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Road houses are full of snack ideas – not all healthy!
Our road trip was packed full of adventure but unfortunately packed pounds on our waistlines too. We had three weeks to deliver the car to the East coast and started working our itinerary six months in advance. With all the planning however, we forgot about coordinating snack ideas.
Win a Hiking Backpack full of with snack ideas for your next trip (Details below)
My eating strategy whenever I fly has been whittled into a science, but a road trip with four adults in one car for days on end was in another league altogether. We took long hikes daily and expected that to burn calories but it wasn’t enough. Long, tedious hours of driving led to quick meals from limited roadside cafes and convenience stores. Too often that meant snack ideas of the high-carb, salt and sugar kind.
On the way to Mt. Rainier we stopped at the Viking Diner for burgers. Delicious and friendly, but low cal? Not.
Locals in the Mossyrock Landmark, Viking Cafe
I’ll have fries with that.
When visiting cousins of course we couldn’t refuse to take their homemade sweets along.
Rich, Brazilian Choco Balls!
My home breakfast schedule was demolished when the rest of the family needed a big meal before we hit the road. Too often hotel or road-side mornings started like this.
Resisting everything but temptation.
Fruit stands are a boon for summer travelers. Unfortunately, our rushed schedule kept us on freeways and off the smaller, country roads where fruit stands proliferate.
Road stand cherries are delicious snack ideas
When you’ve endured long hours traveling in the back seat or driving, it’s too easy to ‘reward’ yourself with a big dinner or a few beers. When you do that over several weeks it’s no wonder vacation clothes get tighter and tighter!
Beer with dinner at Belton Chalet, outside Glacier National Park
The best road trip snack ideas include:
- High protein, low salt and sugar, fruit and nut bars. Pick up a box before leaving home to stretch the travel budget.
- Buy in bulk. Nuts and dates make satisfying snack ideas and travel well. Make your own mix and store in baggies or better yet, reusable containers.
- Drink water often and limit the number of sweet, high fructose sodas and caffeine drinks. Avoid plastic bottles and refill your own.
- Stop to eat well before you feel like you’re starving. Being overly hungry too often leads to impulsive and poor eating decisions.
- Find grocery stores with salad bars and pick up fresh fruit at roadside stands.
- Portion control. We were two boomers and two millennials driving together. Guess who ate most of the peanut butter pretzel crackers?! Take a few out of the bag and stick to that portion.
If only I had known about these Jerky packs for our trip. Most jerkies on the market are full of nitrates and preservatives. They’re overly sweetened with high fructose corn syrup as well. The Golden Island Jerky recipes are gluten-free and have no artificial ingredients. The unique flavors come from the founder’s Asian heritage and are available in resealable bags – perfect for travelers.
Win a Hiking Backpack full of with snack ideas for your next trip
The prize includes:
- Two packages of each variety of Golden Island Jerky ($65 value)
- Four popular brand name, highly insulated Rambler 18 oz. bottles ($160 value)
- $100 Visa gift card for gas
- Hiking Backpack ($40)
Pack your bag and go! Enter here. Good luck!
This giveaway was facilitated by Golden Island Jerky. I was not compensated for this post but did receive free product samples, all opinions are my own.
How do you eat well on long road trips?
A pair of pins to share!
Road trip snacks are so important if you want a successful road trip. Great photos and ideas!
Thanks. Looks like Tumwater would be a great spot for a road trip vacation.
Great tips. I always bring a few small cans of tuna and sometimes my portable espresso machine!
You do come prepared! The tuna is a great idea. I prefer sardines in tomato sauce but both make protein rich snacks. The espresso machine sounds wonderful! I’d need one that runs from the lighter plug!
I am happy to be reminded about stopping at fruit stands and packing along baggies of nuts and dates. Great ideas!
Thanks, Carole. Sounds like you know how to eat well on the road.
We’re big believers in travel snacks. I love including jerky in the mix. We’ll have to check out the Golden Island jerky can’t believe it’s alluded us. Thanks for the tips!
It’s deliciousness for sure.
I never go anywhere without water in my car, and something to snack on. Usually biltong which is our equivalent of jerky 🙂
We have a restaurant here called, Cape Town. I wonder if they carry, or make, biltong. If not, I’ll just have to get to Africa to try some (high on my bucket list already.)
Love the jerky and cherries, would definitely love that for a road trip! Who doesn’t love waffles for breakfast? Great write up thoroughly enjoyed the read.
So kind of you, Prateek. It was a delicious trip.
I would hold out for the local pie stands and eat pie in the car. All day long… Except when I would be munching on cheese popcorn…
Now I know your secret for staying petite!
Cherries and choco balls! Yes please!!
Oh to have your youthful metabolism, Sahar!!
Love your suggestions, road trips really can be difficult to maintain a healthy eating regime. I have been known to pack my juicer, that way I am sure to be getting in some key healthful ingredients and they are filling too. Nuts and protein bars are good too, although can be an issue at some quarantine/border crossings, especially in Australia.
I remember the restrictions on food when we visited New Zealand, so we have that in common. Didn’t know there were similar rules in Australia. Glad you enjoyed the suggestions.
George and I love to take a backpack with on almost all our walks – our favorites are grapes, small salamis and fresh bread with coffee and water (the water mostly for the dogs). I’d love some choco balls, too, but unfortunately they wouldn’t survive long enough to be enjoyed during the walk 😉
Sounds wonderful! I’d love to pack that kind of snack.
Can’t help but take road trip snacks every once in a while. Especially if you can see lots of cafes and food stalls along the way. 🙂
Thanks for sharing snack ideas for a road trip travel.
Thanks for sharing, Dave. Eating on the road is one of life’s pleasures. I was just trying to bring along a little balance after what I discovered.
