Sour Patch Kids: My husband and I both agree that Sour Patch Kids are an absolute must on the road. Ryan Sutton, Eater NY chief critic/data lead Lesley Suter, travel editorįrozen Snickers: I’ve always maintained that a frozen Snickers bar is much, much better than an ice cream Snickers bar, the latter being an inferior product that melts too quickly and the former being something that will last in the car. It’s also the ONLY time I drink Red Bull. They perk you up, they’re chewy and sweet, and they’re the kind of candy I don’t eat every day. Swedish Fish: I always have a bag of Swedish Fish on hand for a road trip. Getting the sticky bits out of your teeth is the rest of the fun.

Drivers and passengers alike will crush hours gnawing on these glorious sweets, with microscopic almond pieces giving a modicum of texture. It’s somewhat hilarious that this honey-flavored taffy seems to only be available at truck stops and gas stations. The sweetīit-O-Honey: Bit-O-Honey works as a road trip snack because you can eat an entire bag of them and not feel awful (trust me, I just did this on a six-hour drive from Northern to Southern California). Here’s what fuels them through long car rides these days, as well as in better times. Eater staffers’ preferred snacks run the gamut. Some road trippers select snacks based on their resemblance to an actual balanced meal, or on whether or not they’ll ensure the driver stays alert at the wheel. Road trip snacks may be the foods you find at gas stations and convenience stores, or indulgent treats that make the trip more bearable. But beyond that, there are several interpretations of the genre.

There are certain essential qualities to a road trip snack: You should be able to eat it with one hand and with minimal mess. And given the unpredictability of food options along routes these days, road trip snacks - always an essential item on the road trip packing list - were more important than ever. This summer, the road trip was the only option for many of us to get in some kind of vacation or pay a long-overdue visit to faraway loved ones.

Road-Tripped by Nicole Archer