Road Eats

It's nearly Christmas and many of us will be hitting the road to visit family and friends.

Cakewalk and I will be doing a LOT of driving over the next week or so.

As you know, faithful readers, I am trying not to buy food outside of the home (with reasonable exceptions of course.) Which led me to post about how to eat well when traveling.




First, you need to plan ahead. Make a list, check it twice and hit the grocery store. Don't do this 10 minutes before you need to leave. Give yourself enough time to get what you need without making rash decisions. And give yourself time to get it home, prep it if needed and get it packed appropriately.

Next, you need to think about things that hold up, can handle only a moderate amount of refrigeration (or none), and can easily be eaten driving down the road. Yogurt, por ejemplo, is not a good choice unless it's for the passenger and you have a very good cooler.

If you think you will need caffeine, I would consider purchasing sodas now and putting a few on ice. This will save you time and money at gas stations.

Finally, and this should be obvious by now, you should have a good cooler on hand. If you don't have one, you can always purchase one of those styrofoam ones from the store. I know it isn't the greenest option and I know it adds to your bill, but in a pinch it's a decent solution and still preferably to purchasing every snack and meal at a fast food joint.

So what should you pack? Here are some suggestions that I have found work well, but I'm always open to others:

• Cut up celery, carrots, bell peppers, etc into sticks for easy munching. Carrots and celery are obvious, but try other raw veggies too like red peppers or snow peas.
  
• Fruit that isn't too messy: bananas, apples, pears, etc.
  
• Or have fruit already cut up into pieces in a tupperware type bowl. This may only work for the passenger. Don't try to spear fruit with a fork while driving. But some you could eat with your fingers if they aren't tooooo juicy.
• Muffins are one of my favorite travel foods. You can make a bunch at a time, they don't have to be kept cold, they hold up for days, and they can be very filling and healthy. I made oatmeal and cranberry muffins with a touch of brown sugar for a recent trip and was glad I did when the breakfast options were sparse.
  
• Bagels are pretty easy to eat in the car, unless you require a truck load of cream cheese on them. But who needs that, right? There are a few different types you could try. First, try buying "day olds" from your local bagel shop. These will be cheaper and already packaged in a bag so you can toss them in the car. Or, you can buy a bag in the freezer section or bread section at your grocer. But remember that not all bagels are made the same. They can have 100-400 calories each. And some have HFCS and some do not. I really like getting cinnamon raisin because I know they taste great plain.
  
• Make sandwiches such as PB&J or turkey and cheese. Try making variations of the originals. Try a different type of cheese than American. Or try a spicy turkey meat. Try a different nut butter. Or use an unusual jelly/jam. One of my favorite sandwiches was a PB&J made with natural peanut butter and my boss's peach and rosemary jelly. You can also vary the type of bread you use. Try rye or pumpernickel. Or make sandwiches using pita bread. Hummus with spinach on pita is tasty and different. Make them ahead, and wrap them individually. Of course, these will need to be in the cooler. I would recommend putting them on top so they don't get smashed or soggy.
• Dry cereal makes a good snack. I've especially like eating shredded wheat without milk. It's perfect finger food. They now have a bunch of different flavors, including chocolate. While these do have sugar, they also have a decent amount of fiber, making them a better snack choice than combos from the gas station. (Although I do love me some combos now and then.) You can really eat just about any cereal with your hands, even flakes. Try mixing cereals in individual baggies for a fun treat. I like mixing a sweet one with a healthier one like frosted flakes with kashi.
• Make your own trail mix. I know I posted about this somewhere, but I can't find it to give you the linky. Sorry dudes! But basically, to make your own trail mix toss together some nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, soy nuts, etc), some dried fruit (raisins, cranberries), a bit of candy if you like (chocolate bits), pretzels, coconut (if you like that junk, I certainly do not), or whatever you like. Just try to make sure you have some nuts for protein and not too much sugar or salt. I would recommend putting this into individual baggies too. It will make it easier to eat and will help with portion control.
• Make your own peanut butter (or nut butter) crackers. Buy some saltines and make little peanut butter sandwiches. These don't have to be cold and can be eaten easily for a little protein on the drive. You can purchase saltines with less salt or you can even try the "whole grain" ones, although I don't know how whole grain they are and I kinda have my doubts. Check the fiber content. If they have more than regular crackers, give them a try. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Of course, you can use whatever crackers you want, they don't have to be saltines.

I hope this list gave you some good ideas. Even if you only pack some snacks and still eat your meals out, you will have saved some money and calories. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. But do remember that if you stop at a fast food establishment or a convenience store, you can still make wise choices. It doesn't have to mean you have to throw in the towel and overindulge. At gas stations you can usually find nuts, peanut butter crackers, milk and juice, pretzels, and even cheese sticks, fruit or sandwiches. But if you do eat Combos once in awhile, I won't scold you. ;)