Travel & Dining 5 min read

Road Trip Snacks and Rest Stop Survival

How to eat safely on long drives when your options are gas stations and fast food chains.

By Taylor Clark |

Road trips are freedom, until you’re hungry on a highway and the only options are a gas station and a Subway. This is where preparation matters most.

Here’s how to survive road trips with celiac disease.

Before You Leave

Pack a Cooler

The most important road trip tool. A cooler with ice packs lets you bring:

  • Sandwiches on GF bread
  • Cheese and GF crackers
  • Cut vegetables with hummus
  • Yogurt
  • Fresh fruit
  • Cold drinks

With a cooler, you’re not dependent on what’s available. You have real food.

Pack Non-Perishables

For when the cooler items run out:

  • Protein bars (lots of them)
  • Nuts and dried fruit
  • GF crackers
  • Nut butter packets
  • Rice cakes
  • Beef jerky (GF verified)
  • Dark chocolate

Know Your Chain Options

Before you go, research which fast food chains have GF options (see section below).

The Cooler Strategy

What to Pack

Day 1:

  • Sandwiches or wraps
  • Fresh salads in containers
  • Cut fruit
  • Cheese portions

Day 2+:

  • Harder items (cheese, hummus, carrots)
  • Things that won’t get soggy
  • Supplement with non-perishables

Ice Management

  • Start with frozen ice packs
  • Add bag of ice from gas station as needed
  • Keep cooler closed as much as possible
  • Park in shade when stopped

The Car Snack Box

Separate from the cooler, keep a box of non-perishables in the back seat:

  • Accessible without stopping
  • Room temperature safe
  • Your backup when the cooler is empty

Gas Station Strategy

The reality: most gas stations are limited. But you can find safe options.

Usually Safe

  • Whole fruit (bananas, apples, oranges)
  • Plain nuts (check ingredients)
  • Cheese sticks
  • Hard-boiled eggs (some stations have these)
  • GF labeled items (more common now)
  • Potato chips (check, most plain chips are GF)
  • Corn chips
  • Some candy (check labels)

Avoid or Check Carefully

  • Hot dogs (check bun cross-contact if getting without bun)
  • Roller items (cross-contact)
  • Bakery items
  • Premade sandwiches
  • Anything from a shared container

Gas Station Coffee

Usually fine. Just black coffee or with added milk/cream. Avoid flavored options unless you can verify.

Fast Food: The Usable Chains

Some chains have workable options. None are risk-free, but these are worth knowing:

Chick-fil-A

  • Grilled nuggets (no breading)
  • GF bun available at some locations
  • Fries have dedicated fryer (!!!)
  • Be clear about celiac

Chipotle

  • Most items are GF except flour tortillas
  • Risk is cross-contact from tortilla handling
  • Ask for changed gloves and fresh serving
  • Corn tortillas are naturally GF

Five Guys

  • Bunless burgers (wrapped in lettuce)
  • Fries cooked in dedicated peanut oil fryer
  • No breaded items touch the grill

In-N-Out

  • “Protein Style” burgers (lettuce wrap)
  • Fries have dedicated fryer
  • Simple menu, fewer cross-contact risks

Wendy’s

  • Baked potato (plain or with toppings)
  • Bunless burgers
  • Chili (check current recipe)
  • Fries are NOT in dedicated fryer, higher risk

Mexican Chains (Taco Bell, Del Taco)

  • Some corn items may be GF, but cross-contact is very high
  • Generally riskier
  • If desperate, simple items (like a corn tortilla with plain meat) might work, ask and assess risk

What About McDonald’s?

  • Fries are NOT dedicated fryer (cooked with hash browns, which contain wheat)
  • Few safe options
  • Not recommended

The “I’m Desperate” Protocol

You’re starving. Nothing looks safe. What do you do?

  1. Find fruit. Most gas stations have bananas or apples. Won’t fill you up, but it’s safe.

  2. Plain chips. Lay’s, Ruffles, Fritos, most are GF. Check the label.

  3. Cheese sticks. Usually safe.

  4. Nuts. Plain almonds or cashews.

  5. GF bars from your stash. This is why you packed extra.

  6. Wait for the next exit. Sometimes the better choice is 20 more minutes of driving.

Meal Timing

On a long drive, consider:

Eat a big breakfast before leaving. Start full.

Lunch from the cooler at a rest stop. Scenic picnic > sad fast food.

Snack lightly between meals from your car box.

Dinner at destination or a researched restaurant along the way.

Planning stops around meal times gives you more control.

Multi-Day Road Trips

If you’re driving for multiple days:

Grocery Store Stops

Find a grocery store instead of a restaurant:

  • Rotisserie chicken (often plain and GF)
  • Pre-packaged salads (check dressing)
  • Deli meat and cheese
  • Fresh fruit
  • GF items in the specialty section
  • Restock your snacks

A grocery store meal in the car or at a picnic table can be better than restaurant roulette.

Hotel Room Meals

If your hotel has a microwave and mini fridge:

  • Buy items at grocery store
  • Heat leftovers or simple meals
  • Stock the fridge with safe breakfast items

Planned Restaurant Stops

For longer trips, research restaurants along your route:

  • Find GF-friendly places in cities you’ll pass through
  • Build your route around meal stops
  • Make reservations if possible

The Road Trip Mindset

Road trip eating isn’t gourmet. Accept that some meals will be:

  • A protein bar and an apple in the car
  • Plain chips and cheese sticks from a gas station
  • A bunless burger eaten with a fork

That’s okay. The point is safe food that keeps you going. You’ll eat well when you arrive.

What I Pack

For a multi-day road trip:

Cooler:

  • 4 sandwiches
  • Cheese cubes
  • Cut veggies
  • Hummus
  • Fruit
  • Yogurt

Snack box:

  • 6+ protein bars
  • 3 bags of nuts
  • GF crackers
  • Dried mango
  • Nut butter packets
  • Dark chocolate

In my bag:

  • Backup bar (always on my person)
  • Water bottle

I rarely run out. And if I do, I know how to navigate gas stations.

Road trips are still fun with celiac. You just need a cooler and a plan.

road trips snacks fast food