Each age group has signature snacking styles, and hometowns indicate what people love to stock up on for the journey ahead 

Americans rank Cheez-It and Pringles in their top favorite snack brands for summer road trips, according to a new survey from Kellanova on the snacking preferences of 2,000 U.S. adults who had recently gone on or plan to go on a road trip. 

“With the summer road trip season kicking off, we wanted to find out what people love to munch on the most and discovered all generations crave Cheez-It and Pringles snacks, with Gen Z reaching for the boldest flavors,” said Julia Wilkinson, Senior Director of Insights at Kellanova. “With nine out of 10 roadtrippers eating more than one snack during their travels, we also learned people’s ages and where they live heavily influences their road trip snacking decisions.”  

Gen Z tends to enjoy sour and spicy-flavored snacks while traveling with friends. Millennials are more likely to eat tangy-flavored snacks than any other generation, though their main focus when buying snacks is to keep the whole family happy. Gen X and Boomers prefer salty & sweet flavors and keep it simple by hitting the road solo or with a travel buddy. 

Generational Snacking Preferences  

Different age groups bring their own flare to what they snack on and how they pack snacks for trips: 

• Gen Z is more likely than any other generation to want adventurous snack flavors, such as sour and bitter along with savory and spicy! Preferring to travel with a group of friends versus solo, they say shareability is essential.  
• Millennials are more likely to gravitate towards tangy flavors, but their top choices are salty, sweet and cheesy flavors. With the majority traveling with kids, their top priority is bringing snacks for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, four out of 10 respondents say their kids are munching every mile! 
• Gen X is up for anything: crackers, chips and protein snacks like beef jerky. Overall, they prefer sweet, salty and chocolatey flavors and, when not traveling with kids, they want to hit the road with a travel buddy. 
• Boomers choose salty, sweet and chocolatey flavors and chips, nuts & seeds and salty snack mixes. Most travel solo or with a friend or partner, and they are more likely than other generation to buy snacks at stops along the way.  

Tastes Across States

When it comes to regional snacking habits, the Summer Road Trip Snacking Survey results align with a map* of retail sales data showing the U.S. regions that love Kellanova snack brands most. 

• The Most Spontaneous: The South stocks up along the journey and prefers salty, sweet and chocolatey snacks. 
• More Cheese, Please: Northeasterners are twice as likely to eat something creamy-flavored compared to Midwesterners. Don’t count them out, though: one out of three Midwesterners rank cheesy-flavored snacks in their “Top 3.”
• Almost Anything Goes: Those living in the Mountain West and Pacific Coast usually leave snack planning to others and are happy to eat whatever is available when they’re hungry. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their favorites, with salty, sweet and chocolatey flavors in their “Top 3.” 

*Source: Nielsen Retail Measurement Scan, 9 Total US Census Divisions, Total US xAOC + Conv, Brand Development Index based on Unit Sales (BDI), Summer 2024 (16 Weeks Ending 9/7/24). Top Flavor by Brand determined by equivalized volume (Lb.) within the brand.

About the Summer Road Trip Snacking Survey 

Kellanova conducted an online survey using its proprietary Sight-X platform. The sample size represented 2,000 U.S. consumers who have taken a road trip in the last 12 months or plan to this summer. The survey’s objective is to understand people’s snacking preferences and travel behaviors.