This post was sponsored by Munk Pack. All thoughts and ideas are my own.
As we head into summer, many of us have road trips planned and need some ideas for diabetes snacks on the go!
Whether you’re going on a quick 1-2 hours drive or heading cross country on a 1-2 day drive, having the right diabetes snacks on the go is important! I’ve got lots of ideas on different snacks to bring with you on your roadtrip!
What to look for in healthy road trip snacks
Just like with any snack choices we make for diabetes, we want to keep in mind our fat, fiber, and protein balance. Ideally, the snacks we choose for our roadtrip will have a decent amount of some of these nutrients.
And, we want to focus on snacks that we enjoy and will help keep out tummies full and satisfied, so we avoid mindless munching that might lead to stomach aches or raised blood sugars.
Grab and go food ideas for the car
We all have our favorite grab & go snacks that we tend to turn to, but when it comes to road trips, we have to consider how we store them, how big they are, and if we’re looking for something shelf stable or something that needs to be in a cooler.
When I’m looking for diabetes snacks on the go, especially for a road trip, I’m not usually looking to add making recipes to my road trip prep list. So, my recommendations are going to be for packaged snacks or readily available snacks.
Why do you need low carb car snacks?
Before we dive into actual snack recommendations, I do want to highlight why low carb diabetes snacks on the go are needed. Yes, we need to consistently consumer carbs. But, when you’re traveling and out of your normal routine, blood sugars can be all over the place, and you may find yourself with higher numbers that you’re used to seeing. Or, your blood sugars may stay high for longer than you are used to.
And, rather than be caught off guard, it’s a good idea to have some low carb options that won’t spike blood sugars ready to go.
How to go about packing food for a road trip
When you’re packing your snacks for a road trip, we need to think about how much space you have in your car, where in the car you’ll be storing them, and whether or not you will be bringing a cooler with you.
Also remember that if you’re on insulin or another medication that needs to be in a cooler, you’ll want to leave space for that. Or, try using an insulin cooling pouch if you don’t have room or access to a cooler.
Best Grab & Go Fruits and Veggies for Travel
- Berries
- Oranges
- Apples
- Baby Carrots
- Cucumber slices
- Celery sticks
These fruits and veggies all handle being at room temperature for several hours just fine and have minimal waste, if any at all. The apples, carrots, cucumber slices, or celery sticks are also perfect to pair with single serving tubs of peanut butter or hummus.
Healthy Non-Perishable Diabetes Friendly Snacks
- Peanut butter single serve tubs
- Crackers
- Popcorn
- Raw nuts
- Meat/jerky sticks
- Dry cereal
- Granola bars like the MunkPack Almond Granola Bars
Having some healthy road trip snacks that are non-refrigerated is a must! And, as I mentioned previously, there is definitely need for some of the snacks to be low carb or keto road trip snacks in case you find your blood sugars running higher than normal but are still hungry.
MunkPack Almond Granola Bars
A quick look around my website and social media handles and you’ll quickly realize I’m not a fan of people with diabetes going on a full-on keto or low carb diet. BUT, there is definitely a role and a need to low carb snacks for people with diabetes. The predicament of blood sugars running higher than normal when you travel is just one example of when these types of snacks are needed.
The MunkPack KETO Granola Bars not only offer the perfect snack for the situation described above but also anytime! Every flavor I’ve tried is delicious and I know my blood sugars will stay nice and stable after eating them They’re perfect as a sweet treat at lunch, an afternoon pick me up, or even as part of a quick grab and go breakfast.
If you’d like to try some for yourself, you can check their store locator, or use code MILKNHONEY for 20% off on their website and have them delivered straight to you! (They offer free shipping on orders over $45 and a 100% satisfaction guarantee!)
Road Trip Cooler Food and Diabetes Supplies
- Single serving hummus tubs
- Low Sugar yogurt
- Low sugar yogurt drinks or kefir
- Cheese sticks
- Hard boiled eggs
All of these options are great protein or fat choices to help keep you satisfied and blood sugars stable over the course of a long drive. This cooler has worked great for us on road trips for the last few years!
Low Blood Sugar Treatment on the Go with Diabetes
- Applesauce pouches
- Fruit snacks
- Dried fruit leather
- Honey packets
- Glucose tabs
All of these options are small, compact and provide rapid acting sugar in the event of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). They’re also all shelf stable.
Vegan road trip snacks for diabetes
- Fruits and veggies (see above)
- Peanut butter tubs
- Nuts
- Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- Popcorn
- Crackers
- Avocado
- MunkPack KETO Granola Bars (not certified vegan but made with plant based ingredients)
As you can see, many of the ideas we previously discussed also work for people choosing not to consume animal products.
The ultimate collection of diabetes snacks lists
For more tips on on-the-go diabetes snacks make sure to check out these other snack ideas:
