Road Trip Food- what are your healthy go-to's?

whatsallthisthen
whatsallthisthen Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Planning an epic trip from Seattle to Austin, TX departing just a few days from now.

Of course, fast food on the road is a constant temptation. Last time I packed a few wraps but they were inedibley soggy by day three(this is a 4-day journey).

What are your reasonably healthy go-to foods for bringing on a road trip?

Replies

  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    Fruit is generally a good idea, especially stuff that isn't all that messy (I would pick apples, bananas, or clementines over mangoes). Maybe find some chips on the healthier side (think whole grain, reduced sodium) to satisfy salty or savory cravings. Those P3 protein packs put out by Oscar Meyer aren't bad, although you need to keep them in a cooler. String cheese is also a decent protein source.
  • whatsallthisthen
    whatsallthisthen Posts: 35 Member
    Oooh, string cheese, I had forgotten that existed. I will luckily have a cooler on me for the trip.
  • dabears6352
    dabears6352 Posts: 34 Member
    Make some beef jerky maybe. Or almonds are great too. I live only 45 minutes from Austin! Have a great trip.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    If you've got a cooler, you've got lots of options, it just depends how much work you want to do on the road.

    I remember road tripping with my mom as a kid, and she used to hard boil a ton of eggs, and then bring a little mayo and a loaf of bread and make us egg salad sandwiches at truck stops.

    We always brought the basics too; pre-cut fruits and veggies, other fruits like apples and bananas, trail mix, rice cakes, etc
  • dawnmitchell6766
    dawnmitchell6766 Posts: 370 Member
    I like to pick from the following Emerald Smoothie (Seattle only), Jamba Juice, and Subway. At subway you can substitute the bread for an egg white wrap (haven't tried it yet, but saw it this weekend). And as far as munchies for the car - I love blueberries, but apples and grapes are other good choices, and for protein - string cheese and sandwich meat slices (you'll need a napkin! 5 slices = 2oz of the Oscar Mayer sliced turkey).
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I say go with fruit and nut snacks. When you stop for food you can do okay with a grilled chicken breast sandwich or a 6" whole wheat sub without mayo or cheese.
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
    My husband and I moved to CA from Louisiana.

    I packed beef jerky, nuts, apples, peanut butter, oranges, a loaf of bread, and dried fruit. We also packed a few things in a cooler with ice packs (we stopped at a hotel 3x, so I was able to keep it fairly cool), so I also brought along string cheese, some thinly sliced chicken breasts, and some cooked veggies. We only stopped to eat out twice (Whataburger in AZ and In-n-out after we got to CA).
  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
    My husband and I just got back from our 5 year anniversary trip. We were on the road for about 24 hours total. I did well for the drive there, but once we arrived I went off my diet and I wish I didn't. Anyway, my diet is all based on calories, so I'm pretty strict about that, here is what I did with plenty of detail.

    I packed sandwich supplies, I didn't make them in advance so they'd be fresh. I brought light mayo, 0 cal mustard, pre-sliced tomato, onion, pepper. Sliced turkey and some ham were the meats, but I wrapped them in lettuce while my husband had them on bread. There is a brand of "chips" called Sensible Portions that make Veggie Straws and Cinnamon Straws that are AMAZING. You can eat 40 of them for a serving instead of like...10 lays chips for the same calories. We bought a big bag and put them in ziplocs and had them the whole trip. I also bought sugarless jam and 0 calorie peanut spread to mix with the 180 cal peanut butter from walmart. 1 tbsp of the peanut butter for 90 calories and 1 tbsp of the 0 calorie spead plus 25 cal jam and 100 calorie bread = 215 sandwich! So this way I could eat 2! Obviously, fruit was packed as well.

    For breakfast, I predmade egg white, Canadian bacon, white cheddar, and 100 cal english muffins for 199 calories each. Almost as good as the 250 cal egg white delight from Mcdonalds, only lower calorie, cheaper, and I just feel better for not eating one. haha. McDonalds also has a fruit and yogurt parfait that isn't too bad.

    For dinners, I tried to eat out and do salads, but it didn't work that well. Everything is so tempting!
  • donnat238
    donnat238 Posts: 309 Member
    If you have a cooler - beef jerky, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, nuts, fruit, baggies of sliced veggies, peanut butter, bread and some snack size bags of mini pretzels.
  • TheVevina
    TheVevina Posts: 46 Member
    I like to make large amounts of my own trail mix with popcorn, cereal, nuts, fruit, etc. I usually only pack snacks because I've noticed that a lot of road side stops now sell packaged fresh fruit, salad, and stuff like turkey cheese sandwiches and/or wraps.
  • whatsallthisthen
    whatsallthisthen Posts: 35 Member
    These are great ideas guys, thanks so much for helping me out with suggestions.

    Tips on bringing fruits are great, as remembering that subway is still an option. Thanks again!

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