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10 Tasty Car Snacks to Pack for Long Trips

Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
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published May 18, 2021
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(Image credit: Brie Passano)

If you’re planning a long car ride, aside from mapping out where you’re going, the second most important thing to organize is your snack situation. A growling stomach is a dangerous thing to have when you’re in such tight quarters. Rather than settling for unhealthy roadside stops, keep a few wholesome snacks on hand to reach for whenever you need them.

These 10 recipes keep well without refrigeration, so you can leave the cooler at home, and are full of whole grains, protein, and fiber.

1. No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

What makes this no-bake cookie unique is the use of quinoa flakes, which add an extra dose of protein to the mix while keeping them whole-grain and gluten-free.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

2. Smoked Almond Snack Bars

Snack bars don’t always need to be sweet. These protein- and fiber-rich nut and seed bars are spiked with smoked paprika and garlic powder to ensure your craving for something savory also gets satisfied.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

3. How To Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas in the Oven

While these salty, protein-packed chickpeas will be at their crispiest just out of the oven, they’ll still be tasty eaten at room temperature in your car.

(Image credit: Izy Hossack)

4. Olive Oil Carrot Muffins

Using applesauce in these muffins not only makes them low in added sugar, but it also keeps them incredibly moist. That means they’ll keep well for days at room temperature.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

5. Vanilla Cashew Clusters

You’ve been warned: It’s all too easily to inhale the whole batch of these lightly sweetened clusters on a long car ride. But in the off chance you don’t, take the rest home and sprinkle them over your morning bowl of yogurt.

(Image credit: Brie Passano)

6. Broccoli-Cheddar Crackers

Snacking on these crackers could be the easiest way to get more veggies in your diet, since they’re made with frozen broccoli. (If you only have fresh broccoli in your fridge, you can definitely use that too.)

(Image credit: Izy Hossack)

7. Muesli Snacking Cookies

While this wholesome recipe calls for store-bought muesli, you can easily make your own by combining rolled oats with dried fruit and chopped nuts and seeds.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

8. How To Make Homemade Copycat KIND Bars

While KIND bars are an easy pick for a feel-good snack, making them at home is cheaper. Dipping the bars in chocolate is optional if you’re trying to make them extra healthy, but we don’t think a little chocolate ever hurt anyone.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

9. Peanut Butter, Banana, and Granola Wrap

These whole-wheat wraps are a well-balanced choice if you need an extra-hearty snack. The recipe calls for grilling the wraps, but if you’re packing them up for the car, you can simply skip this step.

(Image credit: Megan Gordon)

10. Deluxe Tropical Trail Mix

Adding popped quinoa or millet to this tropical-inspired trail mix gives it extra crunch as well as a dose of whole-grain goodness, which is never a bad thing.

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: 10 Healthy Snacks for the Car