Road Trip Food

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CoffeeAndWanderlust
CoffeeAndWanderlust Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going on a road trip along the coast of New England this summer. I need packable, non-perishable snack ideas that can be kept in a hot car...healthy and low calorie please, because I'll want to save most calories for when we aren't in the car.

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  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    edited May 2018
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    Here are some snacks that I've taken before on road trips and while camping:
    Granola bar (homemade or bought)
    Trail mix (homemade or bought)
    Smartfood popcorn individual bags/chips individual bags
    Any chips/pretzels/popcorn/cookies portioned out in zip lock bags
    Rice krispie treats
    Beef Jerky/Slim Jim
    Apples/oranges
    Homemade muffins
    Fruit snacks
    Sometimes string cheese/yogurt/boiled egg that I will eat early on in the trip or if I have a cooler.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    If you have a Trader Joe’s or international grocery store, my two favorite low calorie non perishable snacks are roasted seaweed and bamba. Roasted seaweed is salty/crispy and about 30 calories a packet. Bamba is basically like cheese puffs but peanut butter instead of cheese. I believe they are 160 calories for about a third of the bag.
  • skelterhelter
    skelterhelter Posts: 803 Member
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    I'm obsessed with Pop Corners Spicy Queso Chips. They're like Doritos but only 120 calories for a decent serving. Our Little Rebellion makes something similar for only 80 calories. I also agree with the granola bar suggestion.
  • DanielleFayeS
    DanielleFayeS Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Apples, popcorn, and dried fruit would be my suggestions. Protein bars if you're into that sort of thing.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Do you need to snack, or could you just eat at the stops along the way?

    That's my question too.

    Are you trying to pack foods that will be actual meals or are you trying to find snacks because "that's what you do on road trips"?
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    Beef jerky, granola bars, dried fruit, fresh fruit.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I'm another one in the "do you have to snack?" camp? I just did a 9 day road trip out West with just a ton of bottled water and a small packet of taro mochi. Grabbed a banana 3-4 times at c-stores and split with my husband.

    Don't get me wrong, we ate a LOT especially after long hikes. But we just prefer to sit down and eat in restaurants, not in the car. Cuts back so much on calories!
  • no1racefan1
    no1racefan1 Posts: 277 Member
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    DH and I just did a short 3-day road trip and packed several hearty snacks so we didn't have to make as many long meal stops and could just grab a quick picnic when we stopped for gas or pee breaks. It was also cheaper and less calories than if we were to eat out every meal.

    We did have a small cooler, so you might consider bringing one if you have space. We were in a small car with our two dogs so our cooler was just big enough for a couple bottles of water and some perishable items. We brought a case of bottled water and just rotated them through the cooler as we used them.

    Items we brought were:
    Hard-boiled eggs
    Spinach, washed the morning before we left
    Diced chicken breast, cooked the night before
    Salad dressing decanted into a small container
    Cottage cheese
    Peanut butter
    Celery sticks
    Walnuts
    Peanuts
    Dried fruit of various types--mangoes, mandarin oranges, cranberries
    Bananas
    Fruit & oat bars

    Along the way we also picked up:
    Tortilla chips
    More dried fruit
    Popcorn
    Mango
    Beef jerky

    We would typically grab a couple items from the hotel breakfast such as yogurt and fruit, grab a snack when we stopped for gas, stop at a rest stop for a picnic lunch, and then eat out for dinner when we got hungry.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    my fiance and i routinely drive from canada to southern virginia. we dont BRING any food. I do pack a cooler for him when he goes up by himself, but thats meals for a week or so and some small sandwiches and cookies and stuff (hes NOT on a diet, he could gain lol) for his drive up so he doesnt have to stop and spend the time to do it.

    when we're together, at meal time, we stop and eat somewhere.

    sometimes well grab a little bag of chips or a snack from a gas station but it might be one snack per 12 hour drive...
  • CoffeeAndWanderlust
    CoffeeAndWanderlust Posts: 35 Member
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    Well, I don't NEED a snack, but I want to try to be economical by packing some things. I have pistachios that I will section out into servings, and we are thinking about single serve oatmeal cups for a few breakfasts to save money and calories... I also want to make sure I'm not so hungry when it's time to sit and eat that I end up making poor choices.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I wouldn't bother bringing a bunch of stuff. You're more likely to snack out of boredom or convince yourself you need one if you have stuff with you.

    Every morning, bring an extra piece of fruit with you so you have something if you really need it. And then, if you're driving and know you won't be eating for a while and need something else to hold you over, stop and get something. You can always run into a local grocery store and pick something up for cheap.
  • rj0150684
    rj0150684 Posts: 227 Member
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    Carrots. Bring a peeler and just either peel them in the car (out the window - not if you’re driving) or pull over and do it on the side of the road. Low cal, nutritious, keeps for days (weeks?)
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Cbean08 wrote: »
    I wouldn't bother bringing a bunch of stuff. You're more likely to snack out of boredom or convince yourself you need one if you have stuff with you.

    This is probably what I would do.
  • rikkejohnsenrij
    rikkejohnsenrij Posts: 510 Member
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    we never go on a roadtrip without at least a kg of peeled carrots...they are crunchy, sweet and moist:)
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
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    Is this food to eat while in the car driving or while in the hotel/taking a break from driving to eat?

    I’m not really a road trip snacker, makes me feel queasy to eat while in a car for hours. Still, I would keep something like protein bars on hand to take the edge off hunger when a stop isn’t convenient.

    If the food’s for inexpensive, low’ish cal food when not driving, I’d probably just stop at a supermarket and pick something up then or a couple hours before I plan to eat it. I don’t like food that’s gotten warm in the car, and I’ve never been good about bringing a cooler and draining the water/keeping it stocked with ice.

    Your trip sounds amazing btw! What a beautiful area for a road trip.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Fruits and vegetables would be low calorie snacks and maybe make up for some lacking restaurant choices. Get a small cooler and you could maybe have cheese or yogurt. Granola bars and nuts could be higher calorie so maybe limit them. Pop some popcorn.
    You could stop at gas stations or grocery stores and purchase a variety of foods. Around here there are gas stations that have fruit, salads, hard boiled eggs, sandwiches and stuff that isn't too bad.

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