Tell Soreen what your go-to car journey snacks are for the chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

It’s the season of holidays and day trips, and that means long car journeys where we have to keep the DC happy. One of the best ways to keep the DC as well as ourselves cheery on a long journey is to make sure we are armed with plenty of snacks. Whether you go for snacks that make the least mess or those that keep the little ones quiet for a while, Soreen would like to know your top snacks for long car journeys.

Here's what Soreen has to say: “Our Lunchbox Loaves - or ‘Glovebox Loaves’ - are individually wrapped, healthy and best of all they don’t make crumbs! So are ideal for in-car snacking whether you’re heading to the countryside or the zoo. Available in Malt and Banana flavour with a satisfyingly squidgy texture, Lunchbox Loaves are individually wrapped, low in fat, contain only 95 calories and provide a source of fibre.”

So what are your tips for the snacks you take on car journeys? Do you chop up fruit and veg into small pots? Perhaps you have special treats just for car journeys? Or purely go for convenience? Whatever snacks you take with you, share them below and one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck.

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs

[MaroonPencil]

My children throw up in a car at the drop of a hat so not only do I actively discourage in-car eating I also try to make sure they haven't had anything to eat immediately before we set off. If its a long drive we would probably stop somewhere. I do have a bottle of water they can drink from. Sometimes if its a long journey we have croissants, which I realise are probably the car snack from hell because they are so crumbly so I am not sure why we do that, but we do.

[Sittinginthesun]

To be honest, I can't stand this "we're going on a car journey/walk/trip to the shops ....better pack some snacks" mentality.

On long journeys, we plan a stop, at a service station, or local cafe, have a meal at a table, and then continue out journey.

Less mess, less chance of anyone throwing up, more civilised.

Sorry if this isn't what Soreen wants to hear.

[SouthWestmom]

Well this is timely as we are in the car on a long journey made longer by the traffic. It's taken us two hours to get to a service stop instead of one hour.

Always pack water or drinks - this time it was flavoured water for the kids and fizzy stuff for me.

We also had a packet of crisps each as carbs stop them feeling sick.

At the services we didn't have time to eat so bought sandwiches and raspberries in M and S.

So I would say a mix of dry food and fruit that can be cobbled together to form a meal , plus some exciting distractions (bag of veggie sweets for example) to pull out the bag in case of unexpected delay.

[Nightfall1983]

No food in the car because it's a choking risk. Sorry Soreen...

[CopperPan]

I always keep snacks in my bag when going out and for long train journeys. I pack things like crisps, cereal bars, apples, satsumas and crackers. Sometimes I keep things in my bag as a 'just in case' snack so non-perishables are best. We all get very irritable if we get hungry but I hate the expense and time of stopping to eat at cafes, so keeping snacks handy works well for us.

[vickyors]

I pack sandwiches, bottles of water and things like cherry tomatoes and bread sticks to eat with hummus. I do like malt loaf though!

[NeverEverEver]

We always have a small snack bag ready to take in the car, even for medium length journeys: Alpen Light bars, bottles of still water, clementines, apples, Nature Valley bars, Soreen (yes, really) and Fibre One brownies. That sort of thing.

[SundayGirl86]

I also like malt loaf but we have the mini individually wrapped ones for packed lunches as opposed to car snacks -- not really thought about why though, probably just for something different from school days!
We always have water to drink whatever the journey length and for longer journeys, sandwiches and fruit with some sweets (never chocolate due to melt and mess risk!). For shorter journeys we usually take oatcakes or cereal bars.

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

Water, bananas, crisps and biscuits keep us going!

[theresamustgo]

carrots, high bake biscuits, cheese, clementines, almonds and other nuts, and some pickled onion monster munch! Plus wine gums or some such at the first services.

[Ashhead24]

We also had a choking incident in the car so food is banned now. Although i believe my parents feed DS raisins in their car. We do love the little Soreen bars for emergencies though, especially when DS hates what we've made for dinner.

