We are leaving very early on Monday for a 3.5 hour trip to Newcastle, it is too early for breakfast for the kids, but I dont really want to spend money that I cant afford on maccas etc.

So I was after ideas for munchies for the trip that wont create and big mess in the car.

Any ideas?

Quite honestly I would just whip up some vegemite sandwiches and have a couple of pieces of fruit on hand.

If you take a plastic bag for rubbish things fruit should be fine. Sandwiches would be filling as well and can be made the night before.
Maybe some chips or crackers, or a bag of party mix lollies as a treat?
And water bottles, obviously. Just like you'd pack school lunches really!

Fruit and sandwiches sound ideal.

Stay away from too much liquid too.

3.5 hours isn't very long, so should more than suffice.

Fruit, cheese and crackers and sandwhiches in small containers. Waterbottles. Don't forget some wipes and a plastic bag for the rubbish.

How about wipping up some breakfast muffins? Yum!!
Don't forget the drinks!

Banana and peanut butter sandwiches (I don't think your kids have allergies do they?). Apples. Some water, but not too much or you'll be stopping for the toilet every half an hour.

eta: I also used to do a lot of long distance driving (syd-melb) and I would take vegetarian sushi rolls, in a small esky-thing to keep them cool. Very easy to eat, healthy and filling, minimal mess.

How about wipping up some breakfast muffins? Yum!!
Don't forget the drinks!

We do pretty regular trips of close to that time starting at about 6am.
The kids normally take

snaplock bags of sultana buds or milo duos(dry cereal)
bananas
apple or orange juice in pop top bottles
plain premium crackers or apple & cinnamon rice cakes
pop top bottles of water

I would just do sandwiches and fruit. A banana each, a sandwich and a boxed juice isn't messy and is pretty easy.

Cheese and bacon rolls, hot cross buns, fruit, sandwiches etc.

We usually start at 4:30/5:00 for any Syd-Melb trips that we are doing. The kids usually take an hour or so before wanting something to eat. I usually bake some muffins or get some danishes for breakfast. It's a much longer trip so I have also take sandwiches and fruit for snacks/lunch. Trail mix, more fruit etc.

What about up and go squeezie yoghurt - 2 weetbix in each one and no mess.

Fruit chopped in small containers or grapes berries etc take stalks/tops off before hand and put in plastic containers. Carrot sticks celery sticks and cheese for snacks later. Maybe another squeezie yoghurt or home made wholemeal raspberry muffins are our favourite (don't use paper cases just grease pan less rubbish).

A lunch bag with a freezer brick and it stays cold one for each child so no fights.

A small esky with pop top drink bottles of water and one with juice.

Plenty of wipes or a wet washer in a snap lock bag.

I hate taking toast the crumbs drive me crazy and the kids always end up itchy with them down the inside of their clothes.

Take their favourite books and their favourite cd's - take it in turns to play cd's - take a bag of jelly beans and play I spy and whoever guesses get a jelly bean - we have a song/story game where each person says a line to the story but must include something they can see outside the car - some funny stories result - have fun with the kids while driving and it makes travelling a happy time for the family.

I hated travelling when we were kids mum wore this hairspray that stank and made me sick and we always had to listen to tapes of glen campbell (if I ever see a rhinestone cowboy I will slap him) or Marty Robyns (el paso on the rio grande - I will never visit) lol .

Have a safe trip

I assume you'll be doing all the driving yourself? If so then I'd definitely use breakfast / snack time as a reason to pull over and have a get out of the car stop. Driving for 3.5 hrs straight will make most people pretty drowsy by the end, so it's good that get out and stretch the legs and get a bit refreshed before you start again. And it keeps the mess on the side of the road (not rubbish obviuosly, but the crumbs that would be in the car are now on the ground where they won't bother anyone) as an added bonus. Doing it that way, sandwiches are easy, I'd second the vegemite or peanut butter as you won't have to worry about them staying cold, better still have both so the kids get to choose.
Good luck, I used to hate long car trips due to motion sickness, hopefully you don't have that issue.

I'd do muffins and apples.

Yoghurt & sultanas

Nah just kidding

Sandwiches and fruit is a top idea.

I like to grill some pita bread and sprinkle some sea salt on it for a snack
Trail mix, cheese cut into cubes, dried fruit & water bottles.

They might just get in the car and fall asleep if you're lucky!

Have a safe drive

We do Apples, carrots and celery sticks as boredom snacks. Bacon and egg rolls for brekkie. Kids have sandwiches.

I'd stop about halfway for a picnic. doesn't matter about mess in the car if you stopped. Our no mess road trip food is fruit, vegies, nuts, lollies and water.

But usually I say screw the mess and we eat crumby things like chips, biscuits, crackers and breads too

Make up some trail mix, that is always a hit around here. We use :

pretzels
peanuts
craisins
rice crackers (the small ones that come in different shapes and colours)
M & M's,

mix all together and put in a container......yummo!!!!!

Oh ok..this is sounding right up my alley....please explain how this works??

PBQ, my kids like a peeled boiled egg each as a snack too. Its handy for the car because It's kind of self contained and easy to eat. But that's from me..who's obsessed with eggs...

This is how I do my eggs if I am having them fried :-D

Use a glass, cookie cutter or any circle shaped thing to cut a hole in the middle of a slice of bread. I usually do something about 4-5cm in diameter so it leaves some bread lol. Put it in the fry pan and crack an egg into it, flip it over when it's about half cooked. Yum!

Sometimes I spread the bread with butter before putting it into the fry pan. If I am feeling fancy I fill the hole with mushrooms/capsicum/ham/cheese/etc before cracking the egg too.

With the bread cut outs, I put cheese between two of them and fry those too to make a mini grilled cheese sandwich!!

Hope that makes sense lol

I cut out heart shapes when I make them for DP

Shame you can't eat eggs

Omg. How did I not know this. Let me get it straight....when you flip it, does the yolk remain runny ( this is compulsory)?

So in relation to the cheese - you have 2 slices of bread, each with an egg and cheese in the middle? Yummo

We're doing a 12 hour one tomorrow. I pack water, juice packs, sandwiches, jatz, small packets of chips and some lollies. If it's hot when we refuel then an iceblock. I gave up on the fruit years ago. PBQ, it's not a long trip so a drink, sandwich and a treatie will do.

I leave my yolk runny Just cook it for as long as you cook a fried egg. The bread will be crunchy even if the yolk is runny!

As for the cheese... not quite what I meant, but that sounds great too!! I may try that next time, cook two slices of bread with eggs in them, then put some cheese between for long enough to melt it!!

But what I meant that I do is... with the two circles of bread that I have left over after cutting the hole out of the bread, I put cheese between them. So the scraps!!

I know what I am having for breakfast tomorrow!! Yum!!

You and me both!

Take some bottled water and some vegemite sandwiches.

It's only 3.5 hours....

Me as well!!!

Yum, i'm going to make that tomorrow.