Summer is the perfect time for adventure! My family takes a long road trip every your, and I LOVE it!
It’s my favorite vacation. It’s always an adventure and a fun way to see the country, explore National Parks, find cool little towns and cities across the US, and spend quality time with family!
Road Tripping is fun, but there are many long stretches of driving, sometimes through some less-than-interesting places on the way to the cool stuff. So it can be tedious at times. And this boredom can make us want to snack, especially with kids. So it’s essential to have some healthier options, so you don’t end up eating a bunch junky junk, which will leave you feeling blah at the end of the day.
Here are some of my favorite go-to snacks. Some require you to pack a little cooler in your car, but others don’t.
- Fresh fruit – Pack portable fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, or grapes. They provide natural sweetness, fiber, and essential vitamins. Add individual packs of nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew) for healthy fat and yumminess.
- Trail mix – Make your own using a combination of nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. They are packed with healthy fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Calorie dense, so mind portion sizes.
- Greek Yogurt Cups – This simple and easy snack is a good source of protein and probiotics, which helps keep your digestion healthy while traveling. Choose low-sugar varieties and add fresh fruit to increase the fiber and nutrient content.
- Veggies and Hummus – Pre-cut carrot sticks, celery sticks, bell pepper slices, broccoli, snap peas, cauliflower, and cucumber slices can be paired with single-serving containers of hummus for a refreshing and nutritious snack.
- Edamame and Tajin – Edamame is a great easy, portable snack high in protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron, folate, and calcium. If you don’t like tajin, you can add sea salt, pepper, or any other spice you love!
- Hard-boiled eggs – Prepare and pack hard-boiled eggs for a protein-rich snack. They can be enjoyed plain or seasoned with salt and pepper, hot sauce, or tajin!
- Vegetable chips – These are a great alternative to traditional chips and offer the desirable crunch you want! Baked vegetable chips made from kale, beetroot, or sweet potato ingredients. They offer a crunchy texture and are a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips.
- Jerky – Pick your Jerky; there’s turkey jerky, chicken jerky, buffalo jerky, beef jerky, and even vegan jerky. Jerky is the perfect snack for those who are living a low-carb lifestyle and want an easy snack. Jerky is high in protein (just meat!) and almost void of carbs. Choose jerky that is low in sodium and low in added sugar, this will bump up the carbs of course. Paired with the produce above, jerky is a great snack choice for those working to balance their blood sugar.
- Roasted Bean Snacks – I think beans are one of the most underappreciated foods, they are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein! And when they are roasted, they make a delicious snack. They have lots of premade varieties, or you can make them yourself.
These are healthy snacks, but be mindful of mindless and over-snack while traveling. Find other ways to occupy your mind while traveling. You can eat thousands of calories of healthy snacks while mindlessly eating if you aren’t careful!
Wishing you safe and happy travels on your road trip adventures!
XO,
Sally
