How to Save Money on Road Trip Food

Road trips are all about adventure and togetherness and saving money. So what do you do about road trip food? How do you save while still making it easy to feed your family? We got you.

$14.99 for a box of graham crackers?!

Is that just high inflation? Nope. That was Mammoth Lakes, 2010, back when you could buy a box at the grocery store on sale for a couple bucks. 

Bryan joked that they must have added an extra 1 at the beginning of the price. $4.99 was a more reasonable, albeit expensive, price for a box of crackers.

But, the salesman didn’t laugh. That was their price. 😱

The lesson here: take road trip foods with you whenever you possibly can because you will be gouged otherwise.

Why It Matters

Is a road trip on your family’s summer or fall bucket list? Then you know you gotta plan for road trip food.

You gotta eat! But, also the more money you save on food, the more road trips you can take! 

Our family has done road trips throughout North America and Europe and it’s always paid off in money- as well as stress-savings to do a little planning ahead of time.

Whether your family travel involves planes, trains, or automobiles, being away from your regular kitchen and grocery stores can hit the budget pretty hard, especially if you go places geared toward tourists. 

Thankfully, the same strategies that help you save money on groceries at home can help you on road trips as well. Not only that, planning in advance can help you avoid being stuck on a family road trip or even a monthly day off without food options. 

If you’re managing a food allergy, special diet, or simply want more healthy road trip foods and fewer fast foods, you’ll enjoy things so much more with these fun road trip food ideas and, of course, our road trip packing list.

Consider these easy food ideas and recipes from road trip breakfast ideas and healthy snacks to lunches and dinners; these budget travel tips that will save you a chunk of change.

Will you have kitchen access?

As you plan your ultimate road trip, consider whether or not you will have kitchen access. Believe it or not, you can still save money on road trip foods without a kitchen, but your road trip packing may look different.

Read –> Why You Should Rent a Condo on Your Next Family Vacation

If you have access to a fully stocked kitchen, you probably won’t need to pack kitchen equipment, though you might want to bring a good knife and cutting board just in case. These aren’t always good quality in vacation rentals and can make the difference in how much you want to cook versus going out to eat. 

Some folks also like to bring small appliances like a slow cooker or pressure cooker to make vacation meals and prep for road trip foods easier. We traveled all over the UK with a toaster so that we could make quick and easy breakfasts each morning.

Are you driving straight from home to accommodations with a kitchen? Consider packing freezer meals to make your meal prep easier and give the cook a true break while on vacation.

Kitchen Stuff to Take on a Road Trip

No matter where you’re going or how you get there, be sure that you have access to these kitchen items. Better to bring them from home than have to buy them on the road. 

Prepping and serving your road trip foods is so much easier with the right tools! I always keep a picnic kit in the car, even if I’m just running errands around town.

• reusable water bottles – if you’re taking a plane at some point, empty them before security and refill when you’re past TSA
• plastic utensils – I like these reusable sporks for saving space
• small plastic trash bags or plastic grocery bags – these are great for packing out trash and cleaning out the car
• big and small ziploc bags – great for storing leftovers or keeping open packages fresh
• picnic blanket – this can double as a tablecloth if you find a picnic table that has seen better days.
• travel size condiments, such as salt and pepper, mayo, mustard – You can ask at the grocery deli, and they will often give them to you for free!
• reusable grocery bags that fold small – perfect for travel grocery shopping
• hand sanitizer or antibacterial wipes – you may not always find a bathroom on road trips, so come prepared
• napkins or paper towels – not just for wiping hands and faces, these can double as plates in a pinch.
• bread knife and cutting board – this is a must-have in my book. A knife and cutting board allow for all kinds of grocery store picnics. (Be sure to check the bag if you’re flying with a bread knife.)
• bottle/can opener – super handy for impromptu picnics (again, depending on the type, this must be in checked luggage if you’re flying before your road trip begins)
• insulated lunch box or cooler bag – a must for packing snacks and meals along the way as well as keeping leftovers fresh for a few hours
• reusable ice packs – Bottled water can serve in a pinch if you forget
• mini disposable toothbrushes or gum to freshen breath – certainly a bonus, but nice to have!

Bonus if space and accommodations allow: toaster, hot water kettle, and instant pot/slow cooker are super nice to have!

Read how buying a toaster in another country helped us –> Eat on a Budget While Traveling.

Suitcase-Stable Foods

While you may have access to grocery stores along the way, you never know what prices you will pay for road trip food. Pack your favorite road trip snacks, purchased on sale at home if possible, so that you can offset higher prices along the way.

Road trip foods need to be fun and easy to pack! I’ve linked some of our favorite road trip recipes below:

• applesauce pouches (no need for spoon)
• almonds or other favorite nuts
• dried fruit
• Larabars (make homemade fruit and nut bars, if the trip is short)
• beef jerky or meat sticks
• peanut butter, sunflower or other seed and nut butters (may not be allowed to take into certain countries)
• fruit leathers or ropes
• trail mix
• protein or granola bars – homemade granola bars can be a great money-saver
• crackers – these homemade cheez-its are so good!
• rice cakes
• pretzels
• canned fruit or single serve fruit cups
• chips
• cookies
• popcorn
• cereal or single-serve cereal boxes or bowls
• instant oatmeal packets or bowls – Remember you can make your own
• granola
• milk in asceptic containers
• tea bags or bottled
• coffee – could be instant, bottled cold brew, or a pour over kit to use at your accommodations
• juice pouches or boxes
• hot cocoa mix 
• sodas or seltzer water
• bread or tortillas – if you buy whole grain items, they will help with everyone’s digestion sitting in the car for long periods.

