Hitting the road for a good old-fashioned road trip is one of the staples of summertime. Packing some goodies for everyone and a cooler full of drinks ensures that everyone will have something to munch on during the long journey. Though you and your friends may all think the same, you’re bound to have different tastes in which road trip snacks are the best. That’s why we compiled a list of the top 15 travel snacks that you can pack that are easy to make and guarantee all your friends can indulge in something.

Apple Slices

an apple on a cutting board — Pixabay / Pezibear

Approximately 60 calories per one cup
Approximately 11 grams of sugar per one cup

If you have a friend who’s vegetarian, vegan, or trying to stick to a healthier lifestyle then bringing along some apple slices is a good idea. Yes, you can bring other fruit slices with you like orange or mango, but apples are versatile in the way that they can be baked, seasoned, and taste (depending on which apple you choose.) It’s a low-calorie superfood that just about everyone can indulge in. Not to mention, apples are a fan favorite among fruit-lovers, so bringing this little guy along ensures everyone stays happy.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Approximately 80 calories per one large egg
5-6 grams of protein per one large egg

It might seem a little unorthodox but hard-boiled eggs are a great road trip snack to bring along with you and your friends. They’re loaded with protein, low in calories, and keep you feeling full. Plus, they’re cheap to purchase and simple to make, which makes it an easy food to pack. Eggs are also quite high in nutrients, so it’s one of the healthy road trip snacks that you can take along for the ride.

Beef Jerky

Approximately 80 – 100 calories per 100 grams
12 – 13 grams of fiber per one 100-gram serving

Beef jerky definitely isn’t for everyone, but it’s also one of those snacks that some people just can’t live without. We can’t even take some of our friends into a convenience store with us without them grabbing a bag of beef jerky. So, something’s gotta give, right? Well, this little snack is relatively low in calories, high in fiber, and helps to suppress hunger on a long journey. The variety of flavors also make it a hard road trip snack to pass up. The only thing you need to be careful of is its high sodium content (anywhere from 310 – 640 mg per serving).

Granola Bars

a nature valley granola bar on a wooden table next to oats and yogurt — Unsplash / Kyle Cottrell

Approximately 400 – 420 calories per bar
Approximately 35 – 40 grams of sugar per bar

Granola bars have been our saving grace for years. When we’re running late to work or just want a quick snack with lunch, we usually reach for a granola bar to tide us over until our next full meal. There are plenty of different options out there like Quaker, Nature Valley, Kashi, and Special-K bars. Depending on which one you choose to go for the nutritional value will differ slightly.

You can also make your own granola bars at home to save yourself the money. They won’t take up too much of your time and you can also eat them as part of a healthy make-ahead breakfast.

String Cheese

cheese string on a cutting board — Shutterstock / Brent Hofacker

Approximately 80 calories
Approximately 5 grams of fat

I don’t know about you but I can’t go anywhere without cheese on me. When you’re on the way to a cottage for a long weekend you’ll want something to tide you over. But when you’re not in the mood to just nibble on some apple slices then you can reach for a trusty stick of string cheese. Despite the fact that you’ll be munching on an entire stick of cheese, string cheese isn’t very high in fat or calories so you can get rid of some of the guilt.

Depending on what kind of string cheese you get, the nutritional value will vary slightly. But, you’re looking at a road trip snack that isn’t high in fat or cholesterol.

Almonds

Approximately 160-200 calories per serving
Approximately 18-20 grams of fat

Those grams of fat might scare you away from packing some almonds on your road trip, but they have a lot of good fat in them and contain many nutrients that are beneficial to your health. They contain a good amount of fiber, protein, vitamin E, and magnesium. So long as you’re not downing an entire 500-gram bag or anything, almonds are a healthy road trip snack to bring along with you. Also, the nutrients in almonds have officially made them a superfood, so there you go!

Roasted Chickpeas

Approximately 350-400 calories per one 100 gram serving
Approximately 5-7 grams of fat per one 100 gram serving

Garbanzo beans (yes, they’re the same thing as chickpeas) can be made in so many different ways that it would be impossible to leave them behind. You can roast them and flavor them to your tastes, or put them in salads and sandwiches. These little beans are so versatile and packed with vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, and they’re great for any vegan or gluten-free travelers. They’re loaded with protein and fiber and your vegan or gluten-free friends can indulge in this little snack sans any worry.

