25 delicious travel snacks for road trips and long flights

25 delicious travel snacks for road trips and long flights

Let’s face it: Snacking on the go isn’t always easy. You often don’t have access to foods from your at-home pantry while you’re on the road. And even when you want to travel with some of your favorite foods from home, packing travel snacks can be tricky — and the challenges only increase when you’re packing for travel on planes and trains.

First, if you’re traveling by plane, you have to pick snacks that are TSA-compliant, which means no liquids or gels over 3.4 ounces. Also, you want to focus on snacks you can easily pack in your bag, as well as foods that won’t quickly melt and create an enormous mess. Snacks that don’t leave your fingers sticky and greasy are also popular for travel since you may not have the chance to wash your hands right away.

So, which travel snacks do we like? While there are an array of easy foods to bring on planes, trains and automobiles, read on to discover some of our tried-and-true favorites.

Trail mix has long been a favorite snack for travel — by plane, train, car or when you get to your destination. This blend from Amazon comes in a resealable 48-ounce bag, perfect for taking on the go. Inside, you’ll find a mix of peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews and milk chocolate candies.

With both hummus and pretzels included and no cutlery required, this snack is easy to grab and take with you on a road trip or train journey. The Sabra Classic Hummus Snacker with Pretzels is also vegan and kosher, and each package comes with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. But, if you’re traveling by air, this is a snack you should pick up once you’ve cleared security. The hummus falls under the TSA’s 3-1-1 rules, and since it’s more than 4.5 ounces, you won’t be able to get it through.

Popcorn is a classic travel snack for good reason. What could make it better? Popcorn that’s made by a company that has a strong mission to give back. Prospector is dedicated to creating a competitive and inclusive work environment for people with disabilities. And the popcorn is delicious. Buy it individually or in variety packs that suit any traveler’s craving. Think Classic Caramel, Cheddar and Caramel, Belgian Chocolate Toffee, Key Lime Pie, Pineapple Paradise and many more.

These protein-packed snacks are a great way to fill up while you’re on the go. In each of the three individual compartments, you’ll find turkey, almonds and colby jack cheese. The way this five-pack of snacks is packaged makes them ideal for taking along on any trip, whether you’re flying across the country or packing in the car for a fun road trip.

Banana Samba is a delightful snack that’s made from up to three ingredients and comes in three flavors. Each treat includes one-third of a banana plus extras like lime juice, chia seeds or chocolate, depending on the flavor you select. Each box contains six individually wrapped treats, so Banana Samba is perfect for snacking on the go without making a mess.

Nutritionists love this pack as a healthy snack option — and it’s also perfect for travel. Each of the packs comes with white cheddar cheese, sea salt roasted almonds and dried cranberries. You’ll get 7 grams of protein per serving, preparing you well for your travels ahead.

Tidbits Fun Bites Meringues are ideal for travelers who want to treat themselves on vacation without consuming a ton of calories. Choose from a four-pack of meringue flavors of your choosing: mint chocolate, cookies and cream or chocolate. The line of flavors is keto-friendly and each piece is less than 2 calories. Not only are these treats sugar-free, but they’re also lactose-free, gluten-free, soy-free, cholesterol-free and non-GMO.

Ono Overnight Oats are perfect for travelers who want to make sure they have a protein-packed breakfast without having to go out. These overnight oats come in an easy-to-use and seal travel package, and they take 10 seconds to prepare the night before. (Or, prepare the same morning in five minutes and serve them hot.) All you have to do is add milk and you can wake up to a gluten-free breakfast packed with 20 grams of protein. Several other amazing flavors are also available, including vegan mocha chip, cereal milk, vegan blueberry muffin and more.

Traveling with a toddler in tow requires plenty of preparation, and that includes making sure you have a selection of snacks that won’t spoil. These kid-friendly animal crackers are perfect for travel since they come in a travel-ready and resealable container that’s easy to toss in your bag. Gerber Animal Crackers are cinnamon-flavored and baked with whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners.

If you have access to a cooler on your travels, string cheese is a crowd favorite. This 12-pack of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella string cheese is a great option for any road trip. Each stick is 80 calories and packs 7 grams of protein.

This variety pack of popcorn is perfect for traveling. Each 12-pack comes with three mini cones of each of the following four flavors: zebra popcorn, caramel corn, kettle corn and cheddar popcorn. Popcornopolis popcorn is cooked with gluten-free ingredients and includes no high-fructose corn syrup. While this won’t top the list of the healthiest travel snacks, it’s one that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser for the family on a long car ride or plane journey.

