For those who believe that it’s about the journey and not the destination, we here at Sporked and Mythical would like to corroborate that claim—especially if the journey in question is filled with amazing snacks––the best road trip snacks, that is.
As we know, the building blocks of a great road trip include good company, a solid plan, and, for most of the Mythical crew members, eye-wateringly salty snacks (they hurt so good). But worry not! Our recommendations will take you from Saltsville to Sugar Town with a few stops in between. Below are some of the most popular responses from our team when asked, “what are the best road trip snacks?”
Corn Nuts
This one nearly caused a fight in the office. Some said they would die before being in the same room with a Corn Nut; others promised to die for Corn Nuts. Having eaten Corn Nuts before as a brave youth, I can confirm, they are nothing if not CRUNCHY. Basically, they’re deep-fried, flavor-blasted corn kernels that come in a wide variety of flavors with a crunchy corn undertone. The Corn Nut flavor most recommended by the Mythical crew is ranch. Definitely give this one a try if you love Cool Ranch Doritos. Ranch flavored things always make for the best road trip snacks. Just don’t breathe in anyone’s face for the rest of the ride.
Beef Jerky
Some of the best road trip snacks are big on meaty, umami flavor. Mythical social media manager Greg Johnson and junior writer Meghan Malone both professed their love for beef jerky on the road due to its texture and protein content. “I count all the extra chewing as exercise,” says Meghan. And count it we should! Gnawing on tasty meat bark has to burn a few calories!
Chex Mix
Beloved among many Sporked and Mythical crew members alike, we cannot get enough Chex Mix on the road. When it comes to variety, these are truly the best. Road trip snacks that aren’t Chex Mix cower over the sheer amount of variety they command. Adding fuel to the Corn Nut fire, Mythical camera operator/editor Taylor Dolniak declares, “Chex Mix quite literally CHEX all the boxes when it road trips. PLUS they have like four different varieties, including sweet dessert flavors. I’d love to see a Corn Nut do that.” Chex Mix is also a personal favorite of Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, who likes to get lost in the engaging textures and shapes in a bag of Chex Mix rather than take in the boring stretches of highway you tend to see between points A and B.
M&M’s
Many Mythical crew members swear by M&M’s for good road trip snacks. Terence Deutsch, Mythical director of production and post, prefers to eat his M&M’s with pretzels because you can satisfy cravings for sweet, savory, or both. The best road trip snacks, in my opinion, always have a hint of sweetness. Others, including Mythical graphic effects director Matthew Dwyer and myself, prefer M&M’s of the peanut butter variety because you can satisfy those salty and sweet cravings in one bite. Delicious, efficient, and no flavor dust-induced mess to worry about afterwards.
Hi-Chew
Sporked social media manager Mark Catangui says Hi-Chew is one of his best road trip snacks. “They make me think of friendship,” Mark explains. Cute. These chewy, flavor-filled rectangles are big on taste and texture, without ripping out all your fillings in the process. Mark highly recommends picking up the Tropical Mix to experience the magic of Dragonfruit flavor. It is ~simply wonderful~.
Lime Peanuts & Gas Station Eggs
Sporked staff writer Danny Palumbo likes to grab life by the horns (or in this case, by the eggs) when it comes to the best road trip snacks. His go-to snacks are gas station eggs and lime peanuts. We’re with you all the way on lime peanuts, Danny. The sour bite on the front end pairs really well with Tajín or chile, and the nutty finish is this snack’s secret weapon to greatness. The hard-boiled eggs may be a harder sell, but the guy swears by them.
Fritos
One of the best road trip snacks we all find ourselves reaching for on the road is Fritos. Mythical’s people and culture coordinator Jasmine Williams opts for the Honey BBQ Flavor Twists since chomping on something with big, bold flavor keeps her alert when driving. The salt and crunch levels of Fritos are exactly what we crave on a road trip, and their many flavors keep us coming back for more.
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