nutrition: road trip snacks 101

I get a lot of questions from you guys about easy, portable snacks.

As I was packing yesterday for our road trip to the beach, I realized it would be a great time to do a post like this – especially with back to school season right around the corner!

I’ve written about snacking in the past – when I include them, how I compose them and my general thought process around them.  For those that haven’t read my previous posts (or just don’t feel like looking at it right now!) I’ll say this, snacks can (and are!) a perfectly healthy part of a balanced diet.  They’re great for a number of different things – to quell hunger when you’re still a while away from a meal, fuel a workout or fuel your body post-workout, just to name a few.

When I’m road-tripping (or even back in grad school when I would pack snacks knowing I’d be out of my apartment all day) – I always look for something that can provide me a source of protein (and/or good fat) and fiber.  These two working together do a good job of squashing my hunger and holding me over until my next meal.  And it doesn’t have to be all in one snack – sometimes I would pack a bag of fruit (fiber) and a separate baggie of nuts (protein + good fat) and would munch on either or both.  Be flexible with snacks, pack options for yourself and don’t feel like just because you packed it you have to eat it!  Listen to your hunger and eat as much or as little as you need to feel satisfied.

A few of my favorites to bring on the road (note that I take a cooler bag with me so I can bring semi-perishable items):

Whole grain crackers (fiber) & a cheese stick (protein) – I love Triscuits Hint of Salt crackers

PB&J on whole wheat (fiber, protein & good fat) – Any nut butter will work – just try to choose one that only has the nuts of choice as an ingredient (+/- salt) and look for jams/jellies/fruit preserves with less than 10g sugar per serving.  I love Crazy Richards, Teddie, Whole Foods 365 and Trader Joe’s nut butter and Trader Joe’s & Polaner brands for fruit spread.

Fresh baggies of fruit (fiber) or whole fruit (pairs great with nut butter packets!)

Baggies of nuts (protein & good fat) & dried fruit (fiber, though not as much as whole fruit) – Almonds with apricots and walnuts & juice-sweetened cranberries are two great combos!  Look for unsalted nuts if possible.

Baggie of peanuts (fiber, protein & good fat) & dark chocolate chips (yummy!)

Fruit & Nut bars (fiber, protein & good fat) – I love KIND & Larabar best

Carrot sticks (fiber) & hummus (protein & good fat) – also works well with whole grain crackers or pita chips!

And that’s it!  Obviously there are TONS of options out there – just check out this post for 20 packable snack ideas – but hopefully this gives you some ideas for the next time you’re road tripping or just preparing to be out of the house for a while!

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