snacks are TSA-compliant , so no liquid or gel food items over 3.4 ounces. Most importantly, the best snacks should have a combination of protein and fiber to keep you fueled and satisfied. Try to aim for about four grams each of protein and fiber, and keep added sugar to a minimum (under eight grams is ideal per snack, which is the equivalent of two teaspoons). Always prioritize fresh produce when possible, since they offer a great combination of fiber and antioxidants to keep you feeling your best during your travels.

Fruits and vegetables also are packed with water, a smart way to stay hydrated during your trip. Hydration in general is the key to savvy travel — especially for long plane rides, so don't forget to bring an empty water bottle with you to fill after you go through security at the airport. Since the altitude is dehydrating, and turbulence/delays can make beverage service unpredictable, it’s worth the investment to buy a second, unsweetened drink at the airport. Pair that with these nutrient-dense snacks and you'll be sure to have a great vacation.

Made from sustainably sourced proteins, these convenient jerky sticks are a notch above from what you'll find at a traditional convenience store en route to your travel destination. The beef and venison varieties are 100% grass-fed and finished, and turkey options are free-range. Every CHOMPS option is hormone-free, antibiotic-free and has lower sodium counts than other options on the market.

Per serving (one stick): 90 calories, 6g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 25mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium, 0g total carb, 0g fiber, 0g total sugars, 9g protein

Oats are an easy base for when you're at a hotel or during any travel experience. Ones that come in a convenient cup like this from Purely Elizabeth just require a bit of hot water that you can ask for on the airplane. While oats can be a great source of fiber and whole grains, flavored varieties tend to be very high in added sugar and void of any protein. That's why these cups are a top pick for us since they only have six grams of added sugar and pack in nine grams of protein from collagen, creating a well-balanced choice.

Per serving (one container): 230 calories, 5g total fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 130mg sodium, 37g total carb, 5g fiber, 9g total sugars, 6g added sugars, 9g protein

Nut or seed butter packs offer a great dose of healthy fats and you can add them to crackers, cereal, oatmeal, fruit or other snacks you've packed (or simply enjoy them on their own). Bonus: Packs smaller than 3 ounces, like these ones, get the thumbs-up from TSA . They even pack in seven grams of protein too.

Per serving (one pack): 210 calories, 18g total fat, 3.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 6g total carb, 1g fiber, 2g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 7g protein

Frooze Balls Double Filled Energy Balls (6 Pack)

These energy balls are the perfect bite to stash in your purse or backpack for your trip. Made from dates, nuts and fruit, each bite has two freshly made fillings inside and is seriously satisfying. Flavors include caramel chocolate peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut, dulce de leche, lemon, peanut butter and jelly, raspberry dark chocolate and triple chocolate fudge. The tiny packs are great for travel.

Per serving (two balls, peanut butter and jelly): 126 calories, 6g total fat, 2g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 32mg sodium, 16g total carb, 2g fiber, 12g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 3g protein

LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn (24 Pack)

Popcorn is a great volume-rich snack, meaning you can eat quite a bit of it for very little calories. It is also considered a whole grain and good source of fiber. Skip the movie theatre popcorn dripping in butter, and opt for air-popped or lightly oil-popped varieties. The convenient mini bags from LesserEvil are great to stash in your carry-on and are made with organic extra-virgin coconut oil.

Per serving (one bag): 50 calories, 3g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium, 7g total carb, 2g fiber, 0g total sugars, <1g protein

Mariani Probiotic Prunes (4 Pack)

Between lengthy travel plans and a new environment, keeping things regular can be a challenge. That's why our dietitians suggest having some prunes on hand during any trip. Prunes have a slew of health benefits , and research suggests that prunes are as effective as over-the-counter products to help with constipation. We especially love these prunes from Mariani that add in probiotics for additional gut health and immune support to keep you healthy during your trip and beyond.

Per serving (five to six prunes): 100 calories, 0g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 26g total carb, 3g fiber, 16g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

UNiTE Protein Bar Variety Pack (12 Pack)

Protein bars can make for an easy travel snack, but not all of them are created equal (some mimic the nutrition facts of a candy bar more than anything else). We like these gluten-free bars from UNiTE that are nutrient-dense and made with dates, nut butters and whey protein. The churro flavor was a tester favorite and packs in 10 grams of protein and five grams of fiber at under 200 calories.

Per serving (one bar, churro): 190 calories, 9g total fat, 1g sat fat, 35mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 19g carb, 5g fiber, 9g total sugars, 7g added sugars, 11g protein

Sweet Loren's Breakfast Biscuits, Cinnamon Sugar (30 Count)

We can't get enough of these sweet breakfasts biscuits that come in convenient packets of three and are made with better ingredients than others on the market. One serving makes for a light breakfast on-the-go or a layover snack, and is packed with 19 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and five B vitamins. Plus, the biscuits are gluten-free and come in blueberry, cinnamon sugar, and chocolate flavors.

Per serving (one pack): 200 calories, 8g total fat, 3g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 180mg sodium, 32g carb, 3g fiber, 11g total sugars, 11g added sugars, 4g protein

Whisps Baked Cheese Bites (12 Pack)

Bringing perishable foods like yogurts and cheese sticks might not be possible during your travels, but you'll get the best of both worlds with these baked cheese bites from Whisps that are shelf-stable. Whisps first ingredient is protein-packed cheese and each bite is super crispy and satisfying with a whopping 13 grams of protein per serving. They come in a few fun flavors as well and were a family-friendly hit in taste tests.

Per serving (23 crisps, parmesan): 150 calories, 10g total fat, 7g sat fat, 30mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 1g carb, 0g fiber, 0g total sugars, 13g protein

Simple Mills Pop Mmms (3 Pack)

Looking for something to crunch on mid-flight? These bite-sized popped crackers are baked and made with 1/3 cup of vegetables per serving like organic butternut squash. They have a cheesy flavor and are light and airy. Throw some in a handy reusable snack bag that you can refill all trip long.

Per serving (44 crackers): 140 calories, 5g total fat, 1g sat fat, 5mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 21g carb, 1g fiber, 1g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 2g protein

Natural Delights Medjool Date Strips with Tajin

Who knew that fresh Medjool dates and Tajin chili lime seasoning would pair so well together? This snack offers a unique flavor profile for sweet and spicy lovers, and the simple ingredient list is one to rave about. "Loved the spicy flavor. A flavorful snack and good for on the go," one tester said.

Per serving (one pouch, six pieces): 100 calories, 0.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 340mg sodium, 22g carb, 3g fiber, 19g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Prevail. Grass Fed Beef Jerky (4 Pack)

Our dietitians are fans of this jerky from Prevail since it is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef jerky and is free from fillers and additives. Taste testers appreciated its tender texture and balanced flavor since it is cherrywood smoked and seasoned with organic spices. Most importantly, it has lower sodium and sugar counts than competitors, so you won't get bogged down on your trip. And with 12 grams of protein per serving, it's perfect to keep you fueled on those long rides in the car.

Per serving (one ounce, original): 70 calories, 1.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 30mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 5g total carb, 0g fiber, 4g total sugars, 12g protein

Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips (15 Pack)

A top performer in our potato chips taste test , these sweet potato chips from Jackson's come in perfectly sized snack packs for travel. They are made with premium avocado oil and cooked low and slow to maintain the stability and integrity of the oil's healthy fats. The brand uses non-GMO heirloom sweet potatoes , and while the sea salt is the healthiest options, the flavored choices are truly delicious.

Per serving (one ounce): 150 calories, 9g total fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 16g total carb, 2g fiber, 3g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Junkless Chewy Granola Bars, Chocolate Chip (24 Bars)

An upgraded version of your favorite chewy granola bar, this snack is actually significantly lower in sugar than other brands and is free from high-fructose corn syrup or sugar alcohols. Made from simple ingredients, we love the soft and chewy texture of the bar and that it has no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. "Nice and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate chips to peanut butter," one taste tester said.

Per serving (one bar): 130 calories, 3.5g total fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 22g total carb, 2g fiber, 5g total sugars, 3g protein

Biena Roasted Chickpea Snacks, Sea Salt (10 Pack)

Crispy chickpeas are the perfect protein-packed snack to keep in your carry-on that won't crumble or fall apart. Of course you can make them on your own , but a pre-made pack like this is extra convenient for travel. We love that each portable pouch offers a filling combination of eight grams of both fiber and protein per serving.

Per serving (one pouch): 140 calories, 3.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 20g total carb, 8g fiber, 1g total sugars, 8g protein

Sweet Nothings Nut Butter Bites (6 Pack)

Wholesome and delicious, these disc-shaped, organic bites feature a chewy outer shell of dates, oats and flaxseed wrapped around a nut butter filling with all-organic, no-added-sugar ingredients. Free from gums, stabilizers, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package offers up to four grams of plant-based protein. The bite size treat is perfect for tiding you over at the end of your flight.

Per serving (one package, oatmeal raisin): 145 calories, 5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 23g total carb, 3.5g fiber, 15g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 4g protein

Siete Grain-Free Mexican Shortbread Cookies

Skip the oversized cookies at the airport and pack a few of these seriously delicious Mexican Shortbread cookies from Siete. Made with a lightly sweetened blend of almond flour and pecan pieces with a dash of cinnamon, testers couldn't believe that each cookie only has one gram of sugar. The grain-free treat has a crispy texture and won't fall apart in transit either.

Per serving (five cookies): 150 calories, 9g total fat, 5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 17g total carb, 1g fiber, 5g total sugars, 5g added sugars, 1g protein

Second Nature Antioxidant+ Protein Smart Snack Mix (12 Pack)

Trail mix is a favorite travel snack since it always keeps well and is also resistant to crumbling in your bag. These portion-controlled packets from Second Nature are great for stashing for a road trip or flight. We especially love the flavor combination in the antioxidant mix, and the filling fiber and protein makes this a smart choice. Plus, it doesn't have any chocolate chips like many other mixes which may melt in your bag in transit.

Per serving (one package): 250 calories, 17g total fat, 2.5g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 21g total carb, 4g fiber, 13g total sugars, 5g added sugars, 8g protein

RIND Snacks Straw-Peary Skin-On Dried Fruit (3 Pack)

This chewy whole fruit medley is packed with dried strawberries bursting with jammy flavor, bosc pears and sweet fuji apples. Our dietitians love that RIND maximizes nutrition and minimizes waste by taking upcycled fruit that would otherwise go to waste, retaining their nutrient-rich peels and gently drying them into snackable slices. Plus, dried fruit like this keeps really well when traveling.

Per serving (1/2 cup): 140 calories, 0g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 33g total carb, 5g fiber, 15g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein

RXBAR Chocolate Lovers' Protein Bars Box (10 Bars)

When it comes to simple ingredient lists, it doesn't get much better than RXBAR. These tasty bars come in a wide variety of flavors and are loaded with 12 grams of protein thanks to nutrient-dense egg whites. Plus, they are a good source of fiber too — the combo of protein and fiber can help keep you full for longer on those lengthy road trips and train rides. Our registered dietitians point out that these delicious bars are sweetened with dates for binding purposes and contain no added sugar.

Per serving (one bar): 210 cal, 9g total fat, 2g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 23g carb, 5g fiber, 13g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 12g protein

Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is also Good Housekeeping’s on-staff fitness and exercise expert. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.

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49 Non-Perishable Road Trip Food Options For Your Next Adventure

When you’re planning a road trip , one of the biggest expenses is food. And one way to help alleviate the expense is to pack your own non-perishable road trip food. You don’t always want to lug a cooler around or have to rely on accommodations with a refrigerator.

Planning your trip? Use our favorite resources!

For accommodations –   Hotels.com  |  Expedia  |  VRBO ​ For car rentals –   Discover Cars ​ For tours & excursions –   Viator ​ For cheap flights – FareDrop ​ For travel insurance –   Safety Wing

But what are the best choices? And can you even get healthy road trip snacks? Or choose things the kids will eat?

Well, I’ve compiled a list of 49 non-perishable food choices to pack for your next road trip . I’ve broken them down into categories for you so you can find options that are healthy, kid-friendly, have plenty of protein, or work great as a quick snack on the go.

And if you want a list you can print out and take to the store with you, check out the download near the end of this post!

Non-perishable road trip food ideas

Quick & easy non-perishable road trip snacks.

When you’re driving, sometimes it’s easiest to just grab something that’s individually packaged to curb your hunger instead of having to pull over and make a snack or get something from the gas station.

These options can come in single-serving bags that you can throw in the car and have ready to go, or you can also buy the larger boxes and divide up the servings into your own bags for the road. These are great road trip snack ideas for adults and for kids and teens.

