Road trip munchies are a very real thing! I can feed my crew breakfast, hit the road, and an hour later they are begging for snacks. An HOUR later, not even kidding! How can they possibly be hungry?! I blame the roadside billboards that wreak of food porn. Just in case you have the same problem, here are some thrifty road trip snacks you can pack for your blacktop adventures.
Flavored cereal squares make thrifty road trip snacks
I hate how much saturated fat most potato chips have so I try to limit my consumption of those! I was looking for alternatives and coming up empty. One night, I got a craving for something ranch flavored and crunchy so I began looking through my pantry. I found a box of Great Value Corn Cereal Squares, a packet of Great Value Ranch Dressing mix, and a bottle of zero calorie butter flavored cooking spray.
What an amazing snack this makes! To begin with, take a cookie sheet and line it with wax paper. Then, spread the corn squares out in a single layer. Afterwards, lightly spray with butter flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with a ranch dressing packet. Finally, lift the wax paper and gently funnel the snack squares into environmentally friendly zip top baggies. This makes a super thrifty road trip snack that has no fat or cholesterol!
Not a ranch fan? That’s okay! Try the same process with a cheese powder of your choice! My local Amish store has bulk cheddar cheese powder at an extremely reasonable price. You can also order various cheese powders online. This makes for an amazing, cheesy road trip snack! However, cheese will up the fat content a little. Worth it tho!
NOTE! They have rice cereal squares too if you would rather use those. The texture is slightly different, but they’re equally tasty!
Dehydrated jerky
Store bought jerky is so expensive these days, and it has a super high sodium count. However, you can make your own jerky for a more thrifty, healthier option! In fact, every year I freeze back thin strips of venison to make jerky with. Prior to traveling, I take out a few packs to thaw in the fridge. Once it’s thawed, I marinate it over-night. Then, it goes into the dehydrator. Once it cools completely, I place the jerky in environmentally friendly zip top bags for the road ahead! This is an extremely thrifty road trip snack that’s full of protein!
NOTE! If you don’t have any venison or simply aren’t a fan, feel free to make your jerky from a cut of beef.
Many years ago, I was given an amazing jerky marinade recipe by a relative. Of all the recipes I have tried over the years, this one is by far the best. However, I did make a couple adjustments to reduce the sodium content and make it a little milder as my boys prefer less spice. Mix the ingredients below together, and it makes more than enough for a large bowl of jerky meat.
- 1/2 cup liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons of black pepper
Peanut butter & jelly rolls
These are a super thrifty road trip snack your kids will love! However, they can be a little messy so make sure you have some wipes on hand in your vehicle! You can make these with flour tortillas or whole grain tortillas. Just spread a very thin layer of peanut butter on the wrap and add a thin layer of jelly. Roll gently and wipe any excess filling off before placing them in zip top baggies.
NOTE! Prior to leaving, you may want to put these in an insulated lunch pail with an ice pack to preserve quality.
Pretzels make cheap road trip snacks
Pretzel sticks or twists are both thrifty road trip snacks that stretch a really long way. You can get a 16-ounce bag for just a little over $2.00! They aren’t messy, and they’re kid friendly. In case you think pretzels are just plain boring, below are a few ways you can spruce them!
- Make chocolate dipped pretzels
- Dip them in cheese
- Eat them with peanut butter
- Dunk them in honey mustard or regular mustard
- Dip them in nutella
TRAVEL TIP! Buy some mini disposable shot glasses for on the go dipping!
Chocolate covered orange slices make thrifty road trip snacks
Nix the gas station candy bars and try these! They are so simple to make! To begin with, you’ll need to gather the supplies below.
