FROM SNACKS TO MEALS: PACKING THE BEST ROAD TRIP FOOD
The trick to the best road trip food is buying small quantities, keeping everything as fresh as possible, and getting plenty of variety! Let me elaborate.
Always try to consume adequate amounts of proteins, carbs, fruits, veggies, greens each and every day. I highly suggest mixing it up to hit each suggested serving size!
Disclaimer: I’m not a certified nutritionist or a doctor, but I really urge everyone to hit all the recommended servings. I also do not focus on recipes, as they are not my specialty. I want to put more of an emphasis on easing into packing food for a road trip!
Meal prepping ahead of time can really take the edge off. Sometimes there is an extra headache that comes with urgently searching for a next meal. Plus, it will allow us to have better choices, last minute decisions can lead us to make unhealthy choices.
Oftentimes, the best road trip food is clean and fresh, which can really make a difference with clarity and our digestive system. Oftentimes on road trips, we are sitting, experiencing elevation changes, and the vehicle we are in is shaking our bodies. For these reasons, staying hydrated with the right fuel is always best!
Also check out the article HOW TO EAT OUT PLASTIC FREE, when choosing to go out to restaurants while on the road!
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Breakfast
Fruit
Generally, when choosing fruits, I get one or two that are perfectly ripe and then choose a couple more that are under-ripe. Typically, by the time I’ve eaten the perfectly ripe ones, then the under-ripe fruits are ready.
Getting all ripened fruits oftentimes can become a mess and a waste. There have been so many times that I had bought ripened fruits and later found 2 smashed to the bottom of my bag or cooler because they ripened faster than I could eat them.
Also, choosing fruits that don’t need to fit into a cooler can really save on cooler space, be easier to grab, and are typically less messy!
Furthermore, avoiding large fruits that take up tons of cooler space is key! A couple of examples would be melons and pineapples!
- Under ripe bananas
- Apples
- Oranges
- Pears
- Tomatoes (Yes, these are a fruit!)
- Avocados (Yes, these are also a fruit!!)
- Mangos
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Plums
- Cherries
- Kiwis
Fruits that require cooler space & go bad faster, but are still delicious!
- Berries
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Grapes
Meals
Fruit parfait
-Granola
-Dairy-free probiotic yogurt
Fermented foods really aid the digestive system, especially while on the road!
-Chia seeds
-Fruit: Strawberries/mangoes/berries/bananas
-Nuts & seeds
♻️ Sustainability Tip: When opting for yogurt, try getting the larger tubs, those ones are much more recycleable vs the smaller ones. But, an even more eco alternative would be to make yours from scratch, it can be fun and delicious!
Protein Shake Or Smoothies
-Protein Powder
-Greens (if you have a travel blender or prep)
-Superfood Powders
-Fruit (if you have a travel blender or prep)
-Nut Butters (If you have a travel blender)
Oatmeal or overnight oats
- Oats, Oatmeal Packets, Instant Oats
- Fruit (Dried or fresh)
- Nuts (Pecans, Almonds, Walnuts)
- Sweetener (Maple syrup, Agave, Raw sugar)
♻️ Sustainability Tip: I often opt for the raw sugar packets because they are made of paper, and don’t come in a plastic bottle or supporting local maple syrup tapping companies is another great eco alternative!
Cereal
- Cereal OR granola as the base
- Nut milk
- Fruit: Bananas and/or Apples
- Nuts and Seeds (walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds)
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Have you ever tried making nut milk from scratch? Well, that’s an even better eco alternative to packaged nut/seed/legume milks.
Snacks
- Dried Fruit
- Fruit chips
- Banana chips
- Apple Chips
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Of course, having your own dehydrator, buying discounted fruit that is rippe or even over ripe, is a great way to make your own!
- Dates
- Nut butter
- Nut Butter + Dates
- Apple + Nut butter
- Celery + Nut Butter
- Energy Balls = Dates + Oats + Nut butter + Seeds + Nuts
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Getting nut butters in glass jars or even making your own nut butter is a much more eco friendly alternative! (I’m still wanting companies to make more snacks like these in compostable packaging.)