1. Crackers

3. Pretzels

4. Snack bars – these are some of my all-time favorite foods to pack for road trips. They are quick and easy and there are so many out there that are healthy.

My ultimate favorite snack bars are Larabar . They are made with simple, healthy ingredients and taste SO good! My favorites are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough , Cashew Cookie , and Mint Chip Brownie .

Made Good is another brand that is healthy and looks delicious that I’d like to try out soon!

5. Quaker rice cakes

6. Popcorn – there are so many great popcorn options out there! I’m a sucker for Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn but you could go for any flavor that you like!

Non-Perishable Kid-Friendly Options

We all know kids can be picky eaters, but that’s one of the great things about packing your own snacks – you can make sure you have something you know the kids will eat!

These non-refrigerated road trip food options are going to be crowd-pleasers for most children.

7. Goldfish – the classic kid snack! You can get the individual bags or divide a larger bag into single servings.

8. Fruit snacks – what kid doesn’t like fruit snacks? If you are looking for a great healthy choice, YumEarth fits the bill.

9. Cereal – another great option is to divide up some of their favorite cereal and put it into smaller bags for them to munch on.

10. Cookies – again, it’s probably best to have these separated out so they don’t eat an entire box of cookies (yup, it’s me, I’m still that person).

11. Poptarts – these could also be a great option for a quick breakfast on the road.

12. Candy – sometimes a nice treat of their favorite candy can cheer up kids and keep them happy on a rougher day…I mean, it still works for me too!

Non-perishable food choices High In Protein

We’ve all been there – you have a few more hours until you reach your destination and your stomach is grumbling. Choosing a high-protein road trip snack will curb hunger and keep you fuller longer. These are some great non-perishable road trip food choices for in-between meals that will fill you up.

13. Tuna/chicken/salmon cans or packets – These are one of my top road trip food choices. They are the perfect non-perishable protein option for when you are on the go, but they also work well for making sandwiches or putting on salads. They are incredibly versatile!

The Starkist Tuna Creations packets are easier for eating on the road, but the cans are a good option for camping and when you are sitting down to eat. Just don’t forget to get the ones with the pull tabs so you don’t need a can opener (or make sure to bring a can opener with you) and also have some utensils easily available.

14. Jerky – while a more expensive option than some of the others, there are so many flavors available, and jerky is always an easy and filling choice. You can try different unique kinds too, like Buffalo Bob’s assortment . 

15. Meat sticks – lots of options for these too, such as Wenzel’s Farm Variety Pack Sticks .

16. Pepperoni

17. Protein bars (like Clif, Kind, or Power Crunch)

18. Trail mix – you can make your own or find some good premade kinds. I absolutely love Power Up Trail Mix .

19. Pumpkin seeds – try to find a brand that doesn’t use a ton of salt, like Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Pumpkin Seeds .

20. Nut butter – a good choice to eat with crackers for a more filling snack (almond, peanut, pistachio).

21. Protein powder – mix up some protein powder with water in a shaker cup and you’ve got a filling, healthy drink for the road!

Non-perishable meals + Sides

Let’s be real, one of the best parts of road trips is getting to try new foods and eating out at local establishments. But if you’re on a tight budget, you probably will need to watch how much you spend on food, so sometimes you’ll need to make road trip meals for yourself.

After a long day of traveling or exploring, you might just want to come back to your campsite or hotel and make something quick and simple. And if you have some easy road trip meals already on hand, you don’t even need to go to the grocery store!

When we travel, my husband and I always bring some staples along for late nights and when we are too lazy to make anything fancy. Here are some of the best foods for a road trip that you can bring along to help cut costs and that also don’t need a refrigerator.

22. Quaker Instant Oatmeal – you can add dried fruit, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and other items to make this a great hearty breakfast. I like to buy the version in disposable cups so it’s easy to just add hot water or milk.

23. Peanut butter + jelly on a tortilla – tortillas last much longer than regular bread and are a great choice for road trips.

24. Ramen/cup of noodles – always an easy choice!

25. Spaghetti + pasta sauce – we’ve made spaghetti on our camp stoves and it works really well!

26. Canned soup – there are so many canned soup choices, and they are very filling and easy…just warm it up and eat!

27. Kodiak Cakes Flapjack Mix – this is one of our camping staples…just add water to the mix and cook over a fire or a camp stove. We also like to add peanut butter to our pancakes and it’s SO GOOD!

28. Pizza dough mix + pizza sauce + toppings – we almost always make pizza when we camp because it’s easy and most of the ingredients are non-perishable so we can buy them ahead of time.

29. Rice packets – a great easy option for a side.

30. Canned veggies and beans – more simple side options…just warm up and eat!

31. Instant mashed potatoes – you can get these in different flavors as well.

32. Condiment packets & spices – you can pack along a few of these to help flavor your meals and also not have to worry about bringing along a whole bottle of something that you then will need to refrigerate or toss.

33. Olives/pickles – another option for pizza or burger toppings or just to snack on (is that weird? Maybe…but I still like them for snacks).

34. Soy/almond milk cans/boxes – can be used with cereal or to mix with sides that call for milk (these don’t need to be refrigerated until opened).

35. Powdered milk – can also be used as a milk substitute for recipes.

Healthy Non-Perishable road trip food

Road trip food is pretty much known for being processed, unhealthy junk which is one of the reasons most of us gain weight on vacation (I’m definitely one of those people).

But there are plenty of healthy snacks and food choices out there that are better than just going through the drive-thru for the fifth time.

If you are looking for some options for non-perishable food for a road trip that is healthy, here are some ideas for you.

36. KIND Granola – mix with a little powdered milk and water for a healthier cereal option. KIND has very little added sugar which makes it a solid choice.

37. Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.) – try to find some with very little or no added sugar, such as Mavuno Harvest .

38. Nuts (cashews, walnuts, pistachios, etc.)

39. Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)

40. Dried chickpeas and beans – if you are ambitious you can make these yourself, or you can buy premade ones like these from The Good Bean .

41. Wildmade Fruit Leather

42. Kiwa Veggie Chips – these can be a good alternative to potato chips or crackers.

43. Simple Truth Applesauce – this is a great brand with no added sugar.

44. Salsa – a better chip dip choice than queso or other processed dips.

45. Bare Baked Coconut Chips – oh man, we just discovered these and they are SO GOOD! They are much healthier for you than regular potato chips and they taste like a dessert.

Non-Perishable Drinks

Drinks can get expensive on road trips, so it’s a good idea to bring a few options along with you so you don’t need to constantly grab something at the gas station.

While I always bring along a water bottle and fill that up as I go, sometimes you want something with flavor, so here are a few suggestions.

46. Coffee – the instant stuff might not be any good, but you can make your own favorite coffee over a fire with a camping coffee pot, or anywhere you go with this Aeropress . I lot of hotel rooms and Airbnbs will also have coffee pots you can use.

related: Ways to save money on a road trip

47. Tea – my husband’s the coffee person, but I love my tea. I like to bring some along for the mornings I need a little pick-me-up or to chase away the chill.

48. Water flavors – there are plenty of water flavorings out there, so you are sure to find one you like. Just squeeze a few drops in your water bottle and have something delicious to drink without the added calories.

49. Iced tea/lemonade packets – this is another good option you can add to your water for some flavor and without needing to constantly purchase bottles in the store.

Non-perishable road trip food list

If you’d like a road trip packing list of food you can download and take with you to the store, fill out the form below to download it for free!

Benefits to packing your own road trip food

So why should you pack food along on your next road trip? That’s just more work and one more thing you have to do to prepare for your vacation!

Yes, it might take a little planning and be a little more work, but there are lots of reasons why bringing some of your own food with you when you travel is a great idea.

It saves you money

One of the biggest reasons to pack along food is because it will save you money.

Your vacation money is precious, and if you can use less of it on food so you can spend more of it on activities and other things that matter, you’ll be able to stretch your budget even further.

By taking a little time to plan for some good travel food ideas and grocery shop before you go, you’ll be able to plan your budget better and not blow all your food money by grabbing whatever you can find to eat at every gas station and vending machine to keep the family fed.

It saves you time

We all know that on vacation, time flies and it feels like we never have enough of it.

And while some of the experience of a trip is sitting down and eating a good meal, there are other days when you’d rather be hiking or exploring a museum or zoo and you’d rather not spend several hours finding a place to eat when all you want to do is go and see ALL. THE. THINGS.

On days like that, packing your own food is a life (and time) saver. Just whip up a couple of make-ahead meals from your food stash and throw in some snacks, and you can take the day to explore and then have nourishment on hand when the stomach growls.

You can eat healthier

Obviously, not all road trip food is healthy. But packing your own allows you to make healthier choices instead of being at the mercy of fast-food restaurants and gas station hot dogs.

Sure, you can definitely find salads and wraps and veggie trays at stores, but it’s not always guaranteed, so knowing you have some healthier items with you allows you to not feel guilty or forced to eat bad food when there isn’t much else to choose.

You have things you know you will eat

If you have picky eaters, there’s no guarantee you are going to find food choices they will like. If you pack along meals you know they will eat, it will save your sanity.

You can Have a picnic

Who doesn’t love a picnic? I know I sure do! It’s a great addition to the ultimate road trip experience! When you have all your food with you already, you can have a picnic anytime it strikes your fancy!

Keeps you from getting hangry

My husband will attest that I can get hangry pretty easily, and my son seems to have inherited that trait from me as well. We need to eat something every few hours, and if we don’t we get crabby. And then that makes all of us crabby which can ruin the day if we aren’t careful.

So by having something to eat with us wherever we go, we don’t have to worry about a lack of food ruining an otherwise amazing day.

Non-food items to pack for a road trip

If you’re going to eat on the road while traveling or if you’re camping, you’ll need some additional items to prep and store your food as well as clean up afterward. Here’s a list of things to bring with you.

• Plastic plates, cups, and cutlery (plastic is nice because you can wash them and reuse them a few times)
• Paper towels
• Bamboo/reusable straws (better than paper since you can reuse them)
• Hand sanitizer
• Ziplock/storage bags
• Plastic tote for storing food (a much easier choice than bags)
• Reusable water bottles
• Coffee mugs/thermos
• Cutting board & knife
• Sponge, bucket, dish soap

How to keep your food organized on a road trip

So you’ve got your food, you’ve got your non-food items, and now you’re ready to hit the road. But how do you keep everything organized so you can find what you’re looking for? Here are a few road trip tips to keep your car from getting cluttered.

Use plastic containers/totes to organize

I’ll admit I’m guilty of just shoving all my food into Aldi bags, throwing them in the back seat, and calling it good, but every time I’m looking for something, it takes me way longer than it should (not to mention everything ends up spilling everywhere).

So buy a couple of clear plastic containers to put your food in and make it easier on yourself.

The nice thing with these is that you can see what’s in them, you can write on them with dry-erase markers so you know exactly what’s in them, and they stack nicely in the car. So much better than grocery bags.

Everyone has their own reusable water bottle

Rather than having a bunch of half-drunk plastic water bottles piled up everywhere and nobody knows whose is whose, get everyone their own bottle or mug so there’s no confusion and less trash.

Use small storage bags for individual servings

It’s usually cheaper to buy a larger bag of something than a bunch of smaller bags of the same thing, so to save money, buy that large box of Cheez-Its or popcorn or potato chips or whatever you’d like and divide them up into separate smaller bags.

Not only will you save money, but it makes it easier to divvy up the snacks among the group without passing around the larger bag, and you can also control portions better (because I know it’s not just me that will mindlessly eat that whole sleeve of cookies because it’s just sitting there).

You can even buy reusable silicone ones so you can wash them and use them again instead of throwing away the plastic ones constantly.

Have clean-up items close by and easily available

It’s bound to happen. You’re reaching back for something and you knock over a cup, or one of your kids drops their bag of Goldfish, and then you’ve got a mess to clean up.

Have a separate small box or bag with clean-up supplies (paper towels, wet wipes, sponge, upholstery cleaner, etc.) so when the accidents happen, you can take care of it quickly and move on.

Keep a garbage can/bag in the car

It’s something so simple that will keep your car much cleaner and organized. Designate a plastic bag or get a garbage can for the car and discard your items in there instead of hoarding a pile on the floor of the car until the next stop.

Conclusion: Non-Perishable Food Options For Your Next Road Trip

Purchasing food ahead of time for your next road trip will help save you money and time, and non-perishable items are perfect so you aren’t restricted by having to have a cooler or fridge. And if you’re looking for road trip food on a budget, most of these food items fit the bill!

I hope this list gives you some great choices for your next vacation!

