Road Tripping Food and Tips

"Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer."  ~Author Unknown

Is it just me or does travelling on long road trips make you insanely hungry too?  For some reason in my pea sized mind I feel like when you are in the car calories and grams of fat don't exist.  Suddenly it is okay to eat all the trail mix in the world...and French fries, they are expected and approved for road trip diets.

Epic fail.  Maybe that is why every time I arrive at my destination I feel like complete and utter crap.  In the more recent years I really have been trying to pack more healthy nutritious snacks to accompany me on our journeys.

I decided that it was high time I compiled a list of my favorite munchies for road trips just in time for road trip season.

1.  Popcorn

This effortless light snack is perfect for those hands that just want to keep snacking.  Don't skimp on the prep of this, make the real stuff and toss it with some melted butter and kosher salt.  Trust me, so much better for you then a bag of over salted, over processed potato chips.  Making it from scratch is so simple!  You can pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into a brown paper bag, roll the bag shut, and microwave for 3 - 3/12 minutes until popping stops.  Season accordingly!

2.  Apples and Peanut Butter

"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly."  ~Author Unknown

Slice up your apples, toss them in some lemon juice.  I like to keep mine in the cooler so the apples are crispy.  Also, use crisp apples not mushy ones like Macintosh...my favorite are pink ladies.  Reach for the natural un sugared peanut butter, in a low easy to scoop out container.

3.  Trail Mix

We like two versions of trail mix in our cars.

My Mom's version : Mini pretzels, raisins, and peanut M&Ms.

My Version (stolen from my Friend Shnabs) :  Toasted walnuts and pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.  (warning:  if you are traveling during these hot summer months there is a good chance the chocolate chips will melt...no worries, just an excuse to eat more...or you can store it in a cooler.)

4.  Hummus and Veggies

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have a hard time cramming all these necessary veggies down my throat.  Don't get me wrong, I love veggies, but sometimes I feel like I am eating the earth and that no matter how fast I eat I can't get enough of them into my system.  Darn you veggies.  If you cover the veggies in a dip they are so much more appealing.

This time around I made black bean hummus.  So simple and delicious!  Will post this recipe soon!

5.  Rice Chips

These chips are a new favorite with us.  They are crispy, salty, and tasty!  They also come in other flavors like pico da gaio and lime....yum!

6.  Granola Bites:

This is a fun excuse to eat granola in the car without the mess.  I used a basic granola bar recipe and smashed them into greased muffin tins.  Baked them for 10 minutes, then let them cool completely before removing them from the pan.  I will also post this recipe soon!

7.  Cookies!!!

Cookies are always a good idea!  Typically I make something with chocolate, but with the summer temps being so high this time I opted for my applesauce oatmeal raisin cookie.  Yummy, not too crumbly, not to melty, perfectly chewy.

8.  Granola Bars

My personal favorite bars of choice are Kashi Honey Almond Flax chewy bars.  I also like Lara Bars.  If you want to make those from scratch see this post.

Besides snacking these are some Road trip rules I like to follow 

in order to have the best trip ever :

1)  Stop every 2 hours no matter what.  Chances are someone has to go to the bathroom, and if they don't it is a good idea to stop and stretch your legs.

2)  Do jumping jacks.  Whenever you do stop try to run around the car or do some jumping jacks.  After sitting in the car for so many hours you are bound to be restless and getting the blood pumping always helps!  Also, this majorly embarrasses the people you are traveling with, which is an added bonus.  

3)  If your road trip is over 12 hours do travel with at least 3 people in the car.  That way 2 people will be awake at all times while the other one rests.  This rule is especially important in my book if you are traveling through the night.  Be vigilant, and stay awake!

4)  Books on Tape make the trip so much more tolerable!  You have a few options when it comes to finding books on tape....or cd...or ipod. 

 -  Rent them from your local Library

-  Rent them from the Cracker Barrel Restaurants.  They charge you a high price up front, but when you return them you get most of the money back.

-  Download them from ITUNES or audiobooks onto your phone or ipod.

5)  Bring a pillow and a blanket...get rest whenever you can!!!!

6)  Music is key.  Hopefully you can all agree on at least a few common songs, if not this can be a problem...rap music for a long road trip is completely terrible!

7)  Pay attention to your Car's gas levels.  Coming from someone who has run out of gas before, trust me this one is important!

A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank.  ~Author Unknown

8)  Don't spend most of the trip watching movies or on talking on your phone!  Pay attention and watch the countryside pass you by.  It is amazing how different the land can look in just a matter of hours!

I hope you all enjoy my little tips for road tripping!  Have a safe and fun road tripping season!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny