Long road trips with your family and friends are indeed exciting. After all, it is fun to be together as you drive to a far-off location. You cherish the time together, create wonderful memories every time, and come back with an extremely rewarding experience.
What adds to the fun is stopping every now and then, at your whims and taking an Instagram-worthy picture or eating some favorite snacks, such as roasted chickpeas or fruits, or having some chips along the way.
But wait a minute! Have you ever given thought to what snacks to bring on a road trip? Those with a sweet tooth will find it difficult to keep away from ice-creams, high-carb snacks, and candy bars. Usually, those harmless-looking candies and treats are devoid of any nutrients. So, what are some good snacks for a road trip?
When out on an adventurous tour, you need to remain active and healthy to enjoy the road trip adventures to the full. Your body is already running on low energy due to all that travel and exertion. Why not develop some healthy road trip habits and know what good road trip snacks to carry?
Healthy snacks for your next road trip
So, what are good road trip snacks? The good quality snacks to enjoy on your trip should be easy to pack, use, and full of essential nutrients. As snacks can be sweet and savory, one can pack both to get the best of both worlds.
Fruits
Start with fruits as they are the easiest to pack and packed with nutrients. So, bring fruits like oranges, apples, cherries, grapes, etc. for that much-needed energy as they are filled with healthy natural sugars.
- Great source of fibers, antioxidants, and minerals
Trail mix
Everybody loves a trail mix, a blend of different nuts and seeds such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecan, raisins, peanuts, flax seeds, chia pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. The trail mix is easy to carry and use during a trip. Avoid potato chips and look for healthy options such as coconut chips and healthy chips for a quick bite.
- Great source of healthy fats, fibers, and protein, omega 3 and 6, essential oils
Peanut butter
Carry a jar of peanut butter, and you can spread it on bread and bananas, and it works as your all-purpose spread. The peanut butter jars come in different sizes, and one can buy one as per their needs. You will need a bigger jar if the road trip is long and also the number of people on the trip.
- Great source of healthy fats and proteins
Protein bars
Protein bars are another popular source of energy food while on the go and are often used by trekkers and hikers. As they come in all shapes, sizes, and kinds, one can pack a punch of protein bars in different flavors.
Protein bars are convenient on-the-go snacks and easy to carry and pack.
- Great source of essential proteins
Hard-boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are a natural source of vitamins and minerals. As boiled eggs can last a few days, it is a good idea to pack some and use them within the first few days of the road trip. You can eat them with some seasoning, make salads or sandwiches.
- Great source of essential vitamins, amino acids, and minerals
Whole-grain bread and crackers
If you carry staple ingredients, such as whole-grain crackers and bread, you will never go hungry. At the same time, you can be sure of enjoying a healthy meal and can easily make classic road trip food. You can eat those crackers any time, or make a sandwich.
- Great source of healthy fiber and proteins
Tuna snacks
You need not carry cans of tuna, as they can be cumbersome and inconvenient. Now you can enjoy this protein-packed food in different flavors, such as sundried tomato, basil, or other varieties. It is a lot easier to carry tuna as it is available in flip-top containers and pouches.
- Great source of healthy proteins
Oatmeal balls
Prepare oatmeal balls the night before the trip with oatmeal that is mixed with peanut butter, spices, and dried fruit. You can add whatever nuts and species you like, such as cinnamon, raisins, and dates. You can be sure that the oatmeal balls with a crunchy bite will become a popular road trip snack for your family.
- Great source of fiber and complex carbohydrates
Baby carrots
Buy a couple of bags of sweet baby carrots and munch on them as you drive. It is a lot easier to carry and use without making a mess. Moreover, as they are high in nutritional value, they are indeed a healthy snack option.
- Great source of fiber and nutritional value
Homemade meals
Nothing could be better than preparing some homemade meals for the family road trip. So, look for some favorite recipes that are made from natural ingredients and pack them. It could be Tortilla wraps with a bit of crunch, sandwiches with healthy ingredients, or chocolate-covered almonds to give you that energy boost. Take advantage of those healthy recipes for road trip snack ideas.
- Great source of fresh nutrients
Water
Hydration is important, especially when you are out for a long trip. So, keep plenty of mineral water bottles and go slow on caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Skip the soda and choose sparkling water to cut down on cost and plastic waste. You can also have fresh vegetable juice, pineapple juice, or buy juice boxes to stay hydrated.
- Great source of dehydration
Whatever good road trip snacks you pack, make sure that they are free of any preservatives or questionable ingredients.
Now that you are aware of what are some good snacks for a road trip, it is time to know how to pack and organize those snacks. You might be carrying almond butter, peanut butter, or any other travel snacks.
How to pack snacks for a road trip?
Just follow the below-listed tips.
It can be tricky to pack healthy road trip snacks, and everything can get messy or damaged if you are not careful.
- Keep the basics ready, such as filling water bottles and chilling the night before.
- Pack fresh fruits, veggie chips, plantain chips, apple chips, and fruit snacks that won’t go bad.
- Do not forget to carry a garbage bag for the empty wrappers, skins, and peels.
- If you have a baby in the group, do pack some snacks for toddlers.
- Carry disposable cutlery for more practical use.
- Label each package and keep them well organized in a snack basket.
The idea is to keep things simple and enjoyable and let the whole family enjoy the road trip together.
Conclusion
We are sure that by now you have a pretty good idea of what to pack for your road trip. So, what are you waiting for? Make a list and try to pack all the snacks that can offer you the essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. So, before you go on the road trip, head towards the nearest supermarket to buy some healthy snacks that you can munch without feeling guilty about eating empty calories.