Road trips are a great way for families to get out and see new places without the added expense of flying. For many families, if it wasn’t for road trips, there wouldn’t be many vacations at all. There are ways to make road trips even more budget-friendly. One of the best ways to make road trips more affordable is by packing snacks and meals. Packing your own healthy snacks and meals lets you have control over what you are eating and what you are spending on food.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks
Many people think that road trip snacks must be junk food. Things like cookies and fruit snacks travel well and are easy to eat in the car. While that is true, it doesn’t mean that the only food that goes well on a road trip must be junk food.
Fruit and Veggies
- Most fruit and vegetables travel well. While some things, like bananas, are more fragile than others, it doesn’t mean that you can’t take fruit and vegetables on a road trip. The key is to plan.
- Have everything prewashed.
- Have the fruit and vegetables portioned into separate containers. This makes it easier to grab what you want. It also helps prevent large spills and wasted food.
- For foods that taste better with dip – Things like celery or apples taste better with peanut butter. Some things like carrots taste better with dressing. For foods like these, cut them into pieces. Instead of having a separate container to deal with in the car, put the peanut butter or dressing in the bottom of the container. Then add the snack on top. It is easier to dip celery into peanut butter than to try to deal with a piece of celery with peanut butter smeared on top of it.
Trail Mix
Trail Mix is always a great idea for a road trip healthy snack. It is easy to eat, filling and can be tailored to your own likes and dislikes. Trail Mix can be a very economical snack as well. Create your own mix by buying nuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips or small candies. Some people prefer a granola in the mix as well. Combine all the ingredients in pre-portioned containers or plastic bags.
Deli Meats
Deli meats and cheese are another great healthy snacks idea. While deli meats and cheese can easily be made into a sandwich, it can also be eaten easily as is. Buy containers of prepared ham or turkey and the prep work is done for you. For people who only like their meats on a sandwich, pack the bread separately. This keeps the sandwich from getting mushy before you are ready to eat it.
You will want to keep the meats and cheeses cold. Pack a small cooler, even a small collapsible cooler, like the kind for drinks, will work well. Along with an ice pack or frozen water bottles, the cooler will keep the food fresh.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs make another healthy snacks idea. It is best to have the eggs peeled before leaving on the road trip. It makes it easier to grab and eat if the eggs are pre-peeled. You will want to keep the eggs in your cooler along with the deli meats.
When considering what snacks to bring on a road trip, think about the things you enjoy eating at home. You want to pack snacks that you would eat normally. When you try to step outside your normal eating habits, most people will choose to buy something along the ride. This means you are wasting money and food.
Another way to save money on your trip is to have your vehicle serviced at the dealership before you go. There is nothing worse than having your car break down just because regular maintenance was not done. It can ruin a vacation for everyone. Have the oil changed, rotate the tires, change the windshield wiper blades. You’ll be ready to go, and have plenty of delicious, healthy snacks, too.
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