Perishables

The perisahble items on this road trip food list will need to be stored in a cooler and/or refrigerated at your accommodations or bought on an as-needed basis. Super yummy travel snacks to keep on hand include:.

• veggie dippers – making everyone their own snack box makes it easy to eat veggies away from home
• hummus – the little pods are super handy.
• fresh fruit – cuties and small apples are great for travel as are grape clusters and berries washed and ready to go.
• yogurt cups or pouches – you can make your own yogurt cups, but remember you may not want to worry about washing dishes on the road
• sliced cheese
• cheese sticks or other snacking cheese
• sliced deli cuts of meat (salami, ham, turkey, deli roast beef)
• hard cooked eggs
• milk – the asceptic boxes of milk are handy for trips
• items that you especially plan for meals, like freezer meals or other meal prepped recipes

Road Trip Meal Planning

Some of the best road trips have been ones when I took the time to meal plan all the meals we’d be in the car. I prepped things in single-serve containers so that each person could eat when he was hungry instead of having to pull out all the things.

You know that meal planning at home can save you money. The same is true for family travel. 

Make a meal plan with your road trip foods so that you can use what you pack and buy and avoid food waste. This can also help you prep your shopping list on the road. 

A rule of thumb is to plan one or two fewer meals than you will need to account for leftovers and spontaneous meals out. Here are some sample meal plans for your road trip meals than you will need to account for leftovers and spontaneous meals out.

Breakfast

Breakfast on vacation or on the road should be a quick affair so you can get on with your day’s itinerary. If you don’t have time for a full breakfast, consider these quick road trip breakfast ideas:

• Oatmeal and Fruit
• Granola with Milk or Yogurt
• Cereal and Fruit
• Hard cooked eggs with cheese and fruit

Be sure to assemble a breakfast basket to make your vacation fun and easy!

Lunch

The same goes for lunch: be quick about it. Typically it’s a break in the day before the last leg of the day’s drive or something in the middle of an activity. 

These road trip lunch ideas are easily portable and quick to fix:

• Sandwiches – PBJ, meat and cheese, my family’s favorite is the Italian Sandwich
• Wraps – This Italian Wrap is amazing!
• Snack Boxes, like this Protein box, are easy to assemble

Dinner

You’ll likely be tired at the end of the day. Depending on accommodations, you may want to do a grocery store picnic or take-out or a rummage through the road trip foods you packed. 

However, if you’ve got access to cooking things, consider these road trip dinner ideas:

• pasta with red sauce – easy to prep in the instant pot
• grilled meat, fish, and veggies – be sure to ask the hotel if they have a grill available for guests. Many do!
• a large salad with leftover lunch proteins added – you might even grab a rotisserie chicken from a local store
• freezer meals from home if the journey wasn’t too long
• no cook suppers

Grocery Shopping Tips to Remember on a Road Trip

You can keep your grocery bill low when you’re on the road if you consider these easy ways for saving money when shopping:

• Store brands are generally cheaper the world over.
• Affordable stores like ALDI or Walmart are found in lots of places. Do a little research to see what’s along your route and at your destination so you can stretch your vacation dollar a little farther.
• Bring your own grocery bags – grocery stores in some states and countries do not provide free shopping bags.
• You can do a grocery pick up at a location several hours ahead of you, so that you don’t even have to get out of the car!
• Check the “best by” dates of whatever you’re buying to ensure longest shelf life.
• Don’t buy more than you need – when traveling it can be tough to pack and unpack a vehicle, especially with kids and all their stuff. Don’t let your food stuffs make this more complicated.

Remember to Make Family Memories on Your Road Trip

Road trips can be an ideal time to make memories as a family. Consider some of these ways to give kids choices in their road trip foods.

Give the kids a vending machine allowance.

Hotels and rest stops often have vending machines. While you might not make junk food a regular part of every day life, it can be fun to give them a certain budget to spend each day of your road trip. 

This gives kids a chance to manage money in a fun way while they choose their own road trip foods. Our kids have super fond memories of their vending machine allowances.

Let the kids pick things out at the grocery store or gas station.

While shopping for groceries prior to the trip or along the way, give the kids a budget to choose road trip foods they would like to have. This might even be picking out a snack while you gas up along the way or popping into  a dollar store. 

Again this gives them agency, a chance to budget, and a fun memory of family vacations.

Have a fun meal out.

Scout out your route and read restaurant menus of your destination and stops in advance. There may be a really fun place to include in your meal planning. 

A little advance research can also help you find specials and weekly deals to save you money on road trip foods.

Enjoy local specialties.

Whether it’s a restaurant famous for its sourdough bread or a local specialty particular to the area you’re traveling, find a way to include it in your meal planning. 

Your kids will long remember the time they tried clam chowder in San Francisco or butter beer in Diagon Alley.

There are so many great ways that you can save on road trip foods while still enjoying an incredible adventure with your family!

More Family Travel Tips

This post was originally published on October 12, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.