Healthy Road Trip Snacks for Your Family

Part of the fun of road trips is indulging in ways you normally wouldn’t, from fast food to too much screen time. But when you exclusively rely on fries and shakes to keep your family happy on the road, you also face afternoon sugar crashes and diabolical mood shifts. You can still plan a few indulgences, but make sure to pepper in healthy road trip snacks to give your family the nutrition and fuel they really need. Here’s what to pack.

Nuts and Dried ruit

Trail mix isn’t typically known for its high rank on the healthy snack food list. The sheer amount of candies and salt packed inside often negate any real benefits of eating it. Instead, opt for lightly salted nuts, seeds and dried fruit and make your own version of a snack mix. Put together a variety of options that will keep your kids happy, and add in a small amount of sugary favorites like raisins.

Homemade Energy Bar

A healthy, gluten-free energy bar fuels your family without the excess sugar and processed food. Make your own at home with a combination of sweet dates, sugar-free peanut butter, cashews and healthy nuts. Or you can pick-up a sugar free, gently processed variety at the grocery store. Pack-up and put into a cooler to grab when everyone is low energy and ready for something fun to eat.

Avocados and Sunflower Seeds

Avocados are jam-packed with healthy fats, Omega-3sand other nutrients that can fuel your family’s body and brains. Slice an avocado in half and eat with just a touch of salt and a spoon, or sprinkle generously with lightly salted sunflower seeds. The soft texture with a crunchy topping keeps kids happy and fills them up at the same time.

Smoothies

A fresh and delicious smoothie takes the edge off a sweet tooth and replaces the need for milkshakes on the road. Prepare in the morning with your kids’ favorite fruits, from strawberries to mango, and add in some low-fat yogurt. Place in a cooler and save a few slices of fruit as a topping. Plan the smoothie as an early morning snack to use up and make more room in your cooler to freshen up your fruit and veggies for an afternoon snack.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Nothing replaces good old fruits and veggies as a healthy snack. Dried fruit tastes fantastic, but often comes packed with sugar and should be used sparingly. Plan to slice up fresh apples with a small scoop of peanut butter; add a dollop of ranch dressing to your celery out of the cooler; and pick up some low-fat Greek yogurt while on a road trip break and combine with blueberries.

The idea behind healthy snacks is to make them colorful, fun to eat and utterly delicious. The fact they’re also healthy just gives you peace of mind and combats the afternoon sugar crash. After all, who wants to be trapped in the car with kids when they’re in the middle of an afternoon slump post candy bar?