Family Road Trip Guide: What to Eat and What to Bring

I’m a self-proclaimed family road trip BEAST. Seriously, after I-don’t-even-know-how-many trips, I still enjoy every asphalt vacation I’ve taken. The excitement of packing the car, rolling down the windows, or basking in air con, singing loudly to the road trip playlist, and playing games is all there, but so is digging into SNACKS! One thing that isn’t fun is not knowing what food to bring and what items you really need. That’s where I come in; read my full road trip guide to successfully plan without stressing yourself out!

Family Road Trip Food: Healthy Snacks & Easy Lunches

Everyone is excited when starting out on a road trip. The family is perky and up for chattering, singing songs, or playing games, but the doldrums and hangry monster can hit. So, the secret to keeping my kids happy is making sure they’re well-fed (and well entertained).

Sure, I buy candies and outside snacks, but I also like to mix in food that keeps them fueled in a healthier way, not just bouncing off the car walls from sugar.

And really, you just can’t take a road trip without snacks, period. Snacks are a quintessential part of the family road trip experience, and overall, we really enjoy choosing which snacks we’re going to take with us!

The Menu

Make-Ahead Yogurt Parfaits for Breakfast

I absolutely love how easy these are to do! I take 10 minutes to prep them, leave them sitting overnight, and load them into a cooler the next morning when the car is being packed. They’re a healthy alternative to donuts and pack 20+ grams of protein. Just feed them to your crew as you set off… my kids clamor for these because of the flavors: classic PB&J and a fun dirt cup with crushed Oreos and gummy worms.

Snacklebox for Long Travel Days

When I first became a mom, it was impressed upon me that the key to happy kids when traveling is SNACKS — lots and lots of them. I learned from experience and a few meltdowns that giving kiddos something to munch on means less stress for the parents who are navigating and coordinating from the front seat. This snack box has a balanced amount of protein and carbs, and kids can pick on it throughout a long driving day!

Antipasto Pasta Salad for a Pit Stop

Prepping for a road trip is all about easy, and this pasta salad is THAT. Combine cooked pasta with olives, roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, preserved meats, baby mozzarella, and plenty of fresh basil, then toss with a homemade vinaigrette. The result is something that soaks in the flavors, keeps well in a cooler, and is perfect to chomp on when stopping for a quick lunch at a nature park or a viewpoint.

Cold Asian Noodle Salad for a Fast Lunch

Whatever you can take out of a cooler and eat immediately is a plus, and this cold Asian noodle salad fits that scenario 100%!  Instead of meat, crispy tofu is the protein that keeps better, and it’s combined with soy sauce, spicy ginger, tender broccoli, and edamame, then served with lo mein noodles for a fast lunch at a rest stop or picnic area. 

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More Road Trip Food Ideas: Tasty & Easy to Store

Here are a few more easy but healthy recipes that can sit in a huge cooler and be snacked on throughout a travel day, and still be enjoyed once you get to your accommodations.

Gauamole Dip – On the Go Snack

A classic made with avocados, lime, and Mexican crema, pack this into an airtight container and let the family pass it around or enjoy it when at a stop.

Air Fryer Tortilla Chips for Anytime

Like you, I don’t always have time to cook everything and will get store-bought items, but when I have a sliver of time, I do like to make these crispy, healthy chips. Make enough to pack into a large-sized Ziplock bag and feel confident that your kids aren’t eating extra ingredients that aren’t exactly natural. Plus, these just taste crunchy and ahhhmazing!

Dill Dip for Snacking On Route

One of my faves I make frequently, it’s creamy and dill-ey and great for dipping, if you pack a bunch of cut up veggies. Kiddos will happily eat their vegetable allotment with this as an accompaniment.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies – Sweet Treat

I loove these, and they are no-bake, so easy to make a batch and take with. Creamy peanut butter, oats, and brown sugar all come together to create a lightly sweet, chewy cookie. These can keep up to 3 days in an airtight container, so super perfect for the start of a road trip!

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My Road Trip Essentials: The Things I Always Take

I am always making sure I have enough space to pack snacks and groceries (if we’re cooking at the accommodations), and enough entertainment for the kids to have fun and enjoy their time in the car. Plus, I do it all wearing the most comfortable clothing possible. Check out my shopping recommendations on how to stock up before a road trip!

Bodega Cooler to Keep Food Fresh

Y’all, the Bodega dual-zone car fridge is the road trip upgrade I didn’t know I needed until I had it. Two independent zones means cold food on one side, and frozen food on the other — and I can control the whole thing from my phone! It plugs into your car and a standard outlet and those off-road wheels make hauling it in and out of the car so much less painless!!