- Orange slices
- Chocolate chips
- Wax paper
- Cookie sheet
- Microwavable glass bowl (DO NOT USE A PLASTIC BOWL)
- Spoon for stirring the chocolate chips
Line your cookie sheet with wax paper and set it aside. At this point, you’ll place your chocolate chips in the glass bowl and place the bowl in your microwave. Then, slowly microwave the chocolate chips starting with 30-45 seconds (depending on your microwave). Once the timer goes off, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate chips. You’ll probably need more time so pop the bowl back in the microwave for another 20 seconds. Remove and stir. Repeat the process until your choclate chips are completely melted. Once your chocolate chips are ready, start dipping orange slices in the chocolate and laying them gently on the wax paper. Repeat until you have coated all the orange slices you want. When you have enough place the cookie sheet in the freezer just long enough to harden the chocolate.
HELPFUL TIP! For a variety of flavors, you can certainly do the same process with the assorted fruit slices! You can also mix things up by using different types of chocolate chips.
Animal Crackers
As far as thrifty road trip snacks go, you can’t go wrong with animal crackers. They’re kid friendly and virtually mess free. Additionally, they come in several flavors so you can change it up if you get bored.
Bananas and Peanut Butter
Bananas are good by themselves! But you can also pair them with peanut butter for an all around healthy snack. In either case, they make thrifty road trips snacks for you and your travel companions.
Make sure you take an environmentally friendly zip top bag along. You’ll use it to discard your peelings in so you can avoid unpleasant odors, gnats, and unnecessary mess.
Some advice for traveling with peanut butter?
Squeezable pouches minimize mess!
Now, there’s no reason to go out and pay well over $3.00 for a tiny 13-ounce container of peanut butter just because it’s squeezable. That is definitely not a very thrifty approach when a huge 64-ounce container will run you around $6.00. So, what do you do?
Option 1:
Make your own squeezable pouches and fill those from your bulk jar. This is very easy to do if you have a vacuum sealer so why not?! Just make a small pouch the size you need and fill it with peanut butter. Then, seal the top at an angle. When you open it later, you just clip off the top of the angle so you have a point you can squeeze the peanut butter out of.
Option 2:
Reusable baby food pouches! These work well and don’t cost much. You can easily purchase them online, and you’ll save money in the long run.
Option 3:
Travel size “thick sauce” condiment bottles. They don’t cost much, and they’re reusable. However, make sure you don’t put them in the dishwasher unless they are dishwasher safe!
HELPFUL TIP! If you would like to thin your peanut butter so it is easier to squeeze out of condiment bottles, you can do so by adding a bit of water. However, you will need to use all of it or discard what’s left at the end of your trip. Putting it back in your bulk container at home is not an option.
ANOTHER HELPFUL TIP! If you aren’t a fan of bananas and peanut butter, try apples instead. Apples pair very well with peanut butter, and they’re healthy!
Granola Bars
My boys love granola bars so they’re one of our “have to have” road trip snacks. Luckily, they’re a really thrifty option, they aren’t messy, and they don’t take up much space. I usually just buy the large variety pack from my local Walmart because that’s what they prefer. But you can make your own at home, if you want to. Homemade granolas bars can be cheaper and much healthier depending on the recipe you use.
Homemade Trail Mix
Trail mix is such a great snack for so many reasons. It’s easy to make at home, it’s not messy, and it’s quite thrifty. Additionally, it is an excellent option if packing light is high on your list of priorities. It is a must have when I go hiking! I prefer to make my own trail mix so I can customize it to my liking. I encourage you to look up various trail mix recipes and build your own.
THRIFTY TIP! You can dehydrate your own fruit and save money.
Rice Crispy Treats make thrifty road trip snacks
They may not be the healthiest snack in the world, but they’re so good! They’re cheap, easy to make, and not very messy. You can buy them at the store for around $.30 a piece, but they really don’t taste as good as homemade.
Lunches
Need easy thrifty lunch ideas that have the potential to feed a lot of people? Check out my Easy Thrifty Travel Lunches post!
I hope these thrifty road trip snacks help you reduce unnecessary stops, saving you both time and money. Wishing you many blessings and as always, Safe Travels!
Thank you for the ideas, we take road trips every year and I always need good snack amount for my boy!
Thanx for your time, and I really hope your boy likes some of these!