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Stefanie Henne is an experienced road trip travel blogger who specializes in helping others plan their dream vacation, no matter their budget or time restraints. Go here to read more about Stef's story. If you want to send Stef a message, visit her contact page here.

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21 Top Healthy Travel Snacks (Dietitian Approved)

Wondering what a registered dietitian brings to eat while traveling to stay healthy? I’m sharing my favorite dietitian approved healthy travel snacks that are nutrient dense and low in added sugar.

I love traveling but it quickly becomes no fun when I don’t feel my best (aka my digestion is off) or come home with a cold. These healthy travel snack ideas will help you fuel you up for any adventure, plus, they’re packed with the good nutrition you need to feel your best while traveling.

I’m sure there will be no shortage of delicious where ever you’re going, however it’s important to pack some strategic, nutrient dense snacks for planes, trains and all those other moments when you just need something in between meals.

I was also recently quoted with my picks for the best things for a quick travel breakfast in this Huffington Post article “ Best Breakfast Foods To Eat When You’re Traveling, And Why It Matters .”

Healthy Airport Dining Options

Being hangry with a delayed flight and limited food options is no way to kick off a trip or vacation. While you can’t control what curveballs might come your way while traveling, you can control what snacks you pack to have on hand for any travel situation! A little planning a head of time to pack snacks is to key to fueling up and feeling your best while traveling.

Airports have definitely come a long way when it comes to food choices. At O’Hare airport there are a few different local Chicago restaurants and a couple of Cibo Express locations throughout the airport that stock many of the snacks on my list of healthy travel snacks below and I know a lot of other airports are expanding their options which is great.

4 Key things to Look For in a Healthy Travel Snack

1. protein content.

Snacks with protein take longer for our body to digest vs. carbs. That’s the reason eating a snack that is all carbs doesn’t work to keep us full for that long. Packing high protein snacks will help ensure that the snack will keep you fuller for longer and fueled up for travel and activities.

2. Fiber Content

When you’re reading a nutrition label check the fiber content. Why? Fiber helps to keep us fuller for longer and is needed for healthy digestion. I would say it’s even more important while traveling because long flights and adjusting to new time zones can mess with our digestion and cause constipation.

To prevent constipation while traveling make it a point to incorporate fibrous foods like fruits, veggies and nuts and seeds. And for packaged snacks, anything above 3 grams of fiber is considered a good source of fiber, and 5 or more is considered “high in fiber”.

3. Sugar Content

Sugar content will vary from snack to snack. Fruit, veggies and dried fruits contain natural sugars, whereas some packaged snacks can contain a lot of added sugar. Bars are notorious for their sugar content, which is why you want to pick ones that are lower in sugar and contain protein and fiber.

4. Portability

Simple, mess free and easy to pull out of your bag when you’re running from gate to gate! This is a must for snacks which is why I like all of packaged items on the list below or packing fruits/veggies from home in a reusable stasher bag !

21 Dietitian Approved Healthy Travel Snacks

These 20 dietitian approved travel snacks include ones that are high in protein, low in sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly options. They’re easy to stash in your bag and take with you whenever your travels take you!

• Nut Butter Packets
• Purely Elizabeth Individual Oatmeal Cups or Plain Oatmeal Packets
• CHOMPS Meat Sticks
• KIND Zero Added Sugar Bars
• That’s It Fruit Bars
• Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers Snack Packs
• Nuts or Low-Sugar Trail Mix
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Portable Fruit & Veggie Slices
• Olive Pouches
• Dried Fruit
• Air Popped Popcorn
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Ella’s Flats
• Low Sugar Yogurt
• Homemade Wrap/Sandwich
• Low Sugar Granola
• Nut Butter Stuffed Dates
• Roasted Chickpeas
• Baked Cheese Crisps
• Tuna Pouches

1. Nut Butter Packets

A good source of plant-based protein and fat for staying power, I love stashing these in my bag for a quick snack. Pair with a piece of fruit or add to oatmeal to make it a bigger snack / smaller meal.

2. Purely Elizabeth individual oatmeal cups or plain oatmeal pouches

Great for breakfast or a snack in between flights, oatmeal will give you extra fiber (extra important for digestion when you’re off your routine!) Get plain pouches and add your own fruit and nut butter or opt for these from Purely Elizabeth that are low in sugar and high in fiber.

3. CHOMPS meat sticks

A great on-the-go source of protein that you can eat while walking, each stick has 9-10 grams of protein per stick, no added fillers and no added sugar — it doesn’t get much better than that! They’re also gluten free, dairy free, AIP friendly, whole30 approved and low carb.

4. KIND Zero Added Sugar Bars

With around 7 grams of fiber per bar and 5 grams of protein these are a no brainer to stash in your bag for any type of travel. I love the caramel almond sea salt flavor!

5. That’s It Fruit Bars

Made from fruit, these bars are a good option to pair with a snack that contains protein like nuts or a meat stick for a well rounded snack that’s bright and flavorful from the fruit bar.

6. Simple Mills almond flour crackers

These are my favorite crackers because they’re made with nutrient dense ingredients and nothing artificial. They’re gluten free and perfect for pairing with any kind of dip or hummus.

7. Nut packets or low-sugar trail mix

Think pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. You can find Wonderful Pistachios at most airports and I really like these pistachio snack packs that are easy to stash in any purse.

Trail mix is another great option, but be sure to check the ingredient label as many contain added sugars and extra oils. If you have the time, throw one together at home with nuts and seeds!

8. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of plant-based protein, fiber and magnesium. Magnesium also known as the calming mineral can help with calmness and relaxation which we could all use while traveling, you know?!

9. Portable Fruit & Veggie Slices

Think apple slices, berries, or a banana. Cut them up ahead of time and store in a stasher bag to snack on in flight or in any other on-the-go travel situation. Prepare some carrots, celery, or pepper slices in a bag ahead of time to snack on on-the-go.

10. Olive Pouches

If you love a salty snack these olive pouches are perfect plus they’re a good source of healthy fat. Pair with crackers and cheese for the start of an adult lunchable.

11. Dried Fruit

Think dried mango, apple rings, prunes, unsweetened banana chips. Here again it’s important to look at the label because there can be added sugar included. Dried fruit is sweet enough as is, so just make sure you see one ingredient (the fruit) only! Target has a great selection of dried fruit from their Good & Gather line.

12. Air Popped Popcorn

Popcorn contains about 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per serving depending on the type and is another easy one to pack to satisfy the taste for something a little salty. I like these individual bags from Pipcorn .

13. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Eating hard-boiled eggs on a plain might be controversial (!!) but if you’re in a travel situation where you feel like you can bust them out, go for it because they’re a great source of protein (around 7 grams per large egg) and other essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin D and B vitamins to help you feel your best.

14. Ella’s Flats

Getting enough fiber while traveling can be hard, plus it’s normal for our digestion to be off after a long flight, little sleep and time zone changes. These high fiber seed crackers are great to have on hand when travel constipation strikes. Dress them with hummus or avocado for a good high fiber snack.

15. Low Sugar Yogurt

Grab this on the other side of security (yogurt is not TSA approved) and opt for one that’s low in sugar and contains simple ingredients like siggi’s or fage.

16. Homemade Wrap/Sandwich

This is one of the best ways to make sure you have a snack/meal that is balanced and will keep you full for most of your travel. I recommend using a whole-grain bread, adding a source of protein like turkey, a veggie or two, and hummus.

17. Low Sugar Granola

Granola can make for a good snack but it’s important to be aware that many are packed with added sugar. I love Purely Elizabeth granola because it’s lower in sugar than most.

18. Nut Butter Stuffed Dates

Dates make for a great travel snack because they’re high in fiber and easy to take on-the-go. Opt for pitted dates, and fill with almond or peanut butter for a balanced snack with staying power.

19. Roasted Chickpeas

A good snack that contains plant-based protein and fiber if you’re sick of nuts are roasted chickpeas . They’re also easy to make at home, so you can make a big batch and share with your travel partner.

20. Baked Cheese Crisps

With 9 grams of protein per serving, these baked cheese crips are a fun snack with staying power. Perfect to pair with a meat stick for a savory snack situation or toss into a homemade trail mix for some flavor and texture diversity.

21. Tuna Pouches

I recently discovered these very inexpensive and convenient tuna pouches that make for a great pantry staple and travel snack. Pair with some crackers for a quick, protein packed snack (15 grams of protein per pouch!) and I didn’t find that these omitted a fishy smell when opened so that’s a plus!

High Protein Snacks for Travel

Out of all of these snacks, if you’re looking specifically for higher protein snacks for travel (or at least more than 5g per serving), I recommend the following:

• CHOMPS meat sticks
• Pistachio Packets

More Healthy Snack Suggestions

• 25 Healthy Road Trip Snacks Nutritionists Swear By
• Best Protein Packed Snacks for Women
• 20 Healthy Dairy-Free Snacks Approved By Dietitians
• 13 Healthy Crackers Approved By Dietitian

Hydration Essentials for Healthy Travel

• Electrolyte packets. For international travel, I recommend one packet per day plus a couple extra. I cannot stress enough how important it is to travel with these to help prevent dehydration and in case you start to not feel good while traveling. The European sun is no joke in the summer and when you’re walking around all day dehydration can definitely happen. I recommend this brand and this brand .
• Empty Water Bottle. BYO bottle to refill at the airport to help with hydration. Sometimes it’s hard to drink enough water especially after a long flight and when your first adjusting to a new time zone so having a water bottle with you is a great way to help keep hydration up.

This post contains affiliate links which means I may get a commission if you click one of the links and end up buying something.

This article has been updated and edited. Originally Posted: June 20, 2019

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15 Essential Travel Snacks That Registered Dietitians Can’t Stop Munching On While Vacationing

• Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN , founder and director of Real Nutrition
• Kara Lydon, RD , registered dietitian and blogger behind “The Foodie Dietitian”
• Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD , registered dietitian and prenatal and postnatal health expert
• Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN , Miami-based registered dietitian nutritionist
• Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, MS, RD, CDN , registered dietitian and author of The Better Period Food Solution .

That's why we spoke with five leading dietitians to find out what foods are part of their own essential travel snack arsenals —the noshes that help fuel them through many long days spent exploring with enough energy and stamina to enjoy every last lick of vacay. Ready to take on the incredibly important role of snack oversight? From nuts to superfood bars to chocolate (yay!), there’s a munchie here for every occasion.

The 15 travel snacks registered dietitians love to munch on while on-the-go

Kara lydon, rd, ldn, ryt, registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and owner of kara lydon nutrition, 1. a diy snack box filled with cheese, crackers, hummus, and fruit.

“One of my favorite snack hacks for travel is packing my own snack box. You can usually order these on a plane, but they're way overpriced and you don't get to choose your favorite items. I love to include crackers, cheddar cheese from Truly Grass Fed —a sustainable dairy brand from Ireland—grapes, and hummus in mine. This snack contains enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates to hold me over until I reach my destination.”

2. Oatmeal cups

“When traveling during the morning hours, I make sure to pack Bob's Red Mill Organic Oatmeal Cups . You can fill them with coconut milk, Greek yogurt, or your liquid of choice overnight for chilled overnight oats. And if you're flying, you can ask for hot water on the plane and mix it en route. They're packed with whole grain oats, omega-3s from the flax and chia seeds, eight grams of protein, and they're high in fiber and an excellent source of immune-boosting vitamin C.”

Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD , registered dietitian based in Charleston

3. dark chocolate.

“Chocolate is a non-negotiable snack when I'm on the go— it satisfies my sweet tooth and provides me with important anti-inflammatory polyphenols. UNREAL's Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems come in a smaller snack pack size, which is great for traveling. Bonus? These vegan gems get their colors from natural sources like beets, radishes, and spirulina instead of artificial ingredients.”

4. Probiotic fruit bars

“Maintaining my gut health is always a goal when I'm traveling. Snacking on That’s It mini probiotic fruit bars helps me fuel my body with beneficial probiotics that help support my balanced gut microbiota. And since these bars contain no added sugars and are made with real fruit, I can feel good knowing that I am doing what I can to meet my fruit intake goals by including these in my diet. I like buying a multi-pack at Sam’s Club before a trip and keeping them on hand when I need an energy boost.”

“ Sunsweet Ones are individually wrapped California prunes that make meeting my fruit quota super simple. Multiple studies even suggest that eating five to six prunes each day may help to prevent bone loss. With no added sugars and three grams of fiber per serving, these prunes are a staple in my travel bag. And since many of us experience gastrointestinal irregularity when we are away from our normal environment, including prunes in a travel snack plan may help support bowel movement regularity—and who doesn't want that?”

