We recently took our first long-distance family road trip, driving all the way from upstate New York to Orlando, Florida (Disney World!). Most people thought we were out of our minds driving such a long way (18.5 hours!) with our two and three year old kids, but it actually went so well! Much better than I expected, to be honest. There was minimal stopping, minimal whining, and I swear my daughter asked “Are we there yet?” only a small handful of times. I attribute a good amount of our success up to my preparedness with lots of road trip foods to keep them happy!
My kids are definitely foodies – I knew they’d be asking to eat often on this trip just out of boredom, and as the health nut that I am, I put a lot of time and effort into choosing the “right” foods to bring. I wanted minimal mess, avoidance of choking danger, and avoidance of any digestive upset. It was also important for me to make sure they’d be getting good nutrition even while spending an entire day and night on the road.
Here are the road trip foods that got us through….
Healthy Road Trip Foods For Kids
- Smoothie pouches – I like Once Upon A Farm, but they are perishable, so keep them cold. I also like Peter Rabbit Organics, Plum Organics, Happy Baby Organics, and Noka Superfood Smoothie Pouches, which are all shelf-stable, so you don’t have to worry so much about keeping them cold enough in a cooler.
- Applesauce pouches – GoGo squeeZ Organic Fruit on the Go, Apple Apple
- Yogurt pouches – Look for low/no added sugar options. I like Stonyfield Organic, but keep in mind they are perishable and must be kept cold.
- Berries – Strawberries/Blueberries
- Apples
- Sliced cucumbers
- Olives – We get these individual olive packets (my daughters favorite) from Thrive Market, but there are others offered on Amazon (I’ve never personally tried them)… like these Gaea Organic Snack Pack Pitted Green Olives with Sea Salt and Lemon Juice.
- Hardboiled eggs – Peeled beforehand. Perishable, so definitely keep them cold!
- No-bake energy balls (AKA Cookie Balls) – find my recipe here
- Peanut butter-banana sandwiches or PB&J
- Peanut butter cracker sandwiches
- Popcorn – LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Salt Organic Popcorn
- Pretzels with hummus and/or guacamole
- String cheese – Perishable. Pull apart or cut into small pieces for the little kids.. we don’t want any backseat choking going on!
- Beef sticks – Only if your kids are big enough to chew these well and not choke on them! CHOMPS Grass Fed Original Beef Jerky Snack Sticks.
- Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (okay, this one’s not particularly healthy, but this homemade recipe makes them healthier than most store-bought options… plus every day deserves a little desert!)
- AND PLENTY OF WATER for the whole family! Love the YETI Rambler Jr, and Hydro Flask 12 oz. stainless steel water bottles for kids. Bring enough water with you to fill them up throughout the trip.
I hope this list of healthy road trip foods for kids was helpful to you! Don’t forget lots of hand wipes, paper towel, forks/spoons/knives (if necessary), and some small bags for trash!
As a side note, I also recommend having a portable travel potty for long car rides. We have this one for our kids, and it has served us very well, both while traveling, and just running errands.
Happy and safe travels!
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