See the photo above? Fluffy cotton ball clouds to welcome us on the beginning of our road trip. The clouds pretty much looked amazing during our entire “Spring Break” trip.
Now, onto important matters. I don’t know about all of y’all, but I love to snack on road trips. It’s the worst when I’m a passenger, and even worse when I’m the sleepy driver. Munch, munch, munch. That’s pretty much all I do. Well, that and attempting to beat box, but I digress. Like most of you, road trips for me used to be filled with junk food made easy for snacking. I’ve made a conscious decision to shift away from that and to help you do so as well.
The key to making sure that you don’t snack only on junk and high caloric foods is to pack healthier snacks. I know. It’s so simple! Mark and I under planned a bit for our trip and had to make multiple trips to a local grocery store, but you can all learn from our mistakes.
Healthier foods tend to spoil faster and more easily; therefore, it is essential that you have some type of cooler in the car. Don’t forget the ice! We road tripped from San Jose to various national parks in Utah (Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reefs). On our way home, we stopped by Pinnacles National Park. The cooler kept our food alive!
Here’s a list of healthy snacks along with some breathtaking views.
1. FRUIT
Pack along plenty of fruit for the car ride and for when you explore the new area you’re visiting. In our case, we hiked multiple national parks. The refreshing pieces of fruit were perfect treats for when we reached our destination. They also made such pretty subjects with the scenic background.
A strawberry at Hidden Canyon in Zion National Park
A Granny Smith apple up in Bryce Canyon (I believe this was part of the Navajo Loop)
Sweet juicy orange at the Gorge in Capitol Reef National Park
2. Veggies (Carrots or snap peas make for the most convenient ones!)
Snap peas at Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park
3. Nuts (Almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.)
If you aren’t allergic to them, they’re filled with plenty of healthy fats, protein, and are high in calories. That’s why I love consuming them during both road trips and long hikes. If you are allergic, I’d recommend not eating them haha.
Snacking on almonds on the Peekaboo Loop trail at Bryce Canyon (almond looks like it could fit in that window)
4. Peanut Butter Sandwiches
I suppose peanut butter sandwiches could be considered cheap and healthy road trip lunches. I thought I’d just lump them in with snacks in case some of you have big appetites. If you can get your hands on some all natural peanut butter for a road trip, you’ve struck gold!
Peanut butter sandwich up on some random boulder in Pinnacles National Park.
5. Whole Wheat Fig Bars
I know, I know. Sometimes you just have to grab something pre-packaged and ready to go. Whether it’s a low sugar granola bar (Lara bars are ideal) or these whole wheat fig bars found in Costco, they’ll just have to do. For the most part, you’re likely to only eat one of them. Besides, these fig bars are small.
On our way to Bryce we pulled over to snap a photo out of the sunroof. The fig bar kind of blends in with hoodoos, don’t you think?
Of course there are other healthy snacks for road trips out there that I didn’t mention. These are my top five and the ones that I packed. When traveling, try visiting a place where you can spend some time outdoors and be active. Or choose a place where you’ll have to spend a lot of time on your feet, that way you’ll have more room to indulge on some sweet treats.
We hiked every day and so we made a few fun stops where we had a vegetarian quiche (probably the best one I’ve ever had in my entire life) and latte at a local outdoorsy coffee shop/roaster.
River Rock Roasting Company was where we enjoyed a quick little snack on a canyon side by the river before we headed off to our next destination.
We also had to stuff our faces with some mixed berry pie at the Gifford Homestead House in Capitol Reefs. Their pie was YUH-MEE! Traveling means eating healthy, being active, and then leaving room for some tasty, well earned indulgences.
This mixed berry pie was a well balanced amount of tart and sweet. It had a crispy crust, crumbly top, and gooey oh so delicious berry filling. With a side of the historical house’s homemade ice cream and a view of the red canyons, it was mind blowing good. The picture does it absolutely no justice.
Taking road trips and being healthy isn’t so hard! Pack nourishing and tasty foods as well as choose destinations where you’ll be able to be active. And don’t forget to have fun and allow yourself to eat something that purely makes your taste buds happy.
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