“Apples are an easy nosh to include in my snack rotation when traveling. Especially when traveling with kiddos, I love leaning on Envy apples, since their flesh stays fresh (read: not brown) longer and they have a naturally balanced sweetness with a delicious crunch.”

Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN , founder, and director of Real Nutrition

7. superfood bars.

“These vegan whole food bars by Elemental Superfood are delicious, satisfying, and keep me energized with ingredients like whole seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. They have no added sugar and all the great flavor. I never leave home without one.”

“I like to grab pre-portioned packets of pistachios or almonds that fit into my on-the-go fanny pack or backpack. Nuts provide healthy fats, fiber, and protein to keep my energy up and my hanger at bay. Also, they pair really well with fresh fruit if you're looking for a slightly heartier snack.”

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Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN , Miami-based registered dietitian nutritionist and National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

9. nut butter.

“I love individual packets or cups of almond butter or peanut butter for traveling. You can eat them right out of the packet on their own, pair one with a piece of fresh fruit, shmear it on top of a piece of toast, or scoop one into a bowl of oats. Nut butters are a great source of heart-healthy fats, plus they provide a few grams of dietary fiber and protein. Almond butter specifically provides 16 grams of heart-healthy fat, seven grams of total carbohydrates, four grams of dietary fiber, and seven grams of protein per two tablespoon serving.”

10. Electrolytes

“A lot of people experience dehydration when traveling. Flying in a plane can cause dehydration due to the altitude, and simply sitting in a car for long periods of time can stop us from drinking as much as usual because we don’t want to have to stop to use the restroom. Having an electrolyte drink or keeping packets with you is a great way to keep your hydration levels up when you are traveling and once you finally get to your final distance to help rehydrate you.”

11. Whole-grain crackers or pretzels

“You can always find either whole-grain crackers or honey wheat pretzels in my travel bag. They provide carbohydrates plus a few grams of dietary fiber and protein, and they're great to carry along with you while traveling because they don’t go bad quickly. Again, traveling can be dehydrating, and if you're going to be in a hot climate, you may be sweating more than usual and need additional sodium. These two snack options can provide that, too.”

“Muesli is a great snack to take with you on the go. It’s a simple mix of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, which means healthy fats, protein, dietary fiber, carbs, and plenty of vitamin and minerals.”

Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD , registered dietitian and author of The Better Period Food Solution

13. nut bars.

“ Perfect Snacks ' bars are ideal for on-the-go travel because they are packed with heart-healthy, fiber-filled nuts like almonds and peanuts. The healthy fats will help keep you less focused on your growling belly and more focused on catching your flight in time.”

14. Chocolate bites

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15. Pistachios

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Healthy Travel Food: The Ultimate Packing Lists for Eating Right on a Trip

Robyn Openshaw - Updated: March 21, 2024 - - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links

I’m a busy single mom who does a lot of traveling, with and without my kids. Part of my journey to excellent health was learning habits and recipes that we enjoyed, that happened to also be really nutritious. But another major step was key to my being able to rehab my family’s health many years ago when I got serious about ditching the Standard American Diet. That step was learning how to be prepared with ideas and healthy options away from home.

Packing Healthy Travel Food

In this article:

Finding Out How to Eat Healthy When Traveling

Packing for a healthy road trip.

• A Healthy Plane Trip Food List

Tips for Finding Healthy Food While Traveling

Plan your food for traveling.

Running kids to sports practices, attending “home” and “away” games for four competitive athletes, playing a traveling, competitive sport myself, and traveling all over the country giving lectures for six years, forced me to get creative about eating healthy travel food while on the road.

In addition to those times away from home, I’ve gone on vacations and humanitarian service missions where I’ve taken my entire family to developing countries for several days or even weeks at a time.

How do I feed myself and my family well when I’m on the go and away from home so often?

I’ve been asked this question countless times, and I’m happy to share my strategies.

Car trips are easier to plan for than plane trips because they are conducive to bringing coolers and a box of ingredients and equipment. You can even pack quarts of green smoothies for your first few days.

And more often, when you drive, you’ll have access to a kitchen where you’re going.

You can eat healthy travel food even on long car trips, like one we took to Disneyland.

Our Disneyland Road Trip Food List

We brought enough food and snacks for two meals per day. (Make sure you book a hotel with a mini-fridge, but if you tell them you need it for medical purposes, they have to provide it.)

Then, I asked Siri for a salad bar or vegan restaurant nearby to make up for the other meals.

Our Disneyland healthy travel food packing, for a family of 6, looked like this:

In the Cooler

• Bags of baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, raw sweet potato sticks
• ½ gallon homemade yogurt
• 2 bags Costco organic mixed greens
• 1 bag Costco frozen mixed berries
• a pint of soaked/drained sunflower seeds (to add to granola for breakfast)
• a quart of alfalfa/radish/clover sprouts (to add to granola for breakfast)
• BlendTec for a family, Nutribullet for a single person with limited ability to pack (can go in a suitcase easily)
• Disposable cups, straws, bowls, spoons, and resealable baggies
• Knife and cutting board for smoothies (I use it even on hotel room tables or vanities)
• Containers with tight-fitting lids, for smoothies
• Backpack for taking food to the parks
• 3 loaves whole-grain bread
• Organic peanut butter-honey (pre-mixed for sandwiches)
• A gallon bag of homemade granola (recipe below)
• 3 boxes rice milk
• 1 gallon soaked/dehydrated Teriyaki Almonds (recipe below)
• Tonya’s “For Cryin’ Out Loud Dehydrator Onion Bread” (recipe below)
• 1 bunch ripe bananas (for green smoothies; also add to yogurt for breakfast)
• Bags of washed apples, pears, plums, celery sticks
• Ziploc bags of dried fruit
• Powdered greens and a shaker cup
• 5-gallon jug of filtered water

Avoid Processed Food Overloads

Not only did bringing our own healthy travel food to save us a lot of money, but we also didn’t feel horrible and sleep 10 hours a night to recover from a day of trans fats, chemicals, food dyes, and sugar from eating Disneyland food.

Our digestive function didn’t shut down, and we didn’t struggle with blood sugar lows and resulting crabbiness.

Save Money and Eat Healthy

You don't have to spend a boat load of money to eat healthy.

All in all, we may have enjoyed our vacation much more, in addition to saving a boatload of money compared to what we saw others doing.

When you travel, if you don’t think ahead about healthy travel food, you are more likely to be trapped in the worst of the Standard American Diet!

Tip: Try this make-ahead mix to travel with, for a healthy flax muffin-in-a-cup made in your hotel room!

A Healthy Plane Trip Food Packing List

Traveling by plane for an extended trip (especially with children) takes a little different planning.

For example, Europe for 3 weeks was a tricky trip. I want to share how we went and ate well (5-10 raw vegetables/fruits daily) without hassle or excessive expense.

Making Do Without Appliances

We had no green smoothies as a crutch because you don’t go to little European hotels with an appliance, nor will an appliance company cover your warranty if you blow it out with the weird plugs in various countries.

Plus, we had a few flights with strict weight requirements. A turbo blender is just too much weight.

We packed these healthy travel food options in our suitcases to take with us.

The Best Travel Food to Bring with You

1. a good organic powdered greens product..

This saved us, nutritionally, in the absence of green smoothies! I stirred a large spoonful into a glass of water for everyone, morning and night. (If you would like to order from our friends at Organifi , use coupon code ROBYN15 at checkout—you'll get 15% off your order!)

2. Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Costco Granola, and Rice Dream.

Double bag the rice milk in gallon Ziploc bags; two fit perfectly in one bag. (Keep in mind that you’ll need to put liquids in checked baggage, not your carry-on.)

Remove the Grape Nuts from their boxes (we bought the big Costco ones) and add another layer of protection with a gallon freezer bag. You don’t want these things exploding in your suitcases.

3. Bags of homemade granola  and dry, raw seeds.

Granola and pumpkin or sunflower seeds are lifesavers on long trips.

Along with a box of rice milk, they’re a breakfast that will serve you well for the most important meal of the day, helping you avoid a crappy hotel continental breakfast, which is never, in any country, an option that will give you sustained energy for the day.

Soak the seeds when you get to your destination, pour the water off the next morning, and use the seeds stirred into the baked granola, for living enzymes, the world’s healthiest fats, and powerful nutrition to power through until lunch!

Even restaurant breakfasts (which take time from your touring and are expensive) are pretty much never nutritious. We bought bananas in the market, upon arrival, to add to our cereal.

4. Paper bowls and plastic spoons.

These are great for breakfasts.

5. Snacks like sprouted Teriyaki Almonds.

You can find that recipe alone. Organic plant-based bars and apples also travel well.

6. Frozen smoothies and juice.

Frozen plastic containers of green smoothies or green juice can be double bagged and rolled into pairs of jeans in your suitcase at the last minute. You can even have these in a carry-on and get through security just fine; if it's frozen, it's not liquid!

This works when the hotel we’ll be arriving at has a fridge. If it doesn’t, you can get some ice and put green smoothies in the sink, with ice, to keep them cold for a couple of days. This is a bit of a hassle.

7. A large bottle of water in everyone’s checked luggage.

This to tides us over till we’re able to stop and buy gallons of distilled or filtered water, so we don’t end up not drinking enough or drinking fluoridated, chlorinated water from taps or drinking fountains.

Make sure you’re drinking a lot of water when you’re traveling, especially with airline travel, because drinking lots of clean water is even more important than food.

It’s not true that you can’t find something good to eat when you’re traveling. It is, however, true that you have to try a bit harder than when you’re at home.

Just know what you’re looking for. First and foremost, you’re looking for opportunities to get greens and vegetables (priorities #1 and #2) because those are the base of the pyramid, the most important foods, and also the hardest healthy travel food to find when traveling.

So when you can, find them, buy them, and eat them however you have to—even by the handful, plain!

1. Look for Produce Stands and Local Farmers’ Markets

Getting healthy fruits and veggies at local farmers markets is an amazing way to support the economy and eat well.

You’re enjoying local fruit and vegetables in season, and can be part of your touring the area and experiencing what they grow there!

For example, when we went to Europe, we’d stop at a market and buy some healthy travel food options like this every day for lunch:

• 6 nectarines
• 6 large carrots (I never saw baby carrots in Europe)
• A loaf of whole grain bread (a comedy of communication errors in a bakery in Paris taught me that “complete” is the word in France to describe whole grains)
• Some local cheeses and mustard and tomatoes for the bread

We’d wash the fruit and carrots, toss all the stuff in a backpack, and stop in a park somewhere to eat each day.

Part of the fun was going in the little local grocery markets to see what they have.

Finds like this make you feel at home in a strange city and add to the sense of discovery and accomplishment in your travels.

Read John Robbins’ The Food Revolution on how European meat/cheese is highly government regulated and not full of antibiotics, steroids, infected pus, and other lovelies like the U.S. products contain. Also, bread is made fresh, without hybridization of the wheat, without preservatives, and Europe does not have the glyphosate (Roundup) issue. So many people with gluten issues do fine with European bread.

2. Know What to Look for in Restaurants, and Try the Local Cuisine

While traveling to Europe (and often stateside), we would eat dinner in a restaurant. I’m certainly not going to take my kids to Italy without letting them try gelato and pizza!

(Of course, the pizza bears no resemblance to what is offered here in the U.S. It is much better for you, and you can get many lovely vegetarian pizzas, one of the most popular varieties being topped with mounds of raw greens.)

Ditto Barcelona, where we enjoyed the paella (vegetarian, of course) and gazpacho.

And France? I did not, myself, try the white bread, but let the kids do it once because my then-husband thought it was somehow important in their “experiencing” France.

And of course, they did fall madly in love with crepes.

(Can you believe I had never tried that hazelnut/chocolate spread, Nutella, in my life, before France? Note to self: avoid at home. Wow, it was yummy on crepes. Do not include this as part of my “eat healthy” tips.)

So, we did indulge, but we always indulged with a big green salad alongside.

After my childhood of severe hypoglycemia, I learned that if one eats refined sugar now and then, it should be done only after a good, healthy, high-fiber meal.

The Europeans have lots of watercress and other lovely greens that we consider exotic here. And amazingly, even without my green smoothies, and despite a few servings of gelato and crepes, I came home the same weight and had lots of energy each day for our adventures.

3. Make a Healthy Fast Food Choice

Stateside, Subway is our standby as “fast food” on trips. Here’s what you do: get the “wheat” bread and order a Veggie Delite.

Tell the teenage employee to put on LOTS of cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and shredded carrots, plus spinach if they have it (skip the iceberg lettuce). For a sauce, we just do brown mustard.

Veggie sandwiches are a great alternative to traditional meat sandwiches.

Then, your sandwich lies there, open, looking a little skimpy.

The “sandwich artist” awaits further orders. Do not, in the interest of being polite, leave with that skimpy sandwich. You say, can I have a bunch more tomatoes? Thanks! And how about a lot more cucumbers?

(Go through the whole vegetable lineup again if necessary. Smile and use all your chatty charisma, so as to not completely annoy the sandwich maker.)

The Perfect Packed Sandwich

When your sandwich is piled high with veggies, they manage to squeeze it shut and package it up for you, and you get a rather nutritious meal, at least compared to most fast food. I recommend the 12-inch to make it filling enough for hiking around on vacation.

4. Look for Healthy Restaurants

Other restaurants we ask Siri to find for us on U.S. trips are Cafe Rio or Bajio’s. We'll order salads with whole wheat tortillas, no meat, lots of black beans, and extra romaine.

Think what your favorite chains with healthy meal options, then look for them when you’re out of town.

Robyn with her daughter Emma and Dr. Petra Wiechel, on her trip to WY, ID, UT.

If I end up at one of the really lousy Americana chains like Chili’s, Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s, etc., I ask for extra romaine and dressing on the side (so you can use a minimal amount).

Avoid Mexican and Chinese restaurants, because they rarely have anything raw or nutritious on their menu.

5. Look for Juice Bars and Salad Bars.

Greens are your #1 daily priority, and Google makes this easy.

I’ve found a juice bar and had a wheatgrass shot in the Amsterdam airport, and had another giant glass of made-to-order fresh carrot-celery juice in downtown Prague. That’s right, in the Czech Republic! Where a tour guide told us, “Our national vegetable is pork.”

Buy green smoothies or no-fruit green juices, made fresh, with superfood additions. Some Whole Foods Markets have made-to-order juice bars.

In fact, Whole Foods was my go-to when I did my lecture tour for 6 years in 450 cities. In virtually every city we drove to, we'd make the GPS direct us to the nearest Whole Foods and get a giant salad from the salad bar to last lunch and dinner, plus a few healthy snacks and treats. It’s kind of an adventure, and it’s McDonald’s-like in that you know what you will get when you go there. Predictable and better than wandering around town hoping to find some reasonably non-toxic grub.

6. Don’t Buy Into the Idea that There’s Nothing Healthy to Eat in Airports.

In airports, you just have to look a little bit harder for food you won't regret. I found amazing quinoa/kale salad in the Phoenix airport recently, for instance.

The Denver airport has a restaurant that serves only locally grown food selections. The Atlanta airport has a fresh juice bar. And you can get a green smoothie at Jamba Juice in most airports, though tell them to triple the greens and halve the fruit content.

The point is, look around a bit, and you’ll find something plant-based, something whole, something that gives life rather than spends it. Anywhere in the world.

Here are some photos our readers shared with us, about healthy travel food “finds” on their vacations, plus a few of my own. You really can eat right, while traveling, with a bit of effort!

We got this healthy steamed and sautéed potatoes and veggies in a BBQ place in the Atlanta airport.

Look around after you’ve gone through Security and before you board your plane...Finding a good meal is a better use of time than sitting in the waiting area anyway. Survey what’s available and embrace the challenge of eating well. I found a kale-quinoa salad at a restaurant called La Grande Orange in the Phoenix airport.

And I found a juice bar inside an otherwise Standard American Diet place called Mediterranean Grill in the Detroit airport, where I get a celery/carrot juice, made fresh to order, anytime I fly through Detroit.

Check out this unassuming little place on one end of New York City’s Canal Street, where Coach Judi and I got a 16 oz. organic, fresh-pressed parsley, cucumber, celery, carrot, and beet juice in two minutes flat. Vibrations high for the rest of the day!

Myra Johnson of Utah took her family to Rocky Point, Mexico on a humanitarian trip and stopped at “Mario’s” for food. Fresh smoothies were the main feature, with spinach, barley, flaxseed, and even asparagus! One of the smoothies Mario makes with his 11 blenders is called “Para El Estrenimianto”—for constipation! Myra took her family again the next day.

Our webmaster Jason’s wife and little boy enjoyed a green smoothie of peas, cucumbers, broccoli and spinach in a mainstream place you’d never guess would have such a great option.

Indulging While on Vacation

On a trip across the West with friends from Europe, at any of our given restaurant meal, some were having a couple glasses of wine with dinner, or dessert, or coffee after dinner.

All of us are very health-conscious people. My point is, we all indulge, on vacation. If we’re doing some great things, all day, to keep nutrient density high, hopefully, it’s enough to continue enjoying the vacation.

I hope these ideas are useful to you, and the recipes I made before our Disneyland trip are below for your enjoyment! And grab our Healthy Travel Food Packing List, here! It's free and it'll make eating healthy on your next road trip or vacation a breeze!

Special Offer! Want more ideas for healthy travel food while on vacation, on a budget, or with little time? Want to know how to get your kids to buy into healthful eating? Get my books How To Eat Right In The Real World and How To Raise Healthy Eaters at 50% off the already discounted set! Enter the coupon code ROADTRIP at checkout!

• Teriyaki Almonds
• Candied Almonds
• Homemade Granola
• Tonya’s Onion Bread

What’s in your travel food list? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Read next: 8 Foods You Think Are Healthy But They Aren’t!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.

Posted in: Green Smoothies , Lifestyle , Recipes , Relationships , Tools & Products

4 thoughts on “Healthy Travel Food: The Ultimate Packing Lists for Eating Right on a Trip”

Oh Robyn you didn’t try the French Nutella. Omg it’s better than the American, so I’ve heard. I’m an American living over here in France. I know how hard it is especially when I detox around my family and friends. They just don’t want to understand anything about it. Sad. Next time you come to France??? I hope that we could chat sometime. Love ya. You and all of the GSG team have helped me and so many others. Bless you on making all of this and know that you are growning everywhere. Hugs

Thank you for your kind words Stephanie!!

These are very useful tips! I’m going to put them to use once this pandemic is over and we get to travel as freely as we can again. Thank you!

Can you recommend a pre-made smoothie for travel?

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How to Eat Healthy No Matter How You're Traveling

Hitting the road? Whether traveling by car or plane to a hotel or rental, you can still make healthy choices.

Related To:

Photo by: fstop123/Getty

fstop123/Getty

When traveling, you want to consider several things before deciding what food to take. First, plan ahead. Before you start packing meals and snacks, determine if you will have the capability of keeping refrigerated foods cold (like a cooler in the car) or if you will need to pack foods that are safe at room temperature. If you are flying, think about which foods can make it through security — yogurt and peanut butter in the jar aren’t allowed. If you do want to eat refrigerated foods on your flight, make sure to eat them early on in your travel, either at the airport or at the start of your flight.

If you are packing cold foods for a car ride, pack foods directly from the fridge into a cooler, and keep meat and poultry separate from foods that will be eaten raw like fresh fruit. The temperature of the cooler should be 40 degrees F or colder and filling your cooler with several inches of ice or using frozen gel packs can help. You can also freeze juice boxes, water bottles, and other beverages to keep your cooler cold. When you do put the cooler in the car, it should be inside the car where it is air-conditioned and not in the trunk.

Best Foods for Traveling by Car

By the time you turn the corner, everyone in the car is begging for food. While chips and cookies can be fun snacks, you may want something more nutritious . Pack a few good-for-you mess-free meals and snacks. To keep things fresh, bring a cooler.

• Whole-grain pasta salad or quinoa salad
• Turkey and cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread
• Hard-boiled egg and cheese in a whole-wheat pita
• Sliced fresh fruit like melon and berries
• Greek yogurt
• Cheese and whole-grain crackers

If you end up having to hit the grocery store or gas station mart anyway, look for healthier choices.

• Whole-grain pretzels
• Hummus cups
• Coffee or tea (nothing fancy)
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Small bowl of oatmeal

Best Foods for Traveling By Plane

Not all flights provide food and some only give you cookies or pretzels as an option, so if you want to stay on track with your healthy eating goals, advanced planning is a must. If you're counting on purchasing food at the airport or on board, you'll pay a pretty penny, plus not all airports carry healthy fare. Instead, pack a few sandwiches and snacks.

Sandwiches:

• Cucumber and whipped cream cheese on whole-wheat bread
• Peanut butter and jelly on rye
• Grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and mustard in a whole-grain wrap
• Hummus with sliced tomato, pepper and cucumber in a whole-wheat pita
• String cheese
• Homemade trail mix
• Nonfat Greek yogurt
• Whole fruit (plums, peaches, banana)
• Cut vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery)
• Seaweed snacks

Foods to Pack for the Hotel

Traveling always makes me hungry, and the last thing I want to do is check into my hotel and run to the vending machine. Instead, I ask ahead if there is a supermarket nearby and if the room has a refrigerator and microwave oven.

At the supermarket, I pick up easy finger foods that require little or no prep, such as fruits, pre-cut veggies or baby carrots, dry roasted nuts, Greek yogurt, and whole-grain cereal and milk. If there's a microwave, I bring snacks like popcorn.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day .

*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent registered dietitian nutritionist.

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28 Healthy Snacks to Pack For Your Next Long Flight

Because soggy airport pizza is no way to start a trip.

Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

The mere acts of packing and getting to the airport on time can already be so overwhelming that you rarely stop to think about what you’re going to eat at the terminal (and on the flight). If you're looking for healthy travel snacks (that also sort of taste like junk food ) and won't melt in your weekender , we asked dietitians and nutritionists for their top TSA-approved picks.

Epic Provisions Snack Strips or Meat bars

Lauren Cadillac , Manhattan-based Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer, is a big fan of EPIC’s Snack Strips or Meat Bars which are high in protein to keep you full throughout your flight. The best part? You can find them at some airports, just in case you forgot to pack them. 

Wonderful Halos California-Grown Mandarins

These particular mandarins “are seedless and easy to peel, making them another simple grab-and-go option when you're heading to the airport,” says Lori Zanini, RD, CDE and creator of  ForTheLoveOfDiabetes.com . Not only that, but eating just two Halos will provide you with natural energy and half a day’s worth of vitamin C, she says. 

Gaea Packaged Olives

For a salty option, Keri Glassman, R.D., recommends packing olives. You can enjoy them on their own or include them in what she refers to as “mini meals” which can consist of olives and pairings like a small salad, a packet of tuna, “or a KIND bar that only has 4-5 grams of sugar per serving.” Just one thing olive-lovers, skip olive bar varieties which “are actually sitting in canola oil” and go for those stored in water and packaged in a glass jar or to-go container for a healthier option (like these Gaea olives she loves).  

Chopped Apples With Cinnamon and Almond Butter

Glassman takes her apples to the next level by chopping them up and topping them with cinnamon and almond butter. Not only is this a delicious way to fit some fruit into your trip, but it's also a simpler way to pack.

Pete & Gerry's Hard Boiled Eggs

“These are an easy addition because they are pre-peeled and ready to eat and much more nutritious than most other airport options,” says Zanini. Convenience aside, these eggs “are high in protein, organic, free-range, and certified humane” so you can travel with a full belly and a clear conscience.

Soozy's Grain-Free Muffins

If your idea of a great airport snack is less giant Toblerone and more muffins and croissants, Cadillac suggests Soozy’s Muffins. “Grain-free, gluten-free, certified paleo, these muffins are a much healthier choice than the muffins at the airport,” she says.

Frozen Grapes

Grapes not enticing for you on their own? Freeze them before your flight for a sweet and satisfying crunchy snack! Glassman recommends doing this and then popping them in a reusable on-the-go bag to keep them frozen for a few hours. “They will start to defrost, but will still be super cold for snacking,” she says.

Justin's Squeeze Pack

These packets of nut butter may not fill you up on their own but they're a great addition to crackers, fruits, and other snacks you may already have on hand. 

KIND Snack Bars

Last-minute packers, this one’s for you. The easiest thing you can do is reach for a granola bar. Glassman recommends KIND’s Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bar. It’s her favorite “because they are made with real, wholesome ingredients like nuts, whole grains and fruit, plus the bar has only 5 grams of sugar,” she explains. 

Wholly Guacamole Classic Guacamole Minis

Avocado is a nutrient-dense food packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, says Glassman. She makes her own avocado mash at home using salt, pepper, lemon or lime, and garlic powder but if you’re not a fan of DIY, just toss some of Wholly Guacamole’s single-serve guacamole packs in your bag. “At 2 ounces each, they're totally TSA friendly. Plus, they pair so well with other nutritious snacks like crunchy veggies and whole grain crackers, so I feel encouraged to eat lots of healthy items while in-flight,” says Blechman.