Just he idea of 4 adults for a long road is scary lol. Great snacking tips, those Jerky packs look amazing. I often bring nuts and dried fruit.
Packing all of us in the car for that long was demanding but we had few blow-outs, knew each other well and respected our different needs. I loved it!
That’s one of the reasons why I love travelling in a motorhome – plenty of good food on board. Always a few too many beers and wines, but our activity makes up for that. We don’t get a lot of jerky in Australia, but I know the US love it 🙂
Having a motorhome seems like such a great way to see the world, Australia especially. Interesting that you don’t have jerky but there might be dried meats of some kind.
I usually go for junk foods when I have a road trips. I will try some of your choices you mentioned for my next road trip for a change. 🙂
Good for you, Eloise! Change it up (and indulge in a few fun snacks too.)
I would be doubling up on choco balls for my road trip! They are my favourite! Especially if they have a dash of rum in them. 🙂
Now we’re talking! Choco balls with rum… nice idea.
I’m a fan of portion control. So, eat whatever you want.
You sound like a wise man, Howard. I wish I had your discipline!
Yumm!! Everything looks so delicious. Good suggestions!
Thanks, Darcie, glad you liked the pictures and suggestions.
You are right, road trips do throw you off your schedule, and eating healthy can be a challenge. Agree, always being prepared with snacks is the only way to survive! Hope you made it safely to the East coast. Great snack ideas!
Thanks, Rosemary, yes, we made it to our final destination. Glad you liked the suggestions. That means a lot come from a fellow foodie!
I really need to clean up my diet, but especially with regards to snacking. Thanks for this awesome suggestion!
We all need to watch what we eat and snacking is such a temptation. Hope that you find these practical for your day to day as well.
You’re right about travel taking its toll on your waistline. I try and pack a few healthy snacks-trail mix and nuts are a favorite since I don’t eat meat. Jerky is favorite with the rest of my family and the flavors of Golden Island would really mix it up nicely for everyone. I also like the fact the bags are resealable. Will keep my eyes open for the brand in my area.
I didn’t even touch on special diets on road trips but can imagine how flexible you must be. I hope your family finds the jerky nearby. Thanks for stopping by Alison.
I really need to do better about this. I’m so bad about stopping for fast food on road trips!
It’s fun to stop at fast food spots along the way – I just can’t handle it all the time.
I have to agree! Road trips are dangerous in terms of the food you eat. I tend to find this awesome breakfast places. I get so full that I do not eat till 3:00 p.m. Then, it is something full of calories again for dinner. Like your tips to keep things under control.
Thanks, Ruth. Glad you found the tips helpful.
I usually go for sandwich, salads and cheese and salami. love them 🙂
Sandwiches are incredible when done well. But I could never have them on a daily basis. Don’t know how some people do it!
Road trips are such a fun excuse to eat all kinds of funny and weird foods. I usually eat pretty poorly for a day or two, but then take another day or two to eat mostly produce (bag of carrots, apples, grapes, things like that).
I like your strategy with alternating days of eating mostly produce. Thanks for the simple tip.
Oh man, that all looks delicious! Definitely a good idea to have snacks on hand though, so you don’t get stuck and get hangry 🙂
Too true, Tamara. Having something with you on the way can help to derail cravings.
Yea, I hear your pain Elaine! I always suffer the consequences of food rewards when I travel. And I so hate it!
Thanks, Anda, we’re sisters in that regard. Eating out on the road is one of my greatest pleasures however, so we’ll just have to grin and bear it!
I always eat way more on road trips than usually, so it is important to eat as healthy as possible. Some yummy choices you have there, so I always only eat the vegetarian choices 🙂
Grilled veggies are my favorites anytime and place. Harder to find some on the road sometimes.
Great tips here! I am guilty of having certain horrible junk foods I think of as my Road Trip foods. But for our next trip we are going to or local grocery store which has a make-your-own trail mix bar and some of the other goodies you mentioned.
#weekendwanderlust
Some road trip junk foods are tasty fun! It’s just about finding balance.
Funny I read this now, as I’m planning on going to Mt Rainier tomorrow! I’ll have to keep the Viking Cafe burgers in mind. I hope I see fruit stands along the way, as I’m really craving some fresh berries now!
Enjoy the road trip. Mt. Rainier was one of my favorite National Parks on our trip. Should be prime berry season there now too.
Omg those Brazilian chocolate balls bring back amazing memories of the first time I tasted one on a boat trip out of Paraty, north of São Paulo. They were incredible!
You know then what we were up against!!
I’m the worst when it comes to road trip foods, but its one of the few times I completely just give into every whim. I especially like trying all the weird and wacky things I find along the way, but I always have a bottle of water with me to refill.
Trying weird and wacky foods along the way is one of the best parts of traveling! It’s portion control in that case, I’ve found, that allows you to indulge and not regret it.
The Golden Island Jerky looks yum, such wonderful flavors too.. my son would love them for snacks.
They are delicious flavors. I hope you get a chance to try them.
Ok you are totally right on these as road trip snacks, but I am so conditioned to eat junk on a road trip! I love sunflower seeds and sweets. But this is much better 🙂
I’m with you on that conditioning. If it’s a long road trip though that’s a recipe for disaster, I’ve found. Even eating too many nuts packs on the pounds.
Oh wow! What a great giveaway! Love the personalized thought behind it.
Thanks, Anna. I hope you win!!
Some great ideas in here, some of it tooooo healthy for me 😉 I love road trips in Canada, I keep stopping off at Tim Hortons for their drinks. 🙂
Think I need to organize a road trip in Canada around stops at Tim Hortons. Then jog along side the car for the rest of the day!