[MrsHopity]

We always have water in sports bottles to hand, but dont eat in the car for fear of choking.

If it's a very long drive we will eat at services

[janney3]

We always take bottles of still water , apples and a bag of boiled sweets in the car, you never know how long the journey could take.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Much as we love malt loaf, no way would I have it for a car snack.

Rice cakes or oatcakes, and a bottle of water. That's all we have. And then only to nibble on in case of nausea.

(But in the car boot, for a break in the journey or when we arrive, flasks of tea or cocoa, biscuits, fruit, and, yes, occasionally even buttered malt loaf.)

[FlukeSkyeRunner]

Fig rolls or fruit - blueberries or grapes generally go down well. But we don't snack in the car very often. We travel for 10 hours sometimes and it's better to stop every few hours for a proper snack and drink and the loo instead of constantly grazing in the car.

[asuwere]

I usually have a bottle of water but never have snacks; we don't eat in the car at all, except an occasional sweet/mint! If its a really long journey, I plan a stop for a walk about and a meal.

[CMOTDibbler]

Ds's preferred snack is mini cheddars or dried mango.

[AliciaMayEmory]

I have been brought up to always have a pack-up just in case! We usually have -depending on the time and length of the journey - at least some snacks such as crackers, yoghurts, small cereal or biscuit bar and apples or bananas, but if it's a long journey we have sandwiches, fruit, treats and drinks too. We have been on journeys where we have been very glad of our snacks and sandwiches (we even have a mini fridge that plugs in the in-car power supply) to keep stuff fresh.

I love Soreen and have always had it as a snack, but find the bars a little too squidgy in the middle, so would always take buttered slices of the full size loaf. Yum!

[ILikeBigBumpsAndICannotLie]

Nothing with crumbs! Croissants and pain au chocolats are banned. Flapjacks that crumble are out too. Nothing with a stick. Cheese sandwiches that can be put in a little box she can open and close have been best I think.

I prefer food to be a sit down event than a snack posted in on the go, though on long journeys, we're guilty of handing over snacks into the back. Everyones comments on the choking risk have given me pause for thought though.

[NoSquirrels]

Liking the no-crumbs for malt loaf- hadn't considered that. And if I thought they'd survive DH finding them keeping a couple in the glovebox is quite a good idea...

Growing up, Trebor Extra Strong Mints were the only car snacks allowed. Perhaps a wine gum. This explains why my parents cars are always clean and ours is a midden.

Long journeys I pack clementines-satsumas, bottled water, and maybe raisins/rice cakes/breadsticks. Dull, functional stuff, designed not to be pester-worthy. I do save those little individually wrapped gingery biscuits you get as a complimentary thing with drinks in a coffee shop... I keep them in my handbag and they are "emergency biscuits" for situations I deem worthy - whinging children on long unavoidable walks/cheer up it's not so bad/lunch is delayed etc. The unpredictability of what is an emergency keeps the kids guessing!

[foxessocks]

We tend to just take drinks and maybe a banana but mostly we stop at services for a meal!

[defineme]

Convenience food mainly, packet of biscuits and cartons of juice.

[Secretescape]

I practically lived on soreen when I was pregnant and now my DTs love it too! Our snack bag is packed with dried/ long life snacks like malt loaf, goodies, yo yos, raisins.
Both myself and my twins rely on snacks between meals especially before an activity such as ballet.
Having a bag of snacks has also saved the day when we've been stuck in traffic over a meal time (one memorable delay when DTs were 1 and NEEDED food while stuck in rural France!!)

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

Breadsticks. Non-melty, non-sticky, the DC like them, they come in small packets, and they keep well. Standard emergency car/handbag snack. Plus they're not a treat so it's not like I'll be pestered for them the second we're in the car, they're just the stuck-in-traffic standby.

[lorka]

Usually take a piece of fruit and some crisps if it's a long journey.