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We’ve eaten in the car a lot. A LOT. From making 10+ hour drives for years to visit grandparents to hauling our RV every few weeks while full-timing, we’ve had our fair share of meals in the car.
Now, I know it’s easy to stop at a fast food place along the way, but I really don’t like to do that if I don’t have to. With a little planning, you can have easy to prep, nutritious meals and snacks on the go. Simply prep the night before and you’ll be ready for your trip.
After lots of traveling, we’ve settled on our favorite “not-too-messy and can-eat-with-one-hand” road trip foods.
Healthy Road Trip Foods
- cut up veggies – carrots, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas, celery, jicama
- fruit – apple slices, grapes, bananas, orange segments, blueberries
- guacamole single serving cups
- hummus
- crackers
- pretzels
- roll-ups – tortilla with sliced meat, cheese, veggies
- chicken bites – cubed chicken or chicken nuggets
- hard boiled eggs – peeled
- muffins
- cheese sticks or cubes
- yogurt squeeze tubes
- popcorn – Tried this on our trip last week, and it was a huge hit. Although a little messier if eating by the handful 😉
- energy bites – recipe here
- granola bars
- dried fruit
- nuts
- trail mix
Note: Some of the foods are better suited for older children. Also, quick reminder to pay attention to young kids eating anything in the car that may be a choking hazard.
You can pack individual lunches if you want, but I hate using a ton of plastic baggies, so I opt for family style. I pack everything in big bags or containers and dish out what the kids want. It cuts down on the wasted food per kid when you give them a little at a time instead of guessing how much they’ll want to eat, too.
So, I know you’re wondering, how does this work out in a car situation? Do you just pass the bag around?
I have such a simple solution that I implemented when we traveled full-time in our RV.
Enter . . . the puppy bowl. Silly nickname, but the kids love it, and there is a picture of a dog on the bottom. And technically, they are labeled as pet bowls on Amazon, but I have no problem using these for my family.
The bowls are compact, made from food-grade silicone, and BPA free. They collapse flat and take up very little space, so I keep them in the car at all times. It makes distributing snacks a breeze, and there is less mess, crumbs in carseats, dropping of food, etc.
You can grab a set of four here. Or grab two, because my husband likes to use one too 🙂
What are your favorite road foods?
