20 Travel Snacks for Kids They’ll Actually Eat, From Healthy to Hail Mary

Again, you have plenty of options when it comes to applesauce, but the pouch packaging definitely beats a cup any day when it comes to traveling. VP of Editorial Content Candace Davison is particularly fond of Good & Gather Applesauce pouches (and Executive Editor Alexia Dellner seconds that recommendation). “They’re available in a lot of different varieties,” says Candace, adding that she “often packs a bunch of spinach-apple or carrot-apple pouches because they're zero mess, sneak in some veggies, and you don't have to worry about refrigerating.”

Whether you pre-slice them or just pack the whole fruit, apples are a great travel snack for kids. They’re healthy, easy to transport, and unlikely to get soggy and gross after washing like, say, berries. That said, as an avid road-tripper, Davison has a preferred variety: Cosmic Crisp apples. “Nobody likes a mealy apple, but these guys have the sweetness and crunch of Honeycrisp, and I often find them cheaper in my local grocery store. And the two-pound bag is easier for travel,” she explains.

“I generally avoid giving the kids raisins (my dentist said it's bad for their teeth!) but I will make an exception when traveling,” Dellner says. “The kids think it's a fun treat and—don't judge me—I like that it takes them a while to finish the box so it keeps them occupied (i.e., not fighting with each other).”

“If it's a short trip, fresh fruit is great. But for plane rides and the like, I don't love having fresh fruit in my bag that will turn warm and mushy,” says Dellner—and I think we can all agree. While a little pricey, freeze-dried berries are a great way to get some vitamins in kids when you’re on the go.

My kids love anything fig. Fig Newtons are the OG when it comes to cookies parading as a healthy snack, and while I think they’re a great budget-friendly choice, I prefer Nature’s Bakery fig bars as a decidedly healthier option that scores all the same flavor points. These guys are available in several flavors, all of which are kid-approved from my experience, and they don’t make any mess at all. They’re also pretty filling, which makes up for the higher price point.

This is a go-to snack in my household—one of my kids is chewing on some right now—and it works wonderfully for travel of any kind. Completely mess-free, packed with nutrients and good for digestive health, dried mango has a lot going for it. That said, it’s best consumed in moderation—namely because it can be a little too good for digestion, if you know what I mean.

I also avoid traveling with fresh fruit for all the obvious reasons, but grapes tend to hold up very well to washing and commuting. They’re also great for dividing and sharing if you have more than one in your brood. (It’s recommended to quarter or halve grapes when serving them to younger kids, as whole grapes can be a choking hazard. If you’re traveling with a toddler, you may want to avoid these, as chopped grapes can smash and make a mess easier.)

Here, a healthy travel snack that’s particularly tasty when in season. Sugar snap peas are satisfying to eat and, as Davison notes, “they stay fresh and crisp and are easy to transport.” Best of all, sugar snap peas are a great source of fiber and Vitamin C—and because they’re low in calories, your kids can nosh on them as much as they want without spoiling an upcoming meal.

Seeds may be small, but they’re rich in nutrients and healthy fats that can fuel kids during a trip of any length. Plus, there are tons of different seeds that kids can snack on and they’re easy to find. Still, it’s hard to beat the convenience of seed mix snack packs when you’re traveling. “For a travel snack for my kids that I *also* want to eat, I love the snacking seeds from Go Raw,” Dellner says, adding that “the kids love the salty and sweet pick (of course) but all their flavorings are really good!”

Bonus points if you pack a little container of ranch or hummus for dipping, but my kids are perfectly content to chomp on carrot sticks just as they are. Best of all, they are great for teething toddlers to gnaw on, provided you are in a position to supervise their snacking, so you really can’t go wrong with this healthy option.

Beef sticks (aka beef jerky) are a great snackable source of protein. They also keep kids occupied for a little while because, well, they’re chewy. Davison likes to travel with Chomps beef sticks, which she prefers to Slim Jims, despite the fact that they are pricier. “The mini Chomps, known as Chomplings, are great for packing on the go. They're a nice source of protein, zero sugar and they're made with 100 percent grass-fed beef.”