Hulken Grocery Bag to Load & Unload

The Hulken rolling tote is one of my absolute favorite for road trips. like! It holds a ton of items and has swivel wheels, and folds completely flat, so it’s not taking up trunk space between trips. I use it to haul literally everything in and out of the car, and getting from a parking lot to wherever we’re going has never been less of a whole production for my family!

Lusso Car Seat Organizer to Keep My Sanity

Welcome to my life-saver — this Lusso car organizer is perfect for anyone traveling with kids. It has, count em’, 9 compartments (including 4 cup holders). I can store snacks, drinks, toys, wipes, and all the random stuff that ends up in my back seat floor. The handles double as a seat belt loop, so it stays put while we’re driving, and I love that it folds flat for super easy storage when I don’t need it — friends, get this, it’ll change your road trip life!

Pillani Activity Tray for My Kids

A road trip purchase I wish I’d made years ago is this kids travel actvity tray. My younger kiddos love this set. It has a ton of things to do — 4 dry-erase coloring pens and 5 activity sheets right out of the box — plus access to 30 more you can download and print. I love it because they’re entertained instead of being bored, and it’s SO versatile, working for car seats and airplane tray tables, too!

Lisen Tablet Holder for Devices

While I encourage my kids to do non-digital activities, there are times for devices where I can throw on a child-friendly movie, or one of my kids wants to play an interactive game. So, fellow travelers, The LISEN tablet holder is the backseat upgrade that’s amazing for long drives. It installs in about 3 seconds with no tools and fits basically any tablet or phone. and the arm rotates in every which way. My kids can even adjust it themselves, which is perfect since my arm can only reach so far from the passenger seat.

Tecnolove Center Console Fridge for Drinks & Snacks Galore

This center console fridge is so neat and has sold me on the idea of removing my center console entirely. It holds 16 cans plus snacks (I mean, wow), and goes from room temp to 32°F in like 15 minutes. It runs on your car’s 12V and a standard outlet, so it works at home too. A cold, crispy Diet Coke at literally any point during the road trip? Yes please.

Quince Linen Pants for My Comfort

It’s no surprise that I love Quince, and when it comes to road tripping, I need comfy, comfy all the way. These European linen pants are IT. SO breathable, lightweight, and they somehow look put-together even after several hours in the car. These are the pants I reach for every single time we go anywhere!!

Quince Leather Shopper Tote for My Stuff

I literally reach for this bag every single day. Italian leather, 3 whole compartments, and the lining wipes clean — so it’s super practical as well as chic. On a road trip, it holds all my essentials, like my makeup and wallet, with room for even small toiletries (and more wet wipes). I ABSOLUTELY love it!

Quince Cotton Cashmere Cardigan for Air Con

Sitting for long periods in the car with AC running full blast can leave me cold, so when I’m feeling the chill, I pull out this cute and functional cotton-cashmere cardigan. And if you’re camping around an RV or your SUV, this is great for when temps drop at night. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is a great go-to basic!

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My Summer Road Trip Checklist

I’ve written about this topic before, but I wanted to share an easy-to-follow pre-trip checklist I follow religiously (it’s saved me time and SO many headaches!).

Here are 6 non-negotiables I add to my planning for every road trip:

• Pre-load entertainment before you leave. I download shows and movies directly to my kids’ tablets, cause guess what? Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ all allow offline downloads. A good tip is to download movies vs. episodes, so I’m not climbing into the backseat every 20 minutes to hit play.
• Charge everything the night before, then leave devices OFF until you’re in the car. I’ve been there with a dead tablet 15 minutes into the drive and nearly wanted to cry. I have a special tech bag for our electronics, full of chargers and a couple of fully charged portable power banks, because truthfully, there’s never enough USB ports!
• Pack a proper snack situation. I’ve given you a bunch of options above, but don’t discount individually packaged snacks either, as they’re easy to hand back without stopping. Snack boxes can keep kids busy for a solid 30 minutes. Of course, your make-ahead dishes can be prepped the night before or a day or two before.
• Have a road trip bag with brand new surprises. I also shop for new toys and activities that my kiddos have never seen before, and that only come out in the car. Legos, reusable sticker pads, coloring books — anything novel buys you serious quiet time.
• Leave early. A given, right? But time can be your enemy! Pack the car the night before, wake the kids up, and put them straight in the car with breakfast in hand. The less chaos at departure, the smoother the whole day goes.
• Build a loose schedule. I always block out snack time, a real lunch stop somewhere outside (park, picnic table — let them run), and a nap window. White noise or familiar lullabies signal nap time just like at home, and it actually works.

I hope this epic road trip guide, with recipes and my fave items, makes your vacay stress-free and helps with your planning. Let me know in the comments what your perfect road trip execution plan is!