In this post, I'm sharing 7 healthy road trip snacks, non refrigerated!
It’s my job to be in the know of upcoming brands and products, and I get to taste test and try samples of the latest and greatest at conferences and food trade shows. I am totally the girl with a suitcase full of samples on my flight home.
While I love trying new ones, it can be overwhelming to know which options are actually healthy! So I'm cutting through the confusion and sharing my favorites for you to make life a little easier next time you need some road trip snacks (non refrigerated)!
7 healthy road trip snacks non refrigerated
Drum roll please.........
Lesser Evil Popcorn
Popcorn is my go-to. Always. But ESPECIALLY if I’m having movie night with my nieces and nephew. 🙂If you want to make your own popcorn on the stovetop, don't miss my Dill Pickle Popcorn Recipe!
I love the Himalayan Pink Salt flavor from Lesser Evil.
Nutrition
- Popcorn is relatively low calorie so you get more bang for your buck in that department.
- 4 g fiber per serving. Fiber is good for gut health and keeping you full longer among other things.
- The Lesser Evil brand I'm sharing here does containt coconut oil. Coconut oil is higher in saturated fats than other oils so if you are looking to decrease saturated fats in your diet, opt for a different popcorn brand like Skinny Pop and Boom Chicka Pop that use sunflower oil.
- Lesser Evil popcorn has 4% of your daily iron intake in a serving!
If you're looking for road trip snacks non refrigerated, there are a lot of great popcorn brands but this is one of my faves!
Ingredients
Just three ingredients which I love!
- Organic Popcorn
- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
- Himalayan Pink Salt
Love, Corn
This is a unique one and it’s newer on my snack rotation but it's won a spot at the top!
I had already been buying their product regularly when I met their marketing team at a conference last year. They let me try all the flavors while I was there which was so nice! I have to say though, I love the classic Sea Salt the best.
*Pro-tip* I love to mix Love Corn and popcorn together. The corn combo that has just the right balance of crispy and salty.
Ingredients
Just 3 ingredients for this one too!
- Crunchy corn
- Sea Salt
- Sunflower Oil
Nutrition
- 2 gm fiber per serving
- No saturated fats or cholesterol
- Seed oils like the sunflower oil in this Love Corn are low in saturated fats (the "bad" kind) and high in unsaturated fats (the "good" kind)
Blue Diamond Nut Thins
I’m obsessed with crackers. I used to eat Zesta Saltines by the sleeve when I was a kid. Now that I’m an adult (and a dietitian), the *kind* of cracker I choose has evolved a bit, but I remain a loyal cracker fanatic.
The Blue Diamond Nut Thins are one of my favorites. If you can find the Smokehouse Flavor do yourself a favor and pick them up!
Nutrition
- No saturated fats or cholesterol
- Lower in sodium than most snacks with only 55mg per serving
- 1 gm fiber per serving
Ingredients
- Rice Flour
- Almonds
- Potato Starch
- Safflower Oil
- Sea Salt
- Natural Flavors
Mary's Gone Crackers
MGC is my favorite brand for a high fiber cracker and my favorite flavor is their Super Seed Everything Crackers.
The thing I love the most about these are the ingredients. The Super Seed Everything flavor has 5 kinds of seeds (hence the name). Seeds are a great source of healthy fats , protein, and fiber.
Nutrition
- 3 gm fiber per serving
- 4 gm protein per serving
- Good balance of fats, protein, and carbs so they keep you full longer and help with blood sugar control compared to foods that are higher in carbs and not paired with a protein or fat source.
- 6% of your daily Iron intake, 4% of your daily Potassium intake, and 4% of your daily calcium intake
Ingredients
- Brown Rice
- Quinoa
- Flax Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Tamari
- Sea Salt
Hippea Puffs
I've been a fan of this chickpea based snack since it released! The white vegan cheddar is my favorite flavor and these are a great road trip snack non refrigerated to buy in the snack pack size.
Nutrition
- 4 gm fiber per serving
- 3 gm protein per serving
- No saturated fat (the "bad" kind) or cholesterol
Ingredients (first 5)
- Chickpea flour
- Rice flour
- Tapioca Starch
- Yellow Pea Flour
- Canola oil and/or safflower oil
Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers
Another cracker I love! The Rosemary and Sea Salt flavor are my absolute favorite. They do have a pretty strong rosemary flavor so if you aren’t into that, go with the Fine Ground Sea Salt.
Nutrition
- the nut and seed base and sunflower oil make these a good source of the healthy kind of fats (unsaturated fats)
- 2 gm fiber per serving
- 3 gm protein per serving
- 6% of your daily iron intake
Ingredients (first 5)
- Nut and seed flour blend
- Cassava flour
- Organic sunflower oil
- Sea Salt
- Rosemary
Biena Chickpea Snacks
Alright, rounding out the list here. I’m a loyal fan of the Biena Chickpea Snacks.
The Honey Roasted flavor is so delish if you’re looking for a little bit of sweetness in your snack life. *Disclaimer: The honey roasted flavor does have some cane sugar added so if you are looking to limit added sugars, you could also go with the good ole’ classic, Sea Salt.
Nutrition
- again with the seed oils-- sunflower or safflower oil is a great source of healthy (unsaturated) fats
- 6 gm fiber per serving (the highest of the snacks on the list!)
- 6 gm protein per serving ( the highest of the snacks on the list!)
- 6% of your daily iron intake
Ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Expeller Pressed High Oleic Sunflower or Safflower Oil
- Sea Salt
Learn more here.
You can make your own Roasted Chickpeas with just a few ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!
How to choose healthy road trip snacks, non refrigerated
Let me give you a little backstage pass into my dietitian brain and how I determine which of the better-for-you options are truly better for me.
It gets confusing because a lot of products (especially snacks), are touting claims anywhere from “simple & clean ingredients” to “superfoods with purpose.” I’m especially a sucker for brands with a good founding story, unique ways they are giving back, and fun packaging/branding.
But at the end of the day, I’m a dietitian. I’m not just gonna eat a snack because it claims it will make me superhuman or its packaging is cute (but seriously, some of them are so cute).
When I choose snacks, I take into account a few things:
- Nutrition. Mostly looking at things that are higher in fiber and a combo of carbs and either protein or fat so I stay full longer. I also look for products low in saturated fat (I aim for less than 1 gm per serving and lower to no added sugars)
- Ingredients
- My hunger and how long it'll be before I eat my next meal
- How full or empty my bank account is (anyone else still feeling inflation?!)
- My schedule. Am I looking for something I can throw in my purse and go, or something that can stay in the fridge and I’ll grab mid-day while I WF.
In Conclusion
So there you have it, folks! 7 of my favorite snack products + 2 more included in the image above. Let me know if you try any from the list or have any questions! Leave a comment if there’s another snack you think I should try. I am always looking for new ones.
Other posts you may enjoy:
Hormone Balancing Breakfast: 3 easy & quick recipes [CLICK HERE TO READ]
