It’s that time of year again! Summertime! Hot summer weather means beach vacations, time spent on the water, and that’s right – road trips! Which, let’s face it, road trips are fantastic year-round. There are, however, things that can go wrong when you’re on a road trip, and as the old saying goes, luck does favor the prepared. While there are many tips on planning for a road trip, let’s focus on the yummiest one – the snacks!
The key to having a great time in the car is to sprinkle a little bit of joy wherever you can because, let’s face it, long hours sitting in the same position can become exhausting and affect everyone’s mood. So, get your favorite playlists together, your comfiest neck pillow, and plan to pack the following snacks for your summer adventure!
Table of Contents
Remixes
While we did just reference the importance of having excellent playlists on hand for your road trip, there’s another thing you need in the bag – mixes. And, why not do a revamp of your traditional “trail mixes” and remix them into something more fun for everyone in the car, as well as making them a little bit healthier.
The key here is to think outside the box. Do we always need to throw some chocolate into the trail mix? If you can’t live without it, consider ditching the overly processed store-bought candy for a healthier option like raw cacao nibs. Instead of unhealthy and excessively processed chips that may be easy to just toss in your trail mix, opt for popcorn instead.
You can also throw all tradition out the window and make a raw trail mix of sorts. This type of mix would look like simply cutting up your favorite fruits and tossing in some healthy nuts like walnuts or pecans. Throw in some fun fruits like kiwi, mango, or dragon fruit for some bright flashes of exotic color. While this could spoil quickly, it’s an easy first grab snack to keep everyone from getting hangry in leg one of your road trip.
Healthy Convenience
It’s so tempting while on the road to stop and drive through for some fast food options when people are starting to get hungry. The problem with fast food, though, is it rarely leaves anyone feeling one hundred percent satiated, and studies have shown it can even have a negative impact on your mood. Who wants that when you’re trapped in traffic together? So come prepared with convenience items that you can count on to be healthy for you and your travel companions. Options like snack crackers, minimally processed bars, or pre-made power balls are a great idea. If you’re not strapped for time, pre-making and freezing smoothies are a great option. Even storing them in a cooler after frozen, they should be good to go many, many hours into your trip. They could even make it to your hotel if you’re making a multi-day trip, go in the room refrigerator and create a healthy breakfast the following day before you start the second leg of your journey. Just remember, convenience doesn’t have to be unhealthy if you plan and put in some effort.
Hemp Snacks
Whether you want to make your own hemp balls (as mentioned earlier as power balls) or you want to buy store made hemp snacks – a simple search online or visit your local natural food store will prove there is a ton on the market, hemp is almost a must-have on a long road trip. Hemp is great to consume while traveling because they are a nutrient and energy powerhouse. Not only that, they are immune-boosting, and we all know that travel can be fatiguing, no matter how much fun you’re having. So be sure to pack a variety of hemp snacks in your road trip snack pack!
Whole Foods
We can’t round out the list without simply going back to basics. Consuming foods in their purest, most natural state is where you’re going to get the most benefit from them anyway. So pack plenty of fresh apples, citrus fruits, bananas, heck, even cans of olives. It doesn’t really matter; the fewer ingredients, we all know, the healthier. So, keep it simple and pack whole foods as road trip snacks, and you can’t go wrong! Happy Trails!
Featured Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay
