Best Snacks to Take on a Bus Trip

Snacks are an absolute must for any long charter bus rental adventure, but gas station options often leave something to be desired. Packing your favorite bus snacks ahead of time can prevent embarrassing stomach growling and ensure you get healthy, delicious treats that will keep you feeling good throughout the journey. If you have a long bus trip ride ahead, make sure you have the right bus snacks on hand!

Food to Stay Away from on a Long Bus Trip

When planning what to eat while traveling in a bus, it's best to avoid:

• Food that has a smell. Pickled foods, stinky cheese, fish, and similar items aren't snacks to bring on a charter bus trip. Strong smells can bother your fellow passengers and increase the risk of nausea during the long bus ride. Nobody wants to be locked in a bus with someone who's bus-sick.
• Food that needs to be refrigerated. Stay away from milk, mayo-based foods, and anything else that's perishable. Foods that cannot be consumed at room temperature can make you sick and may spoil.
• Food that requires utensils. Healthy road trip meals are one thing, but if they can't be eaten with your hands, don't bother! Make sure to pack snacks that are easy to consume on the bus ride. Hand-held, simple snacks are optimal to avoid managing utensils and potential messes. The last thing you want to deal with is to wonder where to put your dirty and sticky utensils during the rest of your journey.
• Messy foods. Sticky, juicy, and powdered treats might require napkins and will leave your seat looking worse for wear. Nobody expects someone who spent many hours on a bus to look perfectly groomed, but it's best to keep messes to a minimum. If possible, stick with clean, tasty snacks to keep your seating area neat and comfortable.
• Food in containers that can't be thrown out. Disposable containers will leave you with more room in your bag for other bus snacks. Although we appreciate the spirit of keeping waste to a minimum, reusable packaging can be messy and bulky. If you want to stay eco-friendly, bring snacks like apples, but keep sticky stuff like peanut butter at home.

Best Snacks for a Bus Trip

The best bus trip food ideas for adults:

• Bottled water: Essential to stay hydrated throughout your journey. Drinking water, or even juice, will help you avoid headaches, nausea, and lethargy. Packing several bottles for long bus trips is a good idea, especially if you have salty food like potato chips.
• Bars: One of the easiest snacks to take on a long bus trip is granola/breakfast/protein bars. It's a nutritious snack that offers a quick energy fix without taking up much space. Just make sure to avoid granola bars with too much sugar — you don't want a sugar crash!
• Raw veggies: Celery, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, and other raw vegetables are nutrient-packed and mess-free, making them a nutritious choice. They make for great bus foods and can be refreshing too.
• Dried fruit: Bringing dried apricots, apples, prunes, and even raisins is a perfect way to get a burst of sugar without a chocolatey mess. They're easier to eat than fresh fruit and are easy to grab.
• Trail mix: Plant-based protein will keep you full for a while, and nuts like pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews are packed full of it. They also contain healthy fats, like omega-3s, and fiber. A fun snack with a bit of chocolate can make the hours fly by. Trail mix comes in different flavors and is among passengers' favorite snacks.
• Pre-made sandwich: make and wrap a few PB+Js or, better yet, PB+bananas on whole wheat bread to munch on during your trip. These will keep you full with a healthy wallop of fat and proteins. They can keep you full for a long period and make for easy packing.
• Beef Jerky: One of the best snacks for a bus trip is jerky! Low in fat, high in protein, and super lightweight, beef jerky is a perfect choice to get you through a long trip. Since beef jerky doesn't contain nuts, it can also be safer for other passengers if they have allergies.
• Crackers: Saltines, rice cakes, and even animal crackers are go-to road trip snacks because they can help you combat nausea. These light and crunchy snacks provide the same satisfying crackle as potato chips without the added salt and fat.
• Cereal: Make a bag of all of your favorite cereals for your next bus trip for a mess-free, tasty snack. It can be a regressive snack that'll make the long hours spent on a charter bus trip go faster.

Kids’ Favorite Food for Long Bus Rides

Let's face it. Kids and adults don't always like the same foods, so we've assembled an easy reference list of kids' snacks for field trips and other long bus rides.

• Snack box: Perfect for any school transportation, you can fill a snack box with anything — crackers, veggie straws, chips, granola, and/or cookies.
• Juice box: Juice boxes are a great way to keep your child hydrated while allowing them a sweet treat.
• Applesauce pouch: Squeezable applesauce pouches are a mess-free, tasty road trip snack for kids of all ages.
• Fresh or dried fruit: Fruit, so long as it's not too runny, makes a wonderful, healthy snack for your child.
• Bite-size muffins: They are manageable, tasty, and fun for kids during several hours of travel.

Conclusion

In all, the best food for a long journey is healthy, easy and clean to eat, and tastes good. Try fresh fruits, veggies, trail mix, pre-made sandwiches, crackers, and other munchies. Your stomach will thank you!

Now that you know the best snacks for a long journey, it’s time to start planning your trip! Whether you need us for a school trip, out-of-state family reunion, corporate event, or anything in between, Infinity Transportation has you covered with our trusted fleet of charter buses. Fill out a quick form for a charter bus quote or chat with us online to hear about how we can help make your next bus ride a success!