Dang Unsweetened Toasted Coconut Chips

Even if you’re not jetting off to some tropical island, these coconut chips will make you feel like you’re in snack paradise. Not only are they super tasty but as Cadillac explains, “medium chain triglycerides from the coconut are great for brain function and sustained energy levels.” In other words, they’ll fill you up and help you ace that crossword puzzle you’re saving for the flight.  

Nature's Path Qi'a Superfood Organic Hot Oatmeal

We never thought to make oatmeal on a flight but it’s honestly a no-brainer. As Cadillac points out all you need to do is bring a packet with you, ask for a cup and hot water, and voila! A tasty, filling, and hot snack rich in fiber and “brain boosting omega threes” suddenly materializes.

Gimme GimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks

Cadillac packs seaweed snack on her trips because they’re “a low calorie treat that satisfies that salty crunchy craving.” But not only are they low-cal, they also pack a ton of vitamins and minerals such as as calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine zinc, and vitamins C and A! Potato chips who?

Dates With Almond Butter

“While it still satisfies that sweet tooth in the same way a candy will, dates are a real food that will provide you with vitamins and minerals compared to empty calories that you’ll get from candy,” says Glassman. Additionally, “the protein and fat from the almond butter will help satiate you” so you don’t feel the need to snack during your entire trip.

Light & Fit Two Good Mixed Berry Greek Yogurt

For a light snack that's still filling enough to hold you over until the concessions cart comes around, Blechman suggests Greek yogurt. "Right now I'm loving Two Good. The little cup has 2g of total sugar, 3g of carbs, 12g of protein and 80 calories." So, you'll save plenty of room for a fun meal when you land.

Wonderful Pistachios Wonderful Roasted & Salted Pistachios

“Pistachios are a good source of plant-based protein and nearly 90% of the fats found in them are the better for you mono and polyunsaturated type,” says Zanini. 

Horizon Organic Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

“I am always looking for items that are individually wrapped because they’re so much easier to grab from the kitchen on my way out,” says Blechman. Her current go-to is Horizon organic string cheese for a good source of protein that easily fits in a personal bag or carry-on.

Sabra Classic Hummus Snack Dips

For a savory snack that’s indulgent without being unhealthy, Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, and health and nutrition expert for NBC’s TODAY show, recommends hummus cups, because they’re the perfect thing to accompany some fresh veggies like baby carrots, celery sticks, or bell pepper slices, she says. Or, if you're a carb-lover (who isn't?) enjoy the pita chips that come with most cups.

Finn Crisp Thin Rye Crispbread Original

If you're looking for yet another option to dip into your hummus or guac (another healthy go-to), Blechman recommends whole-grain crackers to stay on the more nutritious side. Her favorites (with or without hummus) are Finn Crisps.

Nourish Snacks Chewy Granola Bites

To satisfy your cravings for those Delta biscotti, Bauer suggests her very own Nourish Granola Bites in flavors like chocolate peanut butter, blueberry apple, and chocolate banana. The yummy snacks come in 1o oz single serve pouches as well as resealable 4 oz bags and are made with good-for-you ingredients like whole grain oats and chia, so they're filling, Bauer says.

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7 Tips: How to Find the Best Food when Travelling

We leave the comfort of our homes to travel for different reasons.

Some of us want a break from work to relax, others are keen to learn and experience different cultures.

Hi, we’re Rach & Marty!

We’ve visited every country in the world and want to help you get the most out of your travels!

Whether you need an expertly planned itinerary , some experienced hints and tips , or just craving a delicious food adventure , we’ve got you covered!

We may earn affiliate commissions from websites we link to, at no cost to you. Click here for details.

Food is an essential part of any trip or journey.

Regardless of your travels’ purpose or budget, finding good food in foreign countries can sometimes be challenging.  See our tips for how to find the best food when travelling.

Table of Contents

1)  Do your research before you go

Our eating habits and types of food we enjoy are common practices to us, however, they can be very different from other countries. Before you go, make sure to read about the food and cultures in the country you’re visiting.

You might find that the type of dishes served in the country and when and where to eat might not be what you are used to at home.

For example in Australia, lunch is often eaten in a café and many cafes close at 4 pm, so it’s often hard to find the kitchen still serving food or coffee after 4 pm.

In Spain, you won’t eat dinner before 8 pm as most places don’t open until late. When dining in the USA, remember that a 15-25% tip is expected on top of the total bill.

In Thailand, the whole country eats on its streets because it’s very affordable and the food is fantastic. For this reason, cooking in the home in this country is uncommon.

Don’t miss our other 26 handy tips for travel in Thailand.

Travel for food? Read our 10 best countries for food lovers

It’s worth noting that if visiting the Middle East during Ramadan, be aware that most food places will be closed during daylight hours.

2)  Ask a local for a recommendation

One of the best ways to find great local food in any destination is to ask someone who lives there. Simply ask a taxi driver or your receptionist for a recommendation.

If you’re after a local flavour, ask them to suggest where they would eat as sometimes a receptionist might point you to a fancy restaurant instead of the simple canteen where they get their lunch.

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3)  Don’t be afraid of the menu in a different language

Don’t speak the language? No problem. Many restaurants might have an English menu or the wait staff can translate for you. If this isn’t the case, Google Translate can help. Download the App to your phone at home and then choose the language pack of the country you are going to visit (ie. Italian) and download it for offline use.

When in a restaurant you can simply type a sentence to translate: “ Can I please order the most popular dish?” or “What would you recommend?”

You can also hover over the menu with the camera feature and it will translate the menu on your screen, it’s amazing.

Now you’re multilingual! If you don’t have a smartphone, simply point at another diner’s dish to order the same.

Some of the best dishes I’ve eaten in Vietnam and China (but I couldn’t stomach many that are on my 10 most bizarre foods in China  post) were ordered this way.

Read more: Our best travel tips from 20+ years of travel

4)  Go to the local market

You will find fresh produce and usually find cheap and tasty meals nearby.

There is nothing quite like going to the local market. Not only is it a great way to interact with locals, but you will get to see the fresh seasonal produce that you should be eating.

Fresh tomatoes and porcini mushrooms in Italy, tropical fruits in Thailand, the best tuna in the world in Japan or fresh fish in Greece, among other amazing Greek foods.

You can usually find some local food vendors near markets… hello, deep-fried langos in Hungary or chicken kebab in Turkey.

Some of the 8 foods worth travelling to Europe for are street food classics!

5)  If there is a queue for food – join it!

If you see locals lining up for food somewhere – join them, it’s always good.

Food places that are always busy are for a reason. So if it’s popular with locals, it will be good.

Read more – The ultimate food map of Europe

6)  Research food bloggers online to see their recommendations.

Turn to the experts when learning how to find the best food when travelling. Bloggers and foodie influencers write about where to find the best coffee, sandwich or cocktails in many destinations. It’s a good source of information.

In the new area of the Internet, getting some hot tips online is a great strategy.

You will find websites dedicated to food everywhere. Every destination will have some food bloggers whose passion is eating and sharing their experiences.

To find them, search for something similar to ‘ best places to eat in Athens ‘ or ‘ best cheap eats in Cairns ‘. We use searches like’ best food in New York City ‘ or ‘ where is the best coffee in Stockholm? ‘

Most blogs are written in English, but if you are not fluent, simply translate them with google translate and note down the name and addresses.

We always use this trick when researching how to find the best food when travelling. More often than not, it always works really well.

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7)  Use Google Maps to mark food places to avoid tourist traps

I like to use my google maps for orientation when in a foreign city. You can also save places on your map (you need to have a Gmail account to log in) which is very helpful.

Let’s say you are visiting Bratislava for the first time, I’d research the places and dishes online as mentioned above and then search for them on my google maps.

You can then click on the name of the bistro or restaurant and hit the save button – you can add it to your favourites or places you go.

By the way, we found the best restaurants in Bratislava, and here they are .

I usually add some places for lunch, dinner or coffee and might even look for a supermarket. This means that if I then visit the old town I won’t just walk into the first restaurant on the main square to have an overpriced, average meal.

If you see a restaurant with signs or menus with the words ‘traditional’ or ‘original’ cuisine, then my advice is to skip it.

The meal will likely be average and you’ll be paying tourist prices of up to four times the price. Many restaurants that do this are only catering to hordes of tourists who they can bet will never be visiting again. Not worth it at all.

I’ll follow directions to the place I’ve already saved on my map to find great food in a local place that is likely to be full of locals eating great food. Win!

Google maps is an amazing tool for showing you how to find the best food when travelling the world.

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Try new flavours and combinations! They might sound strange but they usually work. As eating rice, chicken and cherry compote might sound strange to someone who is not from Slovakia, some dishes you come across might not sound appealing to you either.

Our bonus tip for how to find the best food when travelling is to consider joining a food tour in great foodie cities. We do this all the time and it’s awesome!

We like to search on Get Your Guide or Viator for the best range of food tours.

Either way, I recommend that you try them and you may be pleasantly surprised. Here are some strange combos from around the world that seem to work:

• Pineapple or beetroot in a hamburger – Australia (Read more about 12 Australian Classic Foods you need to try )
• Melon with prosciutto ham – Italy (Perhaps try it as one of the 10 Best Things to do in Venice )
• Waffles with bacon and maple syrup – Canada (and other amazing Cheap Eats in Vancouver )
• French fries with peanut sauce – Netherlands (You can find this on the best food tour in Amsterdam )

Have you tried any of the above food combos? What are your best tips for how to find the best food when travelling?  Please share them with us below.

More Travel Tips

We have so many tips to help you travel more!

These 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you stretch your hard-earned dollars further.

Read our top 6 travel hacks to save money and the  20 best travel apps to make travel easier! 

For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies. And, if history is your thing, these 30 amazing historical places worldwide will fascinate you!

We have many tips to save money for travel and consider these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world to help you travel longer.

If you become a trusted housesitter , you can also get FREE accommodation worldwide. Read more about how this works .

Check out our ultimate packing list for travellers , and remember to pack travel insurance! We recommend these two travel insurance companies for excellent coverage.

Our  12 essential tips for safe travel in any country are worth a read. 

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling the world. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries , or consider  a Global eSIM if you travel to multiple countries or regions. This eSIM connects you in 124 countries , offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM .

The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour.

Check our Group Tours first for any upcoming trips you may be interested to join, or view these deals on worldwide group tours with Tourradar .

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.

Travel Planning Resources

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🚌 Transportation : Trainline is the best website to reserve trains. We use Omio to book transport worldwide. For travel in Asia, we use 12Go.  

🚘 Car Rental : We use DiscoverCars to book rental cars worldwide.

👫 Group Tours : We now offer Group Trips; check them out here . Alternatively, we recommend G Adventures OR Tourradar .

📸 Day Tours & Trips :  GetYourGuide  & Viator are the only two platforms you need.

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🎒 Luggage :  Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack  or  Samsonite Luggage Range.

🛄 What to Pack:  Don’t forget your Universal charger and a good  power bank .  To help you pack the essentials, here is our ULTIMATE Packing List for all Travellers .

🐶 Become a House Sitter:  Join Trusted Housesitters and enjoy FREE accommodation worldwide. Use our invite to receive 25% off your new membership.

💰 Send Money Anywhere: WISE  &  Revolut  are the best online accounts that let you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally. Both are so easy to use and way cheaper than any bank transfer.

📶  Stay Connected: Airalo eSIM allows you to get connected the moment you land at your destination, and you can avoid those expensive data roaming charges. We LOVE this product! Use promo code NOMAD15 for 15% off ALL eSIMs (new Airalo users only) OR use NOMAD10 for 10% off ALL eSIMs (for existing Airalo users)

✅ Check out our Travel Gear  and  Travel Resources for more valuable tips to save you money!

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12 Comments . Leave new

Have you tried some insects in Thailand? It looks quite horrible but tastes so good, haha. I love the street food in Thailand. Anyway, thanks for your post Marty and safe travel 🙂

Yes, we have tried them in Thailand. As you said, there are not so bad after all.:)

Good tips to find best food in travelling… good job.. nice blog

Sounds good!! I have bookmarked and will share these tips with friends. Very useful tips to save the food during traveling. I love to eat in restaurants.

I am always love grill. But now i am change my habit. Now find my best food. Thanks Marty for your blog.

Great post, Marty! These tips are so practical and useful! I am saving your post for when deciding for my next travel!

Thank you so much for all the food items. I found some amazing ones thanks to you ! Keep up the good work !

thanks for sharing those good tips, Marty, Fablose post ;)!

