Headed out on the road for a long weekend?
If you ask me, there is nothing better than a good road trip whether it’s for a quick weekend trip away or an extended multi-day trip.
For sure, road trips can also be tricky when it comes to making healthier choices simply because of the unpredictability of what you are going to find along the road and when you might find it!
My husband, Trevor, and I just returned from a ten day roadtrip from our home in Philadelphia up to Portland, Maine and from there through the beautiful Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia to enjoy a little Babymoon before our baby boy is born in November.
It was truly an incredible trip with incredible coastal views, small towns, lovely people, and interesting history. (If you ever plan on doing this trip, please email me for our itinerary and spreadsheet of all of our favorite things we did, saw, and ate. I would love to share!)
I also learned a lot through trial and error about what worked well for packing and strategizing for success when it came to making healthier choices while on the road for an extended period of time, and I wanted to share