The first time Michelle and I traveled together was on a trip to New York City. We stayed in our friend’s house in Brooklyn and made our way into Manhattan each day, seeing the sights all around the city. It was an amazing trip where we created many unforgettable memories.
Not all trips run perfectly, and one memory that we won’t forget was when I learned about the reality of hanger. I made the mistake of not ordering enough food at Shake Shack and the hanger came. We remedied the situation and I learned a valuable lesson, that you need to always have snacks on hand when traveling. Here are some of our favorite snacks and some recommendations from other travel bloggers.
Our Picks
The Practical Snacks
When we go on a trip, we always bring bars. Michelle is the one who eats these though. She recommends that ones that do not have chocolate in them so you don’t have to worry about them melting. Lara Bars are a top pick because of the clean ingredients and they have a small travel-size bar which you can eat close to meals without ruining your meal. RX Bars are another favorite because they provide a complete protein using a few simple ingredients.
We both love trail mix and usually go to HEB, our grocery store where we can buy it by the pound. Try to avoid the salty trail mix since it can make you bloat and be aware of the chocolate so you know if heat will be an issue. I enjoy candied peanuts, pecans, and cashews and get them in bulk at the same place.
A recent addition to our favorite travel snacks is the 100-calorie Justin’s peanut and almond butter packets. You can pack an apple for an easy, healthy and filling snack that gives you energy.
If you in a climate that is cold or you can pack an insulated bag, we love Tillamook Cheese squares. Now, remember Lunchables from when we were kids? They now have very adult Lunchable snacks that we like to bring along with us with cheese, meats, and crackers. One other idea we have tried before is traveling with protein powder that you can easily mix to have a quick shake.
The Fun Snacks
We both like gummy bears and sour gummy worms for a bit of a sugary pick-me-up. We also get fruit snacks and fruit leather which have a little more nutritional value. One of my top picks I always try to travel with is peanut butter M&Ms.
Recommended by other Travel Bloggers
Kind Bars
When on the road we find it SO important to have snacks on hand to make sure we avoid any hanger issues that could arise. We are both not ourselves when the hanger starts to creep up and it can be downright awful traveling at that point. Sometimes finding somewhere to eat when traveling internationally can be a challenge and having a snack on hand so you don’t end up picking any ole place out of pure desperation for food is a good idea! Our favorite snack to travel with are Kind Granola Bars! We love that they are individually packaged so you can just grab em’ and put them in your day bag. Kind bars are made from wholesome ingredients like oats, nuts and fruit and are never made with high fructose corn syrup. We love that they are yummy but also not made with too much added unnecessary sugar. Kind Granola bars are definitely our first choice when it comes to having travel snacks on hand!
Jess & Ron – Unearth The Voyage
Dried Mangos
Hiking is one of my free things to do in Toronto. I know, many people will be surprised that Toronto has hiking paths and my answer to them is yes! there are many inside the city. While the long hikes are a lot of fun and good exercise, they are also exhausting. To maintain energy throughout the hike, I pack some snacks to munch on along the way. My usual go-to snack for a hike is dried mango slices. I prefer them because they are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber. However, I wouldn’t recommend them for everyday snacking because they have 29g of sugar per 6 slices but for long hikes they will give you the energy boost you need.
Pari – Travel+Fashion Blog
Popchips
When we’re traveling in the USA Popchips are our go-to travel snack especially on road trips when hanger can easily set in on a long journey. They’re the perfect treat when we want to reach for something savory and, because they’re cooked in a pressurized chamber rather than fried, we consider them a healthier alternative to potato chips. At least that’s what we tell ourselves when we tuck into a bag!
We’ve spotted Popchips on our UK and Canada travels as well but the range of flavors available in the USA is unbeatable: we’ve developed a slight addiction to the sweet potato and crazy hot flavored options, both of which go down a treat on our travels!
Elaine and Dave – Show Them the Globe
Peanut M&Ms
Image Source
We always go prepared when we travel. We try to start a journey with a good feeling, and with a not so full stomach on a trip. However, we always have an emergency stash of snacks with us, especially on long plane rides.
Our favorite snack is Peanut M&M’s. As avid divers, we understand the importance of having replenished our energy, while satisfying both salt and sugar cravings. Peanut M&M’s might not be the most nutritious, but they have the perfect balance of both!
