Summertime is prime traveling time, and it can be tough to eat healthy when you’re on the road. I’ve rounded up the best and most convenient road trip snacks to help you eat healthy on your trip!
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Road trip snacks are just about my favorite part of traveling.
I’m the type that will actually make one list for packing and a separate list for things to take in the car.
Do I sound crazy?
I’m just very Type-A, ok?
I’m traveling to Michigan this weekend and my lab actually tore up my packing list. Clearly, she doesn’t want me to go. I’m just coming off a nine-week fitness challenge and I’m so proud of my results, so of course I don’t want to throw it all away while on vacation! Today I’m sharing some ideas for what you can pack on a road trip to help you stick with your healthy eating lifestyle.
Fresh Fruit and Veggies
The easiest road trip snack there is! Fruits like bananas, apples, grapes, and berries are perfect for on the road snacking. To make it a little easier, slice up your fruit and veggies beforehand or buy them pre-cut. You can always pair the veggies with a single-serving of hummus if you have a tote to keep it chilled.
Life hack: I buy these 2 oz portion cups at the grocery store and use it to pack nut butters and hummus for my lunch. I used to use tiny tupperware containers, but they were such a pain to clean. These have been a game changer!
Protein Muffins
When we leave early for a trip, I love baking protein muffins ahead of time to eat breakfast in the car. It’s much better than swinging through McDonald’s or Chick-fil-a to grab your meal! You can even freeze half the batch so that breakfast is ready for you for the days after you return from your trip.
These blueberry muffins are my go-to. If you have a lemon nearby, adding the zest of one lemon to the batter makes them out of this world good.
These chocolate ones are good for a sweet tooth, too.
Bars and Trail Mix
These are perfect to pack for days on vacation when you know you’ll be out and about. I’ll be the first to tell you that I get majorly hangry around 3 p.m. if I don’t have a snack. To eliminate that, I carry my favorite bar (currently RXbars!).
When picking bars or trail mix, be sure to look at the nutritional label for added sugars. You want your ingredients to be as minimal (and familiar) as possible. An awesome sugar-free trail mix blend from Trader Joe’s is linked here.
Nut Butters
Pair a travel size pouch of nut butter with an apple or banana, and you have a solid breakfast or a filling snack on the go. You can usually find small sizes of your favorites at stores like Whole Foods, Central Market and Sprouts. It’s fun to use these mini sizes to try new flavors, too!
Granola
If you’re staying at a hotel with yogurts you can grab, bringing your own granola is perfect for a topping. You can also just eat it right out of the bag! Again, be sure to watch for added sugars when picking your granola.
This Cranberry Pecan Granola recipe is out of this world good (like, hide it from me because I will eat it all.)
If you’re grabbing it from the store, here are some of my favorites:
Purely Elizabeth | Julie’s Real | Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax
Oatmeal and Cereals
Bringing your own oatmeal and cereals is a great way to know that you have a healthy option for breakfast in the morning. Most grocery stores now sell oatmeal and cereals in single serving containers, which are perfect for traveling. Simply add milk to the cereal or water to the oatmeal, prepare it, and you’re done. Top with some of the fruit or nut butter you brought for extra deliciousness.
Other Traveling Essentials
These aren’t necessarily foods, but you can bring them with you to ensure that you keep up your healthy lifestyle on your trip. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself, too!
- Running shoes for early morning workouts – Going for a walk or run is such a fun way to see a new area. You get to see things and find trails that you might miss if you were in a car! I’ve been loyal to the Asics GT-2000’s since college.
- Resistance bands (they’re so small- perfect for traveling)
- A good set of earphones
- Re-usable water bottle to stay hydrated
- An insulated bag to keep your food cool in the car.
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Happy traveling!
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