In our Road Trip Planning series, we’ve already covered determining the purpose of your road trip to Gatlinburg along with must-have road trip songs. The next thing you’ll need to do is plan to have some great snacks and road trippin’ food ready so that hunger never interferes with the fun!

Easy Road Trip Foods

One of our favorite traveling meals is to plan for a picnic at an Interstate welcome center or rest stop. Not only can you save money with a picnic lunch, but everyone will feel so much better if they can get out of the car and stretch! Kid’s get to burn off a little pent up energy and the driver gets renewed alertness. Find a picnic table or spot on the grass to spread out and relax and have a family meal. Before or after eating, throw a Frisbee or baseball, walk or jog around the center, or do anything else that your family enjoys.

Here are suggestions for easy foods to pack and transport, and hints for saving space!
1. Freeze Bottles of Water: to keep all items in your cooler cold. As they melt, you’ve got good, cold drinks!
2. Freeze Go-Gurt: these take up little space, help to keep other foods cold, and are a tasty, healthy snack frozen or thawed.
3. PB&J Sandwiches: when is the last time you had PB&J? Make em, cut em, put em in baggies. You just might be surprised how fast these disappear.
4. Nuts, Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Cereal: to save money, purchase a large container of your favorite munchies and divide them up in single servings using the ‘snack’ size baggies. Pass them out often to keep tummies from rumbling!
5. Fresh Fruit: easy to grab and eat with no trash left behind. (Pitch peels or cores out the window for the birds!)
6. Granola Bars: easy to eat, not messy, and stick with ya!
7. Tootsie Pops: how many licks does it take to get to Carr’s Northside Cottages?

If you have suggestions for road trip food that are permanent go-alongs with your family, please share them here with us.

Have a safe and FUN trip to Gatlinburg!