While you can find free Peanut M&M’s in just about any airport convenience store, you should probably buy them at your local grocery store before you set off to the airport. Airport shops tend to sell Peanut M&M’s at almost double the grocery store’s price!
Halef and Michael – The Round The World Guys
A KitKat Bar & Banana
Snickers bar
I always travel with a Snickers bar in my backpack. I never eat them at home in the US but I always have one on me when I travel because they’re the perfect travel snack! I discovered this many years ago in college when my friends and I needed to quickly grab food for a very long train ride back to Germany. The only things we could find at the train station were a few hard rolls and several Snickers bars. I thought we’d starve but the Snickers kept us full and happy all the way back to southern Germany. Snickers has come to the rescue several times since then on planes, trains, and when I’m too jet-lagged to search for real food!
Cate Brubaker – International Desserts Blog
Homemade Granola and Fresh Fruits
Homemade granola and fresh fruits are our go-to healthy snacks whenever we’re on the road. We know that buying granola bars are easier. Yet, granola is easy to make and keeps us full with the carbohydrates and protein. It’s made with old-fashioned rolled oats, raw almonds, salt, cinnamon, honey, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil and baked for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the quantity. Once it cools, we add toasted sesame seeds for crunch and dried cranberries or other dried fruits for sweetness. We also bring fresh fruits such as grapes or oranges. For easier transportation and less waste, we place the snacks in reusable containers.
Jackie Szeto and Justin Huynh – Life Of Doing
Pocky
Pocky is a baked stick-shaped cookie dipped in different flavors of chocolate. They are originally from Japan, but due to its popularity, it is now available all over the United States. Even Costco sells gigantic sized packs of Pocky! They are made in all types of flavors from classic chocolate or strawberry to the seasonal mango and matcha green tea. There are also regional flavors available in Japan, such as Hokkaido melon and Nagano grape.
The cookies are conveniently packaged in a cute, flat, rectangular cardboard boxes and foiled wrapping making them neat to eat and easy to pack. They have so many flavors that you can pack different ones to eat depending on your mood. Pocky is a great alternative for to the typical granola bar snack!
Constance – The Adventures of Panda Bear
Salty Crackers & Raisins
Saltry crackers and raisins are great to bring along when you travel. It’s easy to pack and doesn’t take up much space, and it will cure your hangry feelings instantly because let’s face it, who doesn’t love salty crackers! And on a more scientific note, it contains sugar and salt, which will give you more energy and rehydrate if you combine it with water or some other beverage.
Raisins are like small energy bombs which is great as a quick fix when you and your travel partner gets hangry. It works quickly but has a downside of not working as long since it’s mostly sugar. But it will definitely get you in a better mood and keep you going until you get a bigger meal.
Alex Waltner – Swedish Nomad
Nutella Wraps
One of our go-to favorites while on the road is the Nutella wraps. Made with Nutella and tortillas, it’s easy to prepare, filling, made from widely available ingredients, doesn’t require refrigeration, and keeps well – for days at a time – when stuffed inside an backpack. Plus the Nutella wrap can easily be adapted to add some variety or substitute for unavailable ingredients. Our favorite is to add some banana or peanut butter. Can’t find wraps? There’s usually a local flat bread that will do the trick. Or, just lather the Nutella on a banana. It’s been our snack of choice for years – getting us through everything from long ferry delays to five days hikes through Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.
Sheri – Wander Libre
Hotel Chocolat & Mixed Nuts
First the treat:
If you are traveling in the UK make sure to visit and stock up on some treats from Hotel Chocolat.
They are a British chocolatier and cocoa grower and are the only UK company to have their own plantation.
We recommend getting a bit of a selection but you can’t miss out on the 70% Cocoa Salted Caramels or the pink champagne truffles. Both are exceptional and will satisfy your sweet tooth.
Secondly, the failsafe option:
No matter what we do or where we go, you can guarantee my carry on bag will be stuffed with cashew and pistachio nuts. They aren’t going to melt or go bad and they are high in calories so when it comes to beating your hunger, these can be a real winner. If you want something a bit sweeter, throw some dried fruit into the mix
Sion and Ben – The Globetrotter Guys
Treats From Around The World
Old Amsterdam Aged Gouda Cheese
If you are traveling in Aruba (or elsewhere in the Dutch Caribbean or the Netherlands), be sure to pick up a wedge of Old Amsterdam Aged Gouda Cheese. Not only does it come wrapped in almost indestructible packaging that makes it great for travelling, the intense flavour of this yellow gouda is so full of character, it’s what locals eat in Aruba at parties, get-togethers and for snacks. Pick it up at Super Food or the airport at bargain prices.