Baby Carrots

a bunch of carrots — Pixabay / congerdesign

Approximately 30-40 calories per one 100 gram serving
Approximately 2 grams of fiber per one 100 gram serving

Who can turn down baby carrots when they offer you a healthy dose of vitamin A and fiber while also giving you a great crunch? No one, that’s who! That’s why you should consider packing this low-fat, low-calorie road trip snack with you for everyone to enjoy. You can bring along some ranch dip if you have anti-vegetable friends along for the ride, but these little guys do just fine on their own.

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

a slice of bread with peanut butter on it — Pixabay / Meditations

Approximately 400-500 calories per one sandwich
Approximately 20-25 grams of fat per sandwich

A peanut butter sandwich is a great option to squash the hunger of your road trip party. The fat content might be a little high, but having one for the road isn’t super unhealthy and peanut butter has a good serving of vitamin B and vitamin E. Not to mention when you’re getting really peckish and need to have something before the next scheduled stop, having a sandwich is a good way to get rid of your hunger without eating an entire group-serving of a snack.

Dark Chocolate

Approximately 500 – 600 calories per 100 grams
Approximately 30-40 grams of fat per 100 grams

Downing some dark chocolate on a long trip not only stops hunger in its tracks but satisfies the ol’ sweet tooth as well. Obviously, you shouldn’t consume bar after bar but having a few squares won’t kill you. As an added bonus, dark chocolate is a terrific bitter food that packs a lot of nutrients! Dark chocolate is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, so indulging in a couple of squares is actually bound to do your body some good.

Organic Fruit Snacks

fruit snacks on a plate — Flickr / sweetfixNYC

Approximately 70-80 calories per one pouch
Approximately 10-12 grams of sugar per one pouch

It might seem like a good idea on paper to bring some sugary fruit snacks with you, but the high sugar content will only leaving you craving more and won’t do any good for you in the long run. That’s why it’s a good idea to hunt around for some organic fruit snacks that only contain a bit of sugar but still pack the flavor. Annie’s Homegrown Organic snacks is a great low-calorie option for you and your buddies. It doesn’t contain many calories or any fat and it’s a good source of vitamin C.

Trail Mix

Approximately 400 – 500 calories per one 100 gram serving
Approximately 20 – 30 grams of fat per one 100 gram serving

There are some tempting trail mixes out there that are jam-packed with chocolate bits or candy, but if you want to keep things healthy then you can totally make a trail mix that has healthier ingredients. Instead of M&Ms, you can use pumpkin seeds or raisins. You can also throw in some dried fruit or various nuts to ensure your trail mix recipe has a good dose of vitamins and nutrients as opposed to just a bunch of sugar or fat.

Homemade Oats

a cup of oats — Unsplash / Monika Grabkowska

Approximately 300 – 400 calories per one 100 gram serving
Approximately 15 – 17 grams of protein per one 100 gram serving

Making your own oats is another way for you and your friends or family to get creative and build a recipe that caters to everyone’s needs. Just like with trail mix, creating homemade oats allows you to mix and match the ingredients that are best and healthiest for everyone. You can add a variety of seeds, nuts, or fruit to your oats and bring them with you for a filling snack that’s also good for you! Depending on the oats you either make or purchase from the store, you’re looking at a low-calorie option that’s full of protein and fiber.

Hummus

Approximately 100 – 150 calories per one pack
Approximately 11 – 13 grams of fat per one pack

Don’t worry, you don’t need to make an entire batch of hummus to bring with you on the road (though you can if you’d like). What you can do instead is load up on the little individual packs of hummus for you and yours to split or indulge in alone. Hummus is a delicious snack you can dip some chips into or even baby carrots. It doesn’t have a lot of calories or contain much fat, and doesn’t have any sugar. Not to mention, if you did want to make some on your own, there are tons of recipes you can try to get those mouths watering.

Energy Bars

Approximately 240 – 300 calories per bar
Approximately 5 – 10 grams of sugar per bar

Energy bars not only give you the little kick you need on an hours-long drive, but they also have a lot of good, healthy benefits to them. CLIF bars, for example, have a good amount of protein with a low amount of fat. They’re also not too high in calories and are much more filling than other energy bars out there, or even other snacks you may have brought with you.

These are just some of the healthy road trip snacks that you and your friends can enjoy. There’s something for everyone and no one will feel left out. Long live the summer!