If you are someone that likes to travel, you know what it’s like to be in cramped in a car for hours at a time asking your beloved GPS “are we there yet?” Your road trip may not look like an exhilarating scene from Fast and Furious, but you can make it bearable with some fufilling food.
I think food may be the most important aspect of a road trip. After all, no one wants to be hangry for hours. Trust me, it’s better to feed the beast than tame it. However, a lot of people make the mistake of eating junk food on their road trips. They succumb to the cravings of potato chips, candy, and worst of all: the 32-ounce soda. That 99 cent soda seems like a great idea until you have to stop 20 times to go to the bathroom.
To save your road trip sanity, I’ve made a list of healthy snacks to pack the next time you want to go on an adventure. Here are my top 5 picks:
1. Fruit
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You can never go wrong with eating fruit on a road trip. Fruit’s natural sugars curve your sugar tooth, while providing essential nutrients needed to focus on the road. Peeled clementines, sliced apples, grapes, bananas, cherries, and blueberries are all great options that aren’t too messy. You can even throw them all together to make a yummy fruit salad.
2. Nuts
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Nuts are a great for the brain. Brain food is important while driving because you need to stay focused. Your brain needs to be at its best to take the right exits and stay on the right roads. To make matters even healthier, brands also make unsalted nut varieties, so you can eat more without worrying about your sodium levels.
3. Trail Mix
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Chex Mix and other prepackaged trail mixes are good, but it can be beneficial to make your own. Before you complain about making a batch of trail mix before leaving the house, all you have to do is pour a few bags of popcorn, pretzels, and whatever else your heart pleases into a bag and shake it. Trail mix is easy to eat on the road, and it won’t make a huge mess…unless you hit a large pothole and drop your bag.
4. Dairy Items
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I realize dairy items might sound unappetizing at first for a road trip, but hear me out. Dairy keeps our muscles nice and strong, and after having both arms elevated at the wheel for 5 hours, you will want that dairy. Items like yogurt may come in small packages, but they carry a big punch of protein. Protein keeps you nice and strong to finish the job and get you to your destination.
5. Dark Chocolate
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Everyone needs at least one guilty pleasure to enjoy on the road. Dark chocolate can fill that desire. Dark chocolate offers many health benefits than can lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and provide antioxidants. Just make sure to put the chocolate in a cooler if you have a hot car. A melted chocolate river would be cool to see, but not in your car.
Road trips don’t have to be torturous nightmares that never end. They can be beacons of hope if you have the right tools. Be the hero of your next road trip and pack some of these healthy snacks to show your car mates who’s boss.
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