Michele Peterson – A Taste for Travel
Biltong
If you’re traveling in South Africa or Namibia and not a vegetarian Biltong is a great snack to bit your hunger. Biltong is a South African version of jerky – dried meat with spices and salt. It can be beef, ostrich – these are the cheapest or game e.g. eland, kudu, springbok – these are more expensive as they are season dependent. Biltong started as a food of the pioneers and herders nowadays became a popular snack. We always buy stacks of them when road tripping in South Africa. It’s a great lunch snack if you go hiking – very nutritious, no need to cook and taste great. People often have it at BBQ parties as a snack instead of chips while waiting for food to get ready.
Campbell & Alya – Stingy Nomads
Penguino
My girlfriend and I bought a car in the Yucatan in Mexico and have driven it through several states and thousands of miles on an extended Mexico Road Trip. The best snack that always keeps us going while stuck in the car together for hours has been a very strange Mexican sweet.
It’s called a ‘Penguino’ and can be brought at any Oxxo (7-11 style) store. It’s like a chocolate cake with cream in the middle but when you bite into it it’s so soft and gooey it’s like biting into undercooked cake dough. It’s delicious, smooth and has just the right amount of sweet to savoury balance. Which is actually hard to find in Mexico because everything is super sweet (even the bread!) It also comes in a 2-pack so we can easily have one each without accusing the other of taking too much.
These tasty non-cakes came as a surprise to us because usually, Mexico’s baked goods like bread and cake aren’t very good. We are Penguino-turned and I you definitely need to try one on your next trip to Mexico!
Crystal – Castaway With Crystal
Vegemite
If you are traveling in Australia, make sure you try Vegemite. Vegemite is an Australian icon and a very acquired taste. Here we have grown up with it, on our toast from day dot so we don’t really understand how you can’t like it. Its an excellent source of B vitamins and is low in energy, with one teaspoon providing less than 50 kilojoules and containing 1.5 grams of protein, no fat and no added sugar. What’s not to like.
Vegemite on toast spread just how you like it, I’m a thin spread kinda girl just enough so you can taste it but not enough to make you gag like my brother in law has it! Vegemite is full of salt and B vitamins, and I especially love vegemite on toast with avocado to cure any hanger moment you might have! Crackers with vegemite and a slice of cheese is another favorite, good to give to hanger kids when you want to spoil their dinner or a great after school snack.
Sally Lucas – Our3KidsVTheWorld
Rusks in South Africa
Whilst on a road trip through Southern Africa we found one of the best travel snacks we have ever come across. The traditional Afrikaner name is beskuits, but the common name is rusks. You may be thinking of baby teething products but this is definitely something different!
Rusks are a dry biscuit that has been baked twice. Similiar to a granola bar but solid, with more crunch and less sugar. They come in a huge range of flavors, the buttermilk ones were our favorite.
They are the perfect snack for long trips. They don’t require refrigeration and they are robust enough to throw in your backpack or leave in the car for a snack whilst you drive.
We loved snacking on rusks on their own, but they are especially good with a cup of tea or coffee.
Rachel – Adventure and Sunshine
Strawberries in India
My preferred travel hacks would be strawberries for a small or long
trip depending on the type of destination and the duration of travel.
We carry strawberries and they are mostly abounding in places like
Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in India which are sold in packets for a
few cents. These strawberries are exported to other parts of the country
so that people get to feel the essence and the aroma of the fruit which
is manufactured in the above places.
We also get strawberry syrups sold in plastic containers at a good price
in the Mapro Gardens and people come from all corners of the country
to pay a tribute to these gardens. These gardens are located in the way
to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani and we can purchase other distinguished
and different varieties of syrups available in different flavors.
Strawberries are beneficial to health and have a lot of other
natural benefits that cannot be cured by medicines.
Somnath – Travel Crusade
So this is how we fight hanger, how do you?
He is an expert travel advisor and enthusiast. He has traveled extensively in the USA, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has visited every Sandals Resort and is one of a select few Diamond Elite members of the Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club.
Dan graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Later he graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on people and culture.
Getz destinations
Friday 31st of August 2018
The is really heart melting. I must say whenever i travel i keep snacks with me. The best things about snacks is that it is hunger killer. Thanks for sharing such an exceptional blog.