Road Trip Snacks That Won’t Make You Hate Yourself
So you’re taking a road trip: you’ve got the clothes, camping supplies, everything is packed. Now comes the dilemma. What are you going to take to eat?
The healthy food options available on the major highways of America are meager at best. If you're watching what you eat, you certainly don’t want the usual array of fast foods and gas station snacks that clog your arteries and expand your waistline -- and you don’t want to stab halfheartedly with your plastic spork at a couple wilted pieces of iceberg lettuce from a drive-thru, either.
Taking a road trip should not come at the expense of your waistline, and the last thing you want is an assortment of nutrient-empty snacks while you’re sitting for hours on end staring at one spot ahead of you on the road.
You can also bring a cooler to try and keep things fresh, but who wants to deal with a cooler? You’ve got melting ice, soggy sandwiches and bruised fruit to contend with - not to mention the decision of what to pack that is healthy and will still taste good after a few hours.
The best Road trip Snacks are:
- Non-perishable
- Guilt-free and Delicious
- Low on Carbs, Sugars, and Pesticides
- Won’t make you sleepy
- Convenient to store and eat
- Require little to no preparation
When you’re driving, you’re going to want snacks that help you stay alert and energized without making you jittery, giving you a sugar high, or making you sleepy. (Especially not great when you’re driving the night shift!)
Top 5 Guilt-Free Road Trip Snacks
Here are our recommendations for the top 5 guilt-free road trip snacks that won't make you hate yourself:
5. Grapes
Grapes make a fine snack; they’re easy to eat on the go and don’t require any knives, plates, or napkins to eat. They also don’t have messy cores or peels to worry about afterwards.
Avoid: Eating only grapes (too much sugar), Frozen grapes (get too soggy), Unwashed grapes
4. Nuts
For a plant-based protein snack, go for a handful of nuts. Our preference is pistachios -- they’re delicious, and come in at just 4 calories per nut, as opposed to some of the bigger nuts like Brazil Nuts, which are 33 calories per nut!
Watch out for too many nuts, though, as a handful of most nuts contains quite a few calories!
Avoid: Trail Mixes and Protein Bars, which can be quite high in sugars and artificial flavorings.
3. Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs make for a great, easy snack for a shorter road trip: they're easy to make in under 10 minutes, are packed full of protein, and are easy to eat with virtually no cleanup — just make sure to peel them before you get in the car! The only issue is, they do require refrigeration and are less suitable for multi-day car trips.
Avoid: Hard boiled eggs with a shell, Bringing eggs on multi-day trips
2. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a great option on our list for convenience and taste, though we will say the nutritional content is lacking in comparison to eating more protein during a long drive. If you decide to go the dried fruit option for a road trip, we’d encourage you to make your own dried fruit snacks: whether you have a dehydrator or bake some apple chips in the oven, you can make your own healthy, easy-to-eat fruit snacks that don’t require refrigeration.
1. Small Batch Artisan Craft Jerky
No refrigeration, low in sugar, convenient, packed full of protein and flavor: these are just a few reasons why Jerky tops our list of healthy road trip snacks to satisfy your hunger pangs.
Avoid Gas Station Jerky, though -- it’s chock-full of preservatives, nitrates, sugar, corn syrup, and sodium. You don’t have to be a foodie to go for an organic, grass-fed gourmet jerky option, instead.
For the best selection of road trip jerky, Craft Jerky Co has you covered. Buy ahead of time for your next road trip, and you’ll save time and money with their novelty, tasty assortments. Opt in to one of these tasty assortments, and you’ll never go without proper nutrition on a road trip again!
Low-Carb Jerky Subscription: https://www.craftjerkyco.com/products/keto-jerky-box
Gourmet Beef Jerky Subscription: https://www.craftjerkyco.com/products/beef-jerky-subscription