Oh, spring break. After a long and dreary winter full of midterms and stress, spring break is a much needed step back from reality. With some students flying to tropical resorts or European destinations, others are staying within the country and embarking on road trips.
But road trips are notorious for one main thing: they can be endlessly long. At some point, your seat feels numb, you feel restless, and every pit stop looks the exact same. Never fear, any issue can be solved with food.
The perfect road trip snack is ideal for the go because it is easy to eat and makes no mess. It is not too filling or high in calories, especially because you’re sitting for long periods of time. Spice up your long drive with these road trip snacks.
Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
These addictive snacks are a great road trip addition not only because they taste delicious, but because they make no mess and can take a while to eat. Let one of Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels melt in your mouth for a sticky bomb of flavor, or chew immediately for that iconic pretzel crunch.
Strawberries
For a juicy and sweet road trip snack, pack strawberries for the go. These fruits are in season during late March and through April, which means you’ll get the reddest and ripest fruits during spring break. Simply wash the strawberries before embarking on your trip, and you have a great finger food that both satisfies your cravings and quenches your thirst.
Pears
Another good fruit option is pears. Pears are in season all throughout March, so this is the ideal time to eat them. Buy slightly unripe pears so that they won’t drip juice in the car, or alternatively, cut the pears into slices before leaving. Sweet, floral, and absolutely divine.
LesserEvil Popcorn
LesserEvil is a health-conscious popcorn brand that makes popcorn that tastes equally as delicious as most other companies, but leaves less of an oily residue on your fingers. This is especially helpful for drivers, who probably don’t want a slippery and greasy steering wheel. Popcorn is a great finger food to occupy you for a while, and with their butter flavor called Himalayan Gold, your drive can’t possibly get boring.
Carrots & Hummus
With their strong crunch, carrots are undeniably good to munch on. Paired with hummus, they’re unstoppable. Have whoever’s sitting shotgun hold a tub of hummus to pass out whenever somebody wants a bit of dip. The setup might be a bit messier, but the taste is worth it.
Barnum’s Animal Crackers
These crackers are sweet, crunchy, and 100% nostalgic. They’re good because they leave no powder residue on your fingers, but are totally snackable. There’s also so many ways to eat animal crackers: let it soak in your mouth, gradually shave off bits with your teeth, bite off each individual limb, or pop it in whole.
Garden Veggie Chips
In line with the nostalgia theme, veggie chips are a great alternative for your road trip due to their airy crunch and lack of finger residue. They might leave some salt on your fingers, but that isn’t too big of a deal. Veggie chips are the type of snack that you can’t stop eating once you have one — so why not finish an entire bag when you have the time to do so?
Shrimp Chips
Here’s an Asian-inspired option. Shrimp chips are a no-mess finger food that actually doesn’t taste all that much like shrimp. Don’t let the name deter you from trying them. Shrimp chips are savory and umami with a light, airy texture similar to that of veggie chips. With their delicate crunch and appealing flavor, they’re the perfect road trip snack.