Snacks influence the entire road trip, says Frito-Lay research

Summer means road trips, and an essential part of every road trip is snacks. Frito-Lay’s recurring U.S. Snack Index notes these foods can influence the entire trip and, for many, are even more important than clean restrooms on the journey.

According to the data: 

• Planning snacks before hitting the road can “greatly reduce the stress” of a long road trip, according to 85% of Americans. Nearly three out of four people declare these trips as a chance to enjoy offerings they've never tried before.
• Snacks are the priority on a pit stop. Road trippers under 40 years old are twice as likely to prioritize finding the snacks they want over clean restrooms at their stops.
• Snacks provide an important morale boost during road trips (43%) and are key to staying sane in traffic (39%).
• While 44% of people report hiding snacks to keep them from other passengers, nearly one-quarter say they have used snacks to break an awkward car silence.
• 41% of people say they would rather have control over road trip snacks than the music. Millennials (46%) show the greatest preference for snack control as do parents (49%) when compared to non-parents (36%).

When it comes to choosing the perfect road trip snack foods, three things stand out as most important: protein, energy and taste. 

1. 55% of Americans cite protein as the most important nutritional attribute of their snacks. 
2. 60% of consumers look to their favorite snack products to fuel their energy. 
3. Nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) refuse to sacrifice taste when selecting their snacks.