Best Trader Joe’s Snacks for a Long Trip or Car Ride, From Mom of 3 – ryan

  • Every Summer, My Husband and I Drive 12 Hours from pennsylvania to michigan with our three kids.
  • Carefully Timed Trader Joe’s Snacks Help Keep Meltdowns to A Minimum.
  • Some of My Kids’ Favorites Include Cosmic CRISP Apples, Pb & C Packs, and Chomps.

Every Summer, My Family and I Take a 12-Hour Road Trip to Michigan, where we trade the coast humidity and jersey Shore Traffic for 9 pm Sunsets and Lake Michigan beaches.

Of Course, 12 Hours in the Car with Three Kids (Ages 1, 2, and 7) is … long. No Amout of Screen Time or Curated Playlists Can Distract from the Inevitable Cries of “Are We There?”

Instead, the real secre to surviving this trip is having an endless supply of snacks.

I’ve been shopping at trader Joe’s Since 2010 and like to think i’ve achieved connoisseur status by now. Here’s the Everything I Grab at the Store for Our Annual Trek.

My husband and i like to start the trip with la colime draft lattes.

Our Trip Starts ARUND 8 AM WITH MUCH-NEEDED COFFEE IN HAND.

Nicole Prince

Our espresso machine is usablely already in the car, so these Cold, Creamy, Canned Lattes Are Gold.

Each One Delivers 6 Grams of Protein and Just Enough Caffeine to Help Me Wake Up As We Finish Loading The Car.

When the Kids Wake Up, Their First Snack of Choice is Trader Joe’s Organic Fruit-Sauce Pouches.

My Kids Start the Day With These Organic Apple-Carrot Fruit-Sauce Crushers.

Nicole Prince

I like that they have fruit-sauce pouches are made with the fruit and the vegies and have no added sugar.

Of toes one back to my second grader in the kill and open two for the babies.

For Breakfast, i Pass Around Nut Butter and Oat Rxbars.

My whole family Enloys these rxbars.

Nicole Prince

Everyone Gets a Nut Butter and Oat Rxbar for Breakfast. It ‘s the favorite flavor, and i like that they’re mess sticky said traditional rxbars.

They’re Packed With Whole Ingdients, Like Oats, Peanuts, and Egg Whites, and Have 10 Grams of Protein, Which Buys at Least An Hour or Two before the Next Snack Request.

Along the Way, of Make Mini “Car-Cuterie” with Citterio Salami-Andeese Packs and Pretzel Slims.

The Citterio Salami-and-Cheese packs are perfect for Car-Fryently charcuterie.

Nicole Prince

One of my favorite finds this year is these peppery salami-and-cheese Packs, which have 8 grams of protein and make the perfect accoutment for prezel Slims.

I THROW A PACK TO THE BACK FOR MY 7-YEAR-OLD, THEN HAND THE 2-YEAR-OLD The meat, and the 1-Yaar-Old The Provolone Cheese.

In the front seat, I like to build tiny stacks of salam, cheese, and prezels for myself, too.

Bananas Help US Hold off on the Sweets – for Now.

Bananas are a great, Affordable Snack Option for My Three Kids.

Nicole Prince

At my local trader Joe’s, bananas cost just $ 0.30 each, which means i can get three for under $ 1.

They’re a great, no-mes snack for my second grader, and only mildly messy for my toddler and baby (if i say Back in small chunks).

AFTER WE STOP FOR LUNCH, I PASS OUT COSMIC CRISP Apple Slices.

My pro-tip is to cut up the apps the night before ours.

Nicole Prince

AFTER A Nice Break to Grab Lunch, Stretch Our Legs, and Fill up at the Gas Station, i Pass Apple Slices to End Our Break with Sweet.

These Apples are crunchy, Juicy, and the Perfect Combination of Tart and Sweet.

While the kids take a nap, my husband and i snack on some chocolate-covered espresso beans.

These espresso beans make the best parent-only snack.

Nicole Prince

Rich, Crunchy espresso beans geneerously covered in different Types of Chocolate – Say Less.

IT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED AS THE KIDS NAP AND WE SETTLE INTO AN EPISODE OF “SMARTless” podcast.

Once the kids are up, the “fun snacks” Begin, Starting with Trader Joe’s PB & C Packs.

My two older Kids love these chocolate-beginning wafers with peanut butter.

Nicole Prince

The Bigger Kids cheer beings I say the pb & c snack duo. They love dipping the cocoa-creeme-stuffed wafer tubes into peanut butter.

Although’s arguably the Messiest Snack of Pack, it brings the Most Joy.

Chomps come everywire with us, and this trip is no exception.

My Kids Love the Original Beef Flavor, and My Husband and I Like the Jalapeño Version.

Nicole Prince

These chomps meat sticks are made from grass-fed beef (or antibiotic-free Turkey) and pack up to 12 grams of protein Each.

They’re portable, flavorful, and easy to toss in the back seat.

We love Trader Joe’s Sea-Salted Saddle Potato Crisps.

All Three of My Kids Like to Snack on These Salted Potato Crisps.

Nicole Prince

About Halfway Through Our Trip, The Reality of Being in the Car for So Long Starts to Set in.

I Hand Stacks of the Sea-Salted Saddle Potato Crisps to My Little Ones and the Rest of the Container to My Oldest-There’s Something Really Novel About Cips Out of A Tube.

As the Witching Hour Approaches, IT’S TIME FOR SOME WATERMELON Freeze-Dried Candies.

Trader Joe’s Watermelon-Flavored Freeze-Dried Candies Tasted Like Crunchy Sour Patch Kids.

Nicole Prince

Trader Joe’s Watermelon-Flavored Freeze-Dried Candies Have a Similar Texture to Freeze-Dried Fruit. Howver, They More Like Sour Patch Kids, Which My Husband and Oldest Love.

I ALSO Enjoy Some Ranch-Seasoned Cashews.

I love the ranch seasoning on these cashews.

Nicole Prince

Each Cashew is Coated in a Salty, Creamy, Dilly Ranch Seasoning That’s Incredibly Delicious.

Howver, They Can Be a Little Messy, SO i Recommend Having Some Napkins (or Diaper Wipes) Readily Avilable.

To finish the Journey, we Enjoy some Daelmans Dutch Stroopwafels.

StoopwaFels are the perfect sweet Treat to end Our Road Trip.

Nicole Prince

Our Final Destination is a City Called Holland, SO we wrap the drive up with Dutch StroopwaFels.

These chewy, caramel-still Wafer cookies are the perfect way to end Our road trip on a sweeet note.

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