Pop Bitties are plant-based, on-the-go chips that are perfect for plane travel or long trips in the car. These healthy air-popped chips are gluten-free, corn-free, tree-nut free, peanut-free, non-GMO and vegan, and the way they’re cooked means they won’t leave your hands messy and greasy when you snack. They’re great for dipping or for eating on their own. Four different flavors are available, including pink Himalayan salt, hickory barbeque and more.
While you can easily chop up some vegetables, throw them in a small Stasher bag and bring them in a carry-on bag, bringing produce on international flights — and even some flights within the US — is often forbidden and not always feasible. Poshi Vegetable Snacks solve this problem and your craving for vegetables, as you can nosh on individually packaged, steamed and marinated artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower or french beans. They’re low-calorie, easy to take on the go and low-mess — though you might want to have a fork handy.

Peanut butter is a great travel snack — and it becomes even better in a bite-sized format. These peanut butter bites topped with chocolate from For Snackers Only make the perfect road trip essential. You can pack them in your beach bag, carry-on luggage or backpack without having to worry about messes, and their individually-wrapped packaging means you don’t have to eat them all at once.

It’s hard to find healthy snacks while you travel when you’re watching your carbs or sticking to a strict keto diet, yet having a stash of Good Good Keto Bars ensures you always have something to eat. These bars only have 2 grams of net carbs each and are individually wrapped for easy and mess-free transport. If salty caramel nut doesn’t suit your tastebuds, these bars also come in flavors like coconut and raspberry cheesecake.

That’s it Mini Fruit Bars are perfect for parents who want to give their kids something healthy to snack on when fresh produce isn’t available. These fruit bars are 100% natural, plant-based, gluten-free, non-GMO and allergen-free, and they are individually packaged to keep messes at a minimum. The fruit bars are also free from added sugars, and flavors include apple and cherry, apple and fig, apple and mango and more.

Everyone loves Skinny Pop popcorn, but don’t forget you can take their flavor on the go with these 100-calorie bags. These treats are not only low-calorie, but they are free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy and preservatives. Skinny Pop 100-calorie bags are ideal for planes, trains and automobiles, and they’re also great for packed lunches on the beach when you arrive on vacation.

Getting enough servings of fruit and vegetables on the road can be a challenge, yet Bare Apple Banana Coconut Chips make eating healthy easy. These snacks are made of real apples, bananas and coconuts, which are baked until crunchy and shelf-stable. Bare fruit snacks are also gluten-free, dairy-free and a good source of fiber, and the simple baking process means no added preservatives are required. The small, individually wrapped bags are also perfect for the car or on planes and trains.

Whisps Cheese Crisps are a popular alternative to croutons for salad-lovers since they’re naturally low-carb, sugar-free and gluten-free yet also crispy. But they also make a great snack on their own. The natural cheese crisps are easy to transport and eat without making a mess, especially since you can buy them in individual 2.12-ounce bags. This particular sampler pack of seven includes a range of intriguing flavors including parmesan, cheddar, asiago and pepper jack, garlic herb, barbecue, tangy ranch and nacho.

Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs are ideal for a variety of travel situations, whether you love giving your kid a healthy and fresh snack they can eat without any cutlery or you want a small and portable amount of peanut butter for sandwiches during some part of your journey. Justin’s peanut butter is naturally delicious, and each squeeze pack is gluten-free with 7 grams of protein. Each pack weighs 1.15 ounces, which means they’re also a solid option for taking through airport security, coming in below the TSA’s 3.4-ounce limit.

RXBar offers a variety of protein bars made from a handful of ingredients, which are perfect for throwing in your bag. This pack of protein bars comes with six different flavors to suit a variety of tastes, and each bar has 210 calories and 12 grams of protein, though they can be high in sugar content.

If you’re on the hunt for a nutritious travel snack that is guilt-free and won’t leave your fingers sticky, Biena Chickpea Snacks may be the answer you’re looking for. The individual bags of crunchy roasted chickpeas are clean to eat no matter the mode of transportation you’re using, and they’re good for you to boot. Each bag of Biena Chickpea Sea Salt Snacks comes with 8 grams of plant protein and 8 grams of fiber. This snack option is also gluten-free, non-GMO and nut-free and comes in other flavors, such as honey roasted, barbecue, ranch and more.
Having a balanced meal on the go isn’t always easy, but the Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Kit brings this task within reach. This kit includes a small pack of tuna salad, crackers and a spoon so you can make your own palm-sized tuna bites wherever you are. In addition to a traditional tuna salad offering, Bumble Bee offers similar kits in flavors like cheesy tuna melt, chipotle tuna salad and salmon salad. This is a snack that’s best enjoyed off the plane — your seat neighbors will thank you.

Even if you love the hazelnut dream spread known as Nutella, bringing a full-size tub along for travel rarely makes sense. These Nutella & Go Snacks solve that problem by packaging a single serving of Nutella with a handful of pretzel sticks for dipping. Not only do these snack packs require no cutlery, but they’re also easy to pack in your purse or laptop bag for easy transport. And, at 1.9 ounces each, they’re the perfect option for bringing through airport security.

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