A Food Fun Travel Guest Post
Taking a road trip can be a great escape from your busy work or just to have fun with friends and family. However, finding the perfect healthy snacks in convenience stores and gas stations along your way can be challenging.
Moreover, sitting for hours and eating irregularly while driving can lead to digestive problems, such as constipation and bloating. That’s why it’s necessary to plan so you can easily avoid eating foods rich in sugar and carbs.
Just as you’d pack an overnight bag with your must-have items from home, plan your road snack pack before you hit the road. When it comes to snack selection, instead of those that add extra sodium and empty calories to your diet, choose road trip snacks that are a well-balanced mix of protein and good fats.
The best road trip snacks should keep you feeling full longer and energized, which are listed below.
10 Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks to Stay Energized
If you’re traveling alone, you can pack all your favorite road trip snacks. However, if you’re with kids, you should also consider the best snacks for kids. To help, here are the best trip snacks for kids and yourself to make sure you start packing and eating healthy.
Trail mix
Trail mix is a go-to travel snack for road trips for a good reason. It’s easy to eat and doesn’t require refrigeration. They are a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to fuel you for an epic road trip.
Look for various nuts (almonds, cashew, walnuts), seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), and unsweetened dried fruit, and avoid those containing candies and sugared fruits and candied nuts.
Protein bar
Protein and granola bars are convenient road trip food where most protein bars don’t require refrigeration. Since many bars are loaded with added sugar and other additives, look for products made from whole ingredients, such as nuts, oats, chia seeds, and dried fruit.
Choosing a protein bar with natural ingredients will give you the nutrients your body needs and wants without the sugar crash. You can look for nutritious bars online or at your local gas station with just the right amount of sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Baby carrots
Though carrots have fiber and other nutritional value, one of the reasons it’s included as great car snacks is because while traveling, you find yourself wanting to eat something out of boredom.
Instead of filling that boredom with unhealthy snacks, pack a whole bag of carrots and munch it while on a trip to help you fill your tummy. At the same time, they are mess free to eat, perfect for your kids.
Beef jerky
Beef jerky is a great snack for a road trip because it contains lots of protein, guaranteed to satisfy your hunger. It’s easy to eat as it comes in its own packet and leaves a minimal mess.
When choosing beef jerky, do not buy from the ones at convenience and gas stations because they are full of preservatives. Instead, opt for some organic, grass-fed jerky from natural food stores.
String cheese
If you’re traveling with kids, string cheese is a perfect road trip snack to pack. They are a great way to entertain the kids since you peel the bits of cheese and then place them in your mouth.
Cheese strings shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for more than 4 hours, as said on the website Healthcanal.com. So consume them immediately or place them in a cooler to preserve them longer
Hard-boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are easy to prepare, store, and eat. They are packed with protein, which helps you feel full longer, especially for long car rides. To prepare them properly, peel off the shells of the eggs, then place them in a plastic container so you can quickly grab them when needed.
If you haven’t tried this yet, pack hard-boiled eggs on your next road trip.
Roasted chickpeas
Chickpeas are highly nutritious and a great source of protein, fiber, magnesium, folate, and zinc. While it may be a bit cumbersome to eat chickpeas on the road, dried chickpeas are easier to eat while driving or navigating.
You can purchase dried chickpeas in various flavors online or at your local health food stores.
Yogurt tubes
Another guilt-free and healthy snack for kids is yogurt. Yogurt tubes are widely available, so always choose squeeze if you can find them. They aren’t too messy to eat; you can reseal them again if your kids have enough.
When looking for healthy road trip snacks, yogurt makes a great choice. However, note that you must keep it refrigerated if you’re going on a long drive.
Celery sticks
If you bring cooler, fresh veggies like celery, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers can give your healthy road trip snacks extra crunch. In a wellness blog post written by Lindsey Desoto, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, she mentioned that eating veggies not only satisfies your crunch but may reduce the risk of various illnesses, like obesity, certain cancers, and cognitive decline.
To improve this snack’s protein content and flavor, you may add nutrient-dense dips, such as hummus or Greek yogurt dip.
Veggie chips
Many road trippers turn to highly processed snacks, such as potato chips and chocolate chips, to satisfy their cravings. However, these snacks contain sodium, calories, and unhealthy additives.
If you prefer salty snacks with a bit of crunch, try healthy chips made from fruits and vegetables instead. For example, you may eat kale, apple, plantain, and coconut chips instead of their highly-processed counterparts.
Conclusion
Eating healthy on the road may seem complicated, but planning ahead to pack nutritious snacks can keep your body fueled while keeping your gut full for a longer period. For our senior travelers, it’s important to be mindful of their needs by considering incorporating SimplyThick honey into snacks for easier swallowing, ensuring they can comfortably enjoy their meals and have the energy to embrace every moment of the trip fully.
If you travel with kids, make sure to pack kid-friendly snacks. Avoid packing sweet, processed foods, like candies and chocolates. Instead, replace them with fruit sticks and yogurt. Moreover, if possible, bring a cooler to store fresh veggies, string cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.
On the other hand, other healthy road trip snacks are available that don’t require refrigeration, like protein bars, beef jerky, and trail mix.
Keep these nutritious snacks in mind when preparing for your next epic road trip.
