Healthy Road Trip Snacks: However, finding healthy snacks in gas stations, convenience stores, and rest stops along your route is often challenging.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Plus, eating irregularly and sitting for hours on end while driving can lead to digestive issues like constipation and bloating, making healthy snacking all the more important.
As such, you should keep an eye out for nutritious snacks to pack with you or purchase along the way. Note that many portable and shelf-stable snack options are calorie-dense, so keep that in mind when traveling and your activity level is likely lower than normal.
Here are 10 healthy snacks that are perfect for road trips.
1. Fresh fruit and nut butter
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Fresh fruit is not only highly nutritious but also easily portable.
During road trips, munching on hydrating, high-fiber foods like fruit may keep your bowel movements regular and help prevent constipation caused by inactivity.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Apples, strawberries, and bananas are great paired with high protein nut butters like almond or peanut butter for a filling snack.
2. Trail mix
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Trail mix is a go-to snack for road trips — and for good reason. It doesn’t require refrigeration, is easy to eat, and provides ample protein, healthy fats, and fiber to fuel you on those extra-long road trips.
What’s more, you can buy nutritious, low sugar versions at most rest stops and gas stations. Look for a variety with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened dried fruit — and steer clear of those that contain candies, candied nuts, and sugared fruits.
You can also make your own at home.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Start with raw or roasted nuts and seeds, then add your favorite unsweetened dried fruits. Toss in unsweetened dried coconut, cacao nibs, dark chocolate chips, or spices for extra flavor and crunch.
Note that even without added candy, trail mix is high in calories and best meant for — you guessed it — the trail. Keep this in mind if you are sitting for hours on end.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, That said, trail mix also works as a meal replacement when other food choices are limited. Pairing trail mix with lower calorie fresh fruits or vegetables is one way to balance its calorie density.
3. Protein and granola bars
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Protein and granola bars are convenient, and most don’t require refrigeration, making them a good choice for road trips.
Yet, many bars are loaded with added sugars and other unhealthy additives, which is why it’s important to choose products made from whole, nutritious ingredients like nuts, oats, chia seeds, egg whites, and dried fruit.
4. Energy bites
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, bites, also called energy balls, are bite-sized morsels made from healthy ingredients like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Though small, they pack a punch of nutrition and calories.
You can easily make them at home and pack them in a cooler to take on the road. Check out this recipe for energy bites that include dates, nuts, cocoa powder, and almond butter.
5. Nuts and seeds
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Nuts and seeds are delectable on their own and pair well with many other road trip snacks, including dried or fresh fruit.
Both nuts and seeds are high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber. In fact, eating more of these foods may decrease your risk of heart disease and lower your blood sugar levels.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds can supply a needed energy boost during your road trip.
6. Fruit and veggie chips
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Many road trippers turn to highly processed snacks like potato chips to satisfy their cravings. However, these chips are typically high in calories, sodium, and unhealthy additives.
If you long for a salty snack with a bit of crunch, try healthy chips made from dried fruits and vegetables instead. For example, baked apple chips, plantain chips, and kale chips make excellent stand-ins for their highly processed counterparts.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Choose products that don’t contain added sugar or preservatives, or make your own fruit and veggie chips at home. Follow this recipe for crunchy kale chips that are ideal for travel.
7. Unsweetened yogurt
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, You can expand your snacking options during your road trip if you take a cooler.
Unsweetened yogurt is a great snack food that doubles as a quick breakfast when your choices are limited, but it needs to be kept cool to prevent spoilage, so be sure to fill your cooler with ice or ice packs.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Many flavored yogurts are high in added sugar, which you should limit. It’s best to choose unsweetened, plain varieties, then add your own toppings, such as berries, nuts, seeds, chia seeds, and dried coconut.
Unsweetened Greek yogurt is especially beneficial because it’s packed with protein, which helps keep you full.
8. Roasted chickpeas
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Chickpeas are highly nutritious, providing protein, fiber, magnesium, folate, and zinc.
While taking a can of chickpeas on the road is doable but a little more cumbersome, dried chickpeas are portable and easy to eat while driving or navigating.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, It’s easy to make your own using this recipe.
Alternatively, you can purchase dried chickpeas in various flavors at your local health food store, as well as online.
9. Fresh veggies and nutritious dip
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, If you bring a cooler, fresh vegetables like celery, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers make scrumptious, low calorie road trip snacks.
Eating veggies can not only satisfy your crunch cravings but also reduce your risk of various illnesses, including obesity, certain cancers, and mental decline.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, To boost the protein content and flavor of this snack option, pair fresh vegetables with nutrient-dense dips like hummus or Greek yogurt dip.
10. Hard-boiled eggs
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Hard-boiled eggs are another option to power you through long car trips.
They’re chock-full of healthy fats, protein, vitamin B12, choline, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, making them a particularly nutritious choice.
Healthy Road Trip Snacks, Just be sure to keep them in a cooler with ice packs and eat them within 1 week.
Also Read:
Healthy Foods For Women: The Best 10 Foods For Women’s Health
The 6 Unhealthy Foods That Are Actually Great For You
