SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 14, 2025 – As the summer road trip season is in full swing, a new national survey from Kellanova reveals that Americans across all generations love to stock up on Cheez-It® and Pringles® for their travels — proving once again that some snack cravings truly have no age limit.
The Summer Road Trip Snacking Survey, which polled 2,000 U.S. adults who recently went on or plan to embark on a road trip, highlights how age groups and hometowns influence snack choices on the open road. According to Julia Wilkinson, Senior Director of Insights at Kellanova, “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.” She added, “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.”
Generational Snack Favorites
The study reveals that every generation brings its own twist to road trip snacking:
- Gen Z favors adventurous flavors — sour, bitter, savory, and spicy — and loves to travel with friends, making snack shareability a must.
- Millennials lean towards tangy tastes but often select salty, sweet, and cheesy snacks to please the whole family, especially when kids are along for the ride. Notably, four out of 10 respondents said their kids snack the entire trip.
- Gen X enjoys variety, opting for crackers, chips, and protein snacks like beef jerky. They prefer sweet, salty, and chocolatey flavors and often travel with a buddy.
- Boomers stick with salty, sweet, and chocolatey snacks, choosing classic options like chips, nuts, seeds, and snack mixes. They frequently travel solo or with a partner and are the most likely to purchase snacks at roadside stops.
Regional Snacking Trends Across the U.S.
Beyond generational habits, the survey shed light on how different U.S. regions approach snacking:
- The South stands out as the most spontaneous, preferring to grab salty, sweet, and chocolatey snacks along the way.
- The Northeast has a notable craving for creamy-flavored snacks, enjoying them twice as much as Midwesterners.
- The Midwest ranks cheesy flavors high on its list, with one in three travelers placing them in their top picks.
- The Mountain West and Pacific Coast residents tend to let others choose snacks but still rank salty, sweet, and chocolatey treats in their favorites.
The Story Behind the Survey
The Summer Road Trip Snacking Survey was conducted online by Kellanova using its proprietary Sight-X platform. It surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers who had either taken a road trip in the past year or planned one for this summer. The goal? To dive deep into how Americans snack while they travel — and why Cheez-It and Pringles continue to top the charts.
The Perfect Road Trip Companions
With bold flavors and shareable packaging, Cheez-It and Pringles have clearly secured their place in America’s heart — and snack bags. Whether you're a spicy snack seeker or a fan of classic cheesy flavors, there's something for every traveler to enjoy on their summer journey.
Learn more at www.kellanova.com.