Thank you.:)

I like how you highlighted that asking a local is one of the most excellent methods to get delicious local food in any location. Due to his next vacation to Europe, my partner should consider this. He enjoys dining out and rarely cooks. I’ll be sure to provide him with this page so he can choose an excellent restaurant wherever he’s located, thanks!

Since I’d like to surprise my husband for his birthday this weekend, I’ve been looking for a restaurant to book. I appreciate how you said to ask people for recommendations if you want to experience a local flavor since occasionally a receptionist would direct you to a nice restaurant rather than the straightforward canteen where they grab their lunch. I’ll take this into account because I really want to locate a place that serves wonderful cuisine and local wine that has an amazing romantic feel.

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15 Traditional Russian Foods You Must Try

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Russia may not be the first to come to mind when you think of a food destination, but the country has plenty of delicious traditional dishes to try. Visitors to Russia are often surprised at the variety and flavors of Russian cuisine, which is influenced by Russia's connection to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The most classic Russian recipes are made of veggies and wheat, such as soups, porridges, and stuffed dough.

Borscht is a beet soup that originated in Ukraine and was quickly adopted as a Russian specialty. Beets may seem like a strange base for soup to many Westerners, but there are plenty of reasons that this hearty soup is one of Russia’s most famous dishes. It is full of meat and sautéed vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes. It can be served hot or cold and is best served with a dollop of fresh sour cream on top.

Shchi is a typical cabbage soup made from either fresh or fermented cabbage. While different recipes call for various ingredients, shchi often contains potatoes, carrots, onions, and possibly some meat such as chicken. The cabbage can also be replaced with sauerkraut, called sour shchi.

Solyanka is a thick soup that is plentiful enough to be a meal in itself. This soup is made with various types of meat, including sausage, bacon, ham, and beef, as well as vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Chopped pickles and the traditional lemon slice garnish play an essential role in giving this recipe its sour flavor. It is often also made with fish and pickled cucumbers.

If you like seafood, try ukha, a fish soup with a clear broth. Many different kinds of fish can be used to make this soup, including bream, wels catfish, northern pike, and ruffe. The remaining ingredients are not unlike what you might find in a traditional chicken soup—think root vegetables, parsley, leeks, and dill.

You may have already heard of pirozhki (also known as piroshki or pyrizhky). These little baked or fried puff pastries are packed with potatoes, meat, cabbage, or cheese. The stuffed pockets are popular all around Russia and Ukraine.

Pelmeni is considered the national dish of Russia. They are pastry dumplings are typically filled with minced meat and wrapped in a thin, pasta-like dough. They can be served alone, slathered in butter and topped with sour cream, or in a soup broth. A favorite in Russia and Eastern Europe!

Blini is a wheat pancake rolled with various fillings: jam, cheese, sour cream, caviar, onions, or even chocolate syrup. It is Russia's equivalent of a crepe. At any restaurant where you aren't sure of any of the other dishes, blini are always a safe bet. Blini are such an important part of Russian cuisine that a festival called Maslenitsa celebrates the beginning of spring with them.

Russian kebabs are called shashlyk or shashlik. Like any kebab, they consist of cubed meat and veggies grilled on skewers. They have roots in the Caucasian Mountains, where 19th-century tribe members would prepare them over an open flame.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff consists of sauteed beef strips served in a creamy sauce with mushrooms or tomatoes, often served with rice, noodles, or potatoes. This recipe has a long history, and many variations for its preparation exist, but its roots are in mid-19th-century Russia.

Caviar, or ikra, is really something to get worked up about in Russia. Briny and sharp, it is often served on dark, crusty bread or with blini, which are like pancakes or crepes. Caviar on buttered bread is a popular zakuska.

You can expect to find sour cream or smetana, accompanying almost any Russian traditional food—with crepes, soups, and even sometimes in dessert. This sour cream is fresh and melts into any warm dish, adding to its distinctive flavor. (You will likely often see it in beef stroganoff.)

Russia is well-known for vodka, so you can expect to find many varieties throughout the country, such as Russian Standard Gold, Moskovskaya Osobaya, Kauffman, and Beluga Noble. Russian beverage menus can also include tea, mineral water, beer, and soda.

Kvass is a refreshing fermented beverage with slight carbonation. Although it has a very slight alcohol content, it is not considered an alcoholic beverage. It is made from black or regular rye bread or dough and can be flavored with a variety of different things, ranging from honey to berries to herbs.

Russians love ice cream, called morozhenoe. It is common to find it on many restaurant menus with various toppings​ , like fruit, nuts, or chocolate. Unlike more traditional Western ice cream, morozhenoe is much creamier, thanks to the fresh milk and a higher ice ratio to dairy.

Paskha is a festive dessert that is commonly made around Easter in Eastern Orthodox countries. This sweetened cheesecake dessert is decorated with Christian symbols as a part of the holiday feast.

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10 Traditional Meals To Try In Moscow

Moscow is best known for its squares, towers, and beautiful architecture, but there are also plenty of delicious traditional meals to try in Moscow. Writing about top meals to try in Moscow is not easy. But not because there’s not much good stuff to choose from; absolutely not. It’s hard because they have a wide range of mouth-watering appetizers, vegetarian and meat dishes.

Prior to traveling to Moscow, I didn’t know much about Russian cuisine and Russian food culture. By doing some research and talking to relatives of mine who have already been there, I had a great introduction to all of the best foods to eat in Moscow.

I was pleasantly surprised by all that Moscow had to offer and I’d be happy to eat here again! With the new twist in global politics, the Russian way of cooking might have gotten the second breath. As contemporary Russians are clearly reinventing traditional meals, there are tons of places to eat in Moscow and the culinary scene is very diverse.

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From fatty meat, pancakes, and cabbage to hearty dumplings and pierogi that come with various fillings, Russian food has a reputation for being very affordable. Even the tastiest meals are often quite cheap and can be found everywhere – from Soviet-themed canteens to upscale restaurants.

Here’s a list of popular Russian food meals and my favorite restaurants for traditional Russian cuisine that remind me of my recent trip to Moscow. Enjoying local food can be a great introduction to Russian culture but beware. Russian food is appetizing, filling and addictive, so make sure you reserve enough time to walk off those calories. I’m going to tell you a secret – it’s making me so hungry right now. Why did I do this to myself?

1. Pelmeni (Russian Meat Dumplings)

When people think about what to eat in Moscow, Russian meat dumplings are almost always on top of the list. Dumplings may have originated in China, but this dish has been adapted to become a staple food item in Russian cuisine. Unlike the Chinese Jiaozi, Russian meat dumplings are often smaller and semicircular, rectangular or triangular in shape.

While the local legend has it that Pelmeni originated on the slopes of the Ural mountains, dumplings, as well as, their vegetarian version – vareniki are extremely popular in Russia.

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Vareniki are just delicious if you are vegetarian. Wrapped in an envelope of unleavened dough, vareniki are commonly filled with potatoes, apple puree, or sweet cottage cheese.

In contrast to vareniki, traditional Russian dumplings are stuffed with minced meat, onion, and herbs and enjoyed with sour cream, tomato sauce, or vinegar. Locals just love to keep dumplings in the freezer, adding them into boiling water when they don’t have an hour to spend simmering dinner over the stove.

Where to get them: Lepim i Varim (Stoleshnikov lane 9/1). They claim to use meat that is fresh and has never been frozen, and you’ll need to eat a lot of dumplings if you want to prove them wrong.

2. Blini (Russian Pancakes)

Aside from dumplings, a stack of plain and hot blini (pancakes) is still the most popular thing on the menu in Moscow. Similar to classic French crepes, traditional Russian pancakes are paper-thin. Made from wheat, eggs, and milk, blini are thicker and greasier than crepes and served either sweet or savory.

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll be in heaven here. Russian pancakes can be filled with blueberry jam, strawberry sauce or honey. Although there are also a ton of great traditional recipes that require using additions such as caviar, sour cream or smoked salmon.

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Where to get them: While the city is dotted with eateries where you can try blinis, Breakfast Cafe (M. Nikitskaya 2/1) is definitely a place to find a budget-friendly selection of blini which includes sweet options, fruity options, meat options, or the classic savory.

3. Pierogi (Pies)

Enjoyed as an on-the-go snack, pierogi can envelop pretty much anything – from the minced meat, cabbage, and potatoes to apple jam and cottage cheese. A smaller version of this Russian appetizer is known as pirozhki and comes at a very affordable price, often for less than $1.

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Where to get them: As ubiquitous blinis and dumplings, you’ll find pierogi just about everywhere – obviously the further out of the city center you go, the cheaper you’ll find them. I had mine at Stolle (Pyatnitskaya 3/4), and very succulent they were too!

4. Shchi (Cabbage Soup)

When it comes to naming staple foods of Russian cuisine, shchi would be at the top of the list. This cabbage soup is a large part of Russian culture mostly due to its simplicity. With a quick and easy recipe, shchi has become a quite common meal at all levels of society.

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If you are vegetarian you will love this soup because it is traditionally made from cabbage or sauerkraut, potatoes, carrots, onions, and various spices with optional meat add-ins. Modern Russians use meat broth and sauerkraut in winter, preferring light vegetable broth in Summer. I was lucky enough to compare and try homemade shchi with restaurant shchi. So I liked the idea of adding a little vinegar flavor in the soup.

Where to get them: All over the country, but I first sampled it in Grabli Cafe (Arbat 1). And now I’m completely addicted to it. Send help.

5. Borscht (Beet Soup)

When people hear “Ukrainian traditional food” they immediately think of borscht. But hey, don’t we supposed to talk about Russian food here? Yup, you’re right! Borscht is a bit of an international celebrity and has so many different versions, including vegetarian, that I can’t help but mention it here!

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Traditional borscht is one of my favorite Russian soups. It’s simple, hearty, and filling. Normally, it’s just a meat broth with vegetables like cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, and beetroot that gives the soup its distinctive red color. This soup is served both hot and cold depending on the season, and in some regions, they might also add kidney beans, turnips, vegetable marrows.

When in Moscow, you’ll want to try their version of borscht – expect to spot beef, ham, and sausage pieces in the broth. For a decent version of borscht, visit Taras Bulba tavern (Petrovka str 30/7) that is a ten-minute walk from the Tverskaya subway station.

6. Salad Olivier (Russian Salad)

Nothing is more evocative of the influence of French culture in Russia than in the effects on the traditional cuisine of the country. Salad olivier is, perhaps, the most apt example. Originally invented by the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier, the salad has become an iconic food during the Soviet and Post-Soviet period.

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Authentic Olivier salad contained veal tongue, caviar, lettuce, crayfish, gherkins, and smoked duck. But times have changed and the ingredients now tend toward the boiled eggs, bologna sausage, potatoes, and pickles all bound with mayonnaise.

An update of Olivier version, known as Stolichny, became a staple of Russian cuisine and a typical dish served at the New Year’s Eve tables. If you want to try original, more exquisite Olivier salad, you should eat Dr.Zhivago’s (Mokhovaya str, 15/1) version. It is not the original recipe but has some of that imperial richness.

7. Beef Stroganoff

I don’t know what could be more synonymous with Moscow then beef stroganoff. Walk down any block in Central Moscow and you will come across a restaurant serving it. I was somewhat skeptical at first but now I have to admit – nothing beats a plate of beef stroganoff topped with sour cream sauce together with onions and mushrooms. Yum. I had some of the best beef stroganoff of my life in Moscow.

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According to a widespread belief, this dish as we know it originated when French chef Andre Dupont served it to please his boss – the Russian Count Alexander Stroganoff. Another legend has it that lightly floured beef cubes (but not strips) sauced with prepared mustard and broth served specially for the guests of Count. Since the dish could be easily divided into portions it became incredibly popular among nobles and commoners.

The beef stroganoff at Villa Della Pasta (Pyatnitskaya, 26) is all of the unapologetic excesses of the years before revolution sautéed into one mouth-watering, hearty, rib-sticking dish. And like the Hermitage Museum or the Red Square, you really shouldn’t say you hate beef stroganoff without giving it a go first.

This is where my Moscow food guide becomes a Moscow drink guide because Kvass is… *drumroll*… a drink! Who’d have thought? But you shouldn’t leave Russia without giving the country’s version of Coca Cola a try, because, in my opinion, it’s better than the Red and White.

Russian food culture inevitably connected with drinking kvass. This fermented beverage has been known since the 10th century AD according to ancient Russian text. At that time kvass was the alcoholic drink, and it was stronger than beer we know today.

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The alcohol percentage in ancient Russian kvass could achieve 16%. Everything has changed so kvass today only contains up to 1% alcohol, so even kids are allowed to drink it.

