May 23, 2024
This year, near record-breaking travel is expected over the Memorial Day holiday. AAA projects 43.8 million travelers will be hitting the road, coming close to matching 2005’s record of 44 million Memorial Day travelers.
An essential part of every road trip is the snacks – and 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. That's good news for those looking to embark on new snacking adventures, with nearly three out of four people declaring these trips as a chance to enjoy offerings they've never tried before.
- Snacks are the priority on a pitstop. Road trippers under 40 years old are twice as likely to prioritize finding the snacks they want over clean restrooms on their stops.
- Americans note that 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.
- 55% Americans cite protein as the most important nutritional attribute of their snacks.
- 60% of consumers look to their favorite snack products to fuel their energy.
- Nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) refuse to sacrifice taste when selecting their snacks.
Whatever snack you’re grabbing this Memorial Day weekend, the team at Frito-Lay hopes you’re enjoying it safely and in honor of the real reason for the next few days – honoring the men and women who lost their lives in defense of our country.
