How To Stay Healthy On The Road (Without Eating A Single PB&J)

While road trips have the potential to be an entertaining and exciting adventure theoretically, often times it’s easy to get antsy and frustrated when you’re stuck in a car for numerous hours. This is especially true when you’re functioning on nothing but greasy French fries and depressing bags of trail mix (why so many peanuts?!). To combat your desire for another Auntie Anne’s pretzel with dipping sauce, of course, here’s a list of clean alternatives to keep your belly (and your wallet) full. Whether you’re gearing up to commute across the country or simply driving a few hours home to visit family and friends, it’s more than possible to stay healthy while crossing borders.

Plan Ahead So You Don’t Get Stuck

Preparing for your trip is essential. As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail! While a loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter will get you by, where’s the fun in that? My favorite road trip foods include baggies of sliced veggies and fruits for an easy to snack. Even better, I bring along a bag of whole wheat wraps to stuff with whatever goodies I have. You can even prepare wraps ahead of time and keep them rolled in tin foil for an easy meal! My favorite combos are almond butter with banana or fresh veggies with hummus or beans.

Avoid Costly Caffeine

Many folks turn to coffee to power through their night time drives. Since I gave up that overly priced brown water years ago, I turned to stocking up on boxes of my favorite tea bags to tote along with me. Rest stops will often give you hot water for free and you can make your own caffeine-enriched beverage of choice. The extra antioxidants in there won’t hurt ya, either. You can also use the hot water to make some low sugar oatmeal, so throw in a box of your favorite (apple cinnamon mmm) to have along the way.

Fluids are Your Friend

To eat while on the go, I’m a huge fan of Vega protein powder (or powder of your choice). Just dump a scoop into an empty water bottle and fill it with water whenever you’re at a rest stop. Not only will it fill you up with necessary nutrients, it’s also easy to drink while driving and will keep you hydrated.

Bars and Beyond

Store bought trail mix is typically filled with filler foods and extra salt. To ensure you know what you’re eating, make your own mix ahead of time and portion it out into plastic baggies. My favorite mix includes almonds, cashews, dried apples and some dark chocolate chips. All about balance.

Unprepared? Try This:

If you’re in a bind and stuck at a gas station, look for a snack bar that has pronounceable ingredients. Any ingredient unrecognizable to you is most likely processed and void of natural nutrients. Kind and Lara bars stick to whole foods and are always a good bet.

While roadtrippin’ might seem cost effective, the extra goodies we tend to pick up along the way can add up quickly. A little time spent planning beforehand will guarantee that you’re not compromising your health or your gas money. Happy travels!

What’s your go-to snack while on the road?

I always have bananas and a Tupperware of almond butter with me. My friends often tease me for never being without some sort of snack!