This traditional fermented drink is very popular in summer so you will find countless brands to choose from. It is widely available at grocery stores. But you really have to try homemade kvass at the local market or restaurants that brew their own kvass. The taste is so much different from the brands you’ll find at the supermarket.

Where to get it: While there are plenty of grocery stores to grab a kvass, I got mine at Burgermeister restaurant (Teatralnaya square, 5/2). They have a strong focus on beer, their kvass’s just as good.

9. Buckwheat Porridge

Yet another staple food of Russian cuisine. While I’m not a big fan of buckwheat porridge (or “gretchka” as locals call it), boiled buckwheat is definitely something that keeps Russians on track! It provides more protein than rice, wheat, millet, or corn and completely gluten-free.

From ancient times this nourishing, but cheap and easy, the dish is something you can find just about everywhere in the country. If you would ask me why do Russians have it with almost every meal, I would tell you that it has a nutty flavor and because one serving of buckwheat set one up for a long day.

I had buckwheat porridge for breakfast that kept me full until lunch owing to the slow release of energy. The classical buckwheat dish is crumby may resemble brown rice. You can eat it as a side dish to meat, pairing particularly well with offal and wild game. But my favorite is to serve it with fresh cold milk and sugar as I had for breakfast.

The best part of my meal was the honesty of my waiter at GrechkaLab (Pushechnaya str, 7/5). When I ordered buckwheat porridge with onions, he looked at me funny, “No, that will not be good.” I was a bit taken aback and he explained that the buckwheat porridge is too mild and dry to eat on its own and needed to go with piquant meatballs or milk. I said I wanted to try it anyways and he reluctantly put the order in. Sure enough, buckwheat porridge was tasteless on its own and I should have trusted his judgment. It was refreshing to have the honest opinion of a waiter and he turned out to be completely correct.

10. Solyanka Soup

This thick and spicy soup is an incredible mixture of incongruous ingredients can be served as the first and the second course. Solyanka is a Medieval Russian dish was especially popular among the peasantry. Made with various types of sausages, potatoes, carrots, onions, pickled cucumbers, the soup is very hearty and will definitely keep you nice and warm when it is chilly outside.

Definitely, traditional Russian food is great and it was hard for me to narrow down the list to just ten. I haven’t even begun to touch on the classic dishes that need to be tried. Stroganina, okroshka, borodinsky bread, kholodets. Not to mention vodka. That will require a list all its own.

Traditional Meals To Try In Moscow: Final Thoughts

I hope you get a chance to try all the amazing food Moscow has to offer! You have so many options to keep your mouth busy during your trip to Moscow!

If you have any other suggestions or questions let me know here or get in touch on Instagram or Facebook . I love hearing from you!

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What to eat in Moscow? Where to eat in Moscow? 33 Traditional Foods You Have To Try in Moscow

Olivier Salad

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Olivier salad is a Russian salad with variable ingredients, but it is typically made with chopped vegetables, meat, and mayonnaise. The key ingredients include diced potatoes, vegetables, eggs, chicken, or ham. This salad is one of the most important appetizers at the New Year's salad buffets in Russia, as well as in some of the other countries of the former USSR. The original was invented in the 1860s by Lucien Olivier, a chef in the popular Moscow restaurant called L'Hermitage . Olivier guarded the recipe until he died, but it is believed that the recipe was stolen by an employee who watched the chef at work, so the salad is still made today. Another theory says that the recipe for the new Olivier salad was developed by one of the restaurant's customers who wanted to keep the salad alive after the chef passed away. Olivier salad as we know it today is nothing like the original version, because it was called game bird mayonnaise , made with gourmet ingredients such as black caviar, capers, hen, and crayfish tails. Over time, the salad evolved and most of the gourmet ingredients have been replaced with more common ones such as peas, chicken, ham, and pickles. Today, the variations are endless, but most Russian chefs agree on one thing: adding carrots to the Olivier is a heresy. Interestingly, Olivier salad is also sometimes called Russian salad, while the meatless version is called French salad or francuska salata , probably due to the French name of its creator. The Spanish version is known as ensaladilla rusa. It is so popular in Spain that it's an important part of the Spanish gastronomy as well as being a staple in schools and summer camps all over the country. Ensaladilla rusa is also one of Spain's most popular tapas &ndash; in some cases, it's even served free of charge if you order a beer. There's also the Piedmontese insalata russa, typically consumed as an appetizer, and with many variations, so the salad might also include ingredients such as pickled cauliflower, anchovies, and tuna. Interestingly, in the Italian municipality of Carr&ugrave;, tuna is an obligatory element of the salad.

Olivier salad is a Russian salad with variable ingredients, but it is typically made with chopped vegetables, meat, and mayonnaise. The key ingredients include diced potatoes, vegetables, eggs, chicken, or ham. This salad is one of the most important appetizers at the New Year's salad buffets in Russia, as well as in some of the other countries of the former USSR.

MOST ICONIC Olivier Salad

Mari Vanna Moscow

Grand Cafe Dr. Zhivago

Café Pushkin

Pelmeni is one of Russia's national dishes, a small dumpling with a delicately thin dough, filled with anything from ground meat or fish to mushrooms. The fillings can be mild or very spicy, depending on the amount of seasonings such as various fresh herbs, black pepper, and onions. Pelmeni dumplings are served in almost every Russian restaurant, as well as in numerous Russian homes where each family has their own recipe for the dish.

Pelmeni is one of Russia's national dishes, a small dumpling with a delicately thin dough, filled with anything from ground meat or fish to mushrooms. The fillings can be mild or very spicy, depending on the amount of seasonings such as various fresh herbs, black pepper, and onions.

VARIATIONS OF Pelmeni

MOST ICONIC Pelmeni

Lepim i Varim

Varenichnaya №1

Beef Stroganoff

When it first appeared in the mid-19th-century Russia, beef Stroganoff was a dish made out of lightly floured beef cubes that have been saut&eacute;ed and cooked in a simple sauce made from stock and mustard with only a small amount of sour cream. The origin of the dish is unclear, but it is most likely linked to a French chef&mdash;or a French-trained chef&mdash;working for the Stroganoff family. Although Russian in origin, the dish is strongly influenced by the French style of cooking&mdash;this is most obviously seen in the way the beef is cut, in either cubes or strips. The first known recipe appeared in Elena Molokhovets&rsquo;s A Gift to Young Housewives, published in 1871. Since then, the dish has had major alterations. The beef is still cut in strips, but the sauce is much richer; with sliced mushrooms and onions that are cooked with beef stock and thickened a bit with sour cream that is only stirred in at the end. The dish is traditionally served with potato straws, but is often served with either rice pilav, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

When it first appeared in the mid-19th-century Russia, beef Stroganoff was a dish made out of lightly floured beef cubes that have been sautéed and cooked in a simple sauce made from stock and mustard with only a small amount of sour cream.

The origin of the dish is unclear, but it is most likely linked to a French chef—or a French-trained chef—working for the Stroganoff family. Although Russian in origin, the dish is strongly influenced by the French style of cooking—this is most obviously seen in the way the beef is cut, in either cubes or strips.

MOST ICONIC Beef Stroganoff

Yolki-Palki

Russian Pub

These traditional Russian pancakes are prepared with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. What distinguishes them from other pancakes is the addition of yeast, since similar equivalents mostly do not add any leavening agents. The batter is poured over a hot pan, shaped into a circle, and fried for a couple of minutes on both sides. The tradition of preparing this traditional Russian dish originates from ancient times: it was a ceremonial dish, served during the pagan holiday called Maslenitsa &ndash; a week-long festivity praising the end of winter and the celebration of spring. With their shape and color, blini symbolized the long-awaited Sun. However, blini are not consumed exclusively during Maslenitsa, as they have become one of the most popular dishes in Russia, and are also commonly eaten around the world. Blini are extremely versatile and can be served with sweet or savory fillings. Some of the Russian favorites include various jams, condensed milk, while the most famous savory version is topped with fish roe or caviar.

These traditional Russian pancakes are prepared with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. What distinguishes them from other pancakes is the addition of yeast, since similar equivalents mostly do not add any leavening agents. The batter is poured over a hot pan, shaped into a circle, and fried for a couple of minutes on both sides.

MOST ICONIC Blini

Buloshnaya Cafe

Ukha is a rustic Russian soup consisting of a broth filled with herbs, seasonings, root vegetables, and fish such as salmon, cod, perch, and trout. A bit of vodka is often added into the pot while the soup is simmering. Although it originated as a simple broth, it evolved into an elaborate dish during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was served in Russian courts. Apparently, the soup is so good that it was even a favorite of Ivan the Terrible.

Ukha is a rustic Russian soup consisting of a broth filled with herbs, seasonings, root vegetables, and fish such as salmon, cod, perch, and trout. A bit of vodka is often added into the pot while the soup is simmering. Although it originated as a simple broth, it evolved into an elaborate dish during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was served in Russian courts.

MOST ICONIC Ukha

Gusyatnikoff

Savory pastry.

Pirozhki is one of the most popular Russian dishes, often sold as street food, although it can also be made at home. The pocket-sized, oval-shaped pirozhki are yeast dough buns stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, jams, and cottage cheese for the sweet varieties, or meat, eggs, vegetables, fish, and rice for the savory versions. They can be either baked or fried. The name pirozhki can be literally translated to little pies . Pirozhki are commonly consumed as a snack, and today, they are prepared in numerous versions throughout the world.

Pirozhki is one of the most popular Russian dishes, often sold as street food, although it can also be made at home. The pocket-sized, oval-shaped pirozhki are yeast dough buns stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, jams, and cottage cheese for the sweet varieties, or meat, eggs, vegetables, fish, and rice for the savory versions.

MOST ICONIC Pirozhki

Solyanka is a traditional Russian soup made with meat, fish, or mushrooms, and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, olives, and cabbage. The soup is usually served with lemon wedges on the side, but it is also flavored with lemon juice during the cooking process. If meat is used, it is typically beef, pork, or chicken. Solyanka is also well-known as a hangover cure and it is traditionally served with sour cream.

Solyanka is a traditional Russian soup made with meat, fish, or mushrooms, and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, olives, and cabbage. The soup is usually served with lemon wedges on the side, but it is also flavored with lemon juice during the cooking process.

MOST ICONIC Solyanka

Stolovaya No 57

The fundamental dish of Russian cuisine is known as kasha , a porridge that has represented an essential Russian meal for centuries. Russian kasha refers to various dishes which are created with cereals, most commonly rice, wheat, or millet, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa. The dish is usually boiled in water and milk, and ranges from sweet to savory in flavor. It can be modified by numerous additions such as fresh or dried fruit, preserves, cheese, butter, vegetables, nuts, or honey. In the past, the porridge was traditionally prepared in cast iron pots and slowly baked in the oven during the night. This authentic Russian dish holds a strong symbolic meaning&ndash;it is the first solid meal served to children, and is typically served during funerals, thus symbolizing the circle of life. Varieties of the dish, prepared with different cereals, are often found in other Slavic countries such as Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus.

The fundamental dish of Russian cuisine is known as kasha , a porridge that has represented an essential Russian meal for centuries. Russian kasha refers to various dishes which are created with cereals, most commonly rice, wheat, or millet, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa.

MOST ICONIC Kasha

Medovik is a popular Russian layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of cream. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter. It is believed that the cake first appeared in the 1820s and was initially created for the wife of Alexander I of Russia. The addition of condensed milk probably originates from the Soviet era, while modern variations may include berries or even chocolate. Medovik is traditionally decorated with ground walnuts and is commonly served on various special occasions.

Medovik is a popular Russian layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of cream. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter.

MOST ICONIC Medovik

Carne grill+wine

Herring under a fur coat (shuba).

Shuba or herring under a fur coat is a unique Russian salad consisting of three distinctive layers: salted herring, potatoes, and beets. The salad often has more than three layers, mostly consisting of apples, onions, or hard-boiled eggs. Most people believe that it was invented by a tavern owner named Anastas Bogomilov at the beginning of the 20th century. The red color of the beets symbolizes the red flag, and potatoes symbolize the staple food of peasants and workers. Today, the salad is a well-known staple at Russian New Year celebrations.

Shuba or herring under a fur coat is a unique Russian salad consisting of three distinctive layers: salted herring, potatoes, and beets. The salad often has more than three layers, mostly consisting of apples, onions, or hard-boiled eggs.

MOST ICONIC Shuba

Guriev kasha

Ptichye moloko

Pozharsky cutlet (Pozharskaya kotleta)

Mushroom Julienne

Mimoza Salad