- Guacamole + chips or crackers
- Tapanade + crackers
- Chips + Hummus or Bean Dip
- Crackers & Fermented nut chees
- Potato wedges + Hummus or bean dip
- Avocado + Salt or lemon juice or salsa
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Buying the larger hummus containers, reduces the amount of plastic and allows for the container to get recycled. An even better way to prevent any plastic is the find a hummus, guac, or dip recipe and make it from scratch!
- Granola Bars
- Trail mix
- Corn nuts
- Nuts & Seeds (Cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflowers seeds, pecans, walnuts)
- Dehydrated beans and legumes (Edamame, Chickpeas, Soy beans, etc.)
- Popcorn
- Nut butter filled pretzel bites (peanut or almond are great!)
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Buying trail mixes, nuts, and seeds can also be bought in bulk bins at stroes like Winco, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc. Which means that you can skip thepackaging completey!
If you use the paperbags from the mushroom section or nearby the bulk section, you’ll avoid plastic all together. Winco does not allow reusable bags, but they are completely fine with the paper bags. Just be sure to write the code down or take pictures with your phone for check out.
- Jerkies
- Olives
- Pickled or Brined Veggies
- Fermented Sauerkraut or Fermented veggies
Fermented sauerkraut gives us a serving of vegetables, while also aiding our digestive system with healthy enzymes! YUM!
♻️ Sustainability Tip: Brined veggies and olives are always more sustainable when in a glass jar, be sure to keep an eye out for those at the grocery store! But these ones are great for flying, backpacking, or even hiking.
Dinner
I typically crave something warmer and heavier in the evening to start preparing me for bed.
Bringing a small cooking setup can be ideal for those that don’t want to meal prep. Here is the Coleman stove I typically cook with on a road trip. Most portable cooking stoves also require propane, this is typically what I use here.
These are just some basic examples, and there are so many variations of them!
- Pasta
- Pesto
- Alfredo
- Classic Tomato
- Olive oil + Vinegar Base
- Stir Fry
- Veggies
- Beans
- Tacos
- Tofu, Shitake Mushrooms, Beans
- Bell peppers, Zucchini or summer squash
- Salsa
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Lime
- Taco seasoning
- Burritos
- Similar variation to tacos but wrapped differently
- Warm soup
- Broccoli cheddar
- Veggie soup
- Potato soup
- Pho soup
- Miso soup
- Stuffed baked potato (These are especially delicious when baked in a campfire!)
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan cheese
- Scallions/chives
- Sautéed mushrooms +onions +garlic
- Warm Power bowl
- Grains: quinoa or rice
- Steamed or Sautéed Greens
- Steamed or Sautéed veggies
- Protein: Tofu/Beans/Shitake Mushrooms
- Ramen noodles + Veggies + Greens
Sustainability Tip: These meals are great quick meal prepping options. Best of all, you can store them in glass or stainless steel containers, avoiding plastics, cuting back on expenses, and also curating it to your own pallette.
TO-GOWARE FOR THE BEST ROAD TRIP FOOD
These are some great storage options for meal prepping or even for your snacks that you buy in the bulk sections.
Not sure if you noticed, but I’m a vegan! These meals can be made in any variation, and I just give a basic overview of the possibilities.
The best road trip foods to me stem from; organics, sustainably sourced, and zero waste. Want an article on how I shop sustainably? Please comment below!
Want to see how I store everything while road tripping? Comment below and I can create that article!
♻ Sustainability Tip: So many of these goodies can also be composted when you’re done or if something has accidentally gone bad on you! I’ve written an article on SHARE WASTE, which shows us how to compost almost anywhere, especially on road trips!
Do you have anyone you want to go on a road trip with? Share this article SO THEY COME PREPARED TOO!
ARE YOU A TOTAL FOODIE TOO? HERE ARE SOME MORE ARTICLES THAT YOU’RE SURE TO ENJOY:
Jevtic
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