It’s a real parenting win when you can get your kids to snack on an actual vegetable, and I’ve had great success with edamame. It’s super budget-friendly to buy a bag of frozen edamame and they cook up in just a few minutes in the microwave. I toss them with a little olive oil and salt, and take them anywhere for an easy and healthy travel snack with a mild flavor that my very picky eaters love. Best of all, this versatile legume is a complete plant-based protein, meaning that it contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs.

I prefer these for shorter trips when you don’t need to keep anything chilled for an extended period of time, but my kids love snacking on cheese sticks. You will likely need to determine your kid’s cheese preference first, but there are tons of options out there, ranging from the classic and very mild-flavored string cheese to zippy cheddar cheese sticks. Whatever variety you choose, your kid will benefit from the calcium-rich nosh and the protein boost it provides.

Not to be confused with cheese and crackers, which are great for a snack plate at home, but a little harder to assemble on the go and involve cheese that tends to get a little, er, sweaty in transit. Cheese crackers refer to a wide variety of dry snacks like Cheez-Its and, Davison’s favorite, Baby Goldfish crackers: “These tiny-size Goldfish take my kids longer to eat, provided I ration them in small containers. They're pretty much a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, even if my kids don't want to eat anything else,” she says.

There are many iterations of the puffed corn snack, ranging from rice cakes with a dose of cornmeal to the ones like Pirate’s Booty, which go heavier on the cornmeal. I am partial to Pirate’s Booty because it makes far less of a mess as compared to rice cakes, and in my opinion, it’s also a lot tastier thanks to that addictive dusting of white cheddar. For what it’s worth, Davison agrees, saying that “Pirate’s Booty is another crowd-pleaser that's picky-eater approved.”

I *might* say that Pirate’s Booty falls into the category of popcorn alternatives, but there are other palate-pleasing options out there, and this cousin of kettle corn deserves a category of its own: Little Bellies Sweet & Salty Softcorn is another one of Davison’s go-tos, and she describes it as a “real treat for sweet and salty fans, and a nice popcorn alternative that little kids enjoy.”

Whether you’re at the movie theater or strapped into a car seat and bored out of your mind, nothing keeps you busy quite like handfuls of popcorn. It’s also worth noting that there are lots of healthy popcorn brands out there (i.e., no liquid “butter”), so you don’t have to feel guilty about your kid going to town. Smart Pop is Dellner’s top popcorn pick: “Anything that comes in its own bag is a win. Plus, my kids tend to snack a lot while traveling (it gives them something to do!) so I like having options that won't fill them up too much.” (Again, due to the potential choking hazard, this is another snack you’ll want to avoid giving to toddlers.)

No travel snack reminds me of my childhood quite like the dapper Peanut man on a container of Planter’s Cheese Balls. I’m sure that this particular product is still around, but I’ve tried out all the generic substitutes out on my kids and the results are always positive. Is it basically just a cross between Pirate’s Booty and Cheetos? Yes. Are there any health benefits to speak of? No. Still, it’s a mostly mess-free snack that’s tasty enough to keep their mouths munching for quite some time. It’s also pretty hard to ask, “Are we there yet?” when you’re breaking down a marble-sized cheese ball. File this one under “emergency reserves.”

I generally don’t endorse candy as a go-to travel snack, but there are exceptions to the rule; for example, when you’re trying to survive a flight with one or more children who don’t adapt well to rapid elevation changes, or when you’re sitting in three hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway and can’t even maneuver off the road to free your screaming spawn from their car seats for five minutes. If the kid in question isn’t at candy-eating age yet, let yourself be the snack or bust out the trusty pacifier. Otherwise, I highly recommend sugar-coated peach rings and Starburst.

They take a long time to chew, which means less opportunity for complaining, and they do help a great deal with the discomforts of pressure-induced ear popping. (Psst: SmartSweets sells no-sugar-added Peach Rings, if you’re trying to curb how much candy your kids are consuming. They also boast 6 grams of fiber per serving.)

Yet another childhood favorite, think of animal crackers—preferably the pink-and-white frosted variety with sprinkles—as a bargaining chip in a hostage situation. If you have to, pull a tot into your lap, mid-flight, and bring the sugar-coated zoo animals to life with compelling dialogue before suggesting that your diabolical child bite off their heads. Just trust me, you’ll be happy you had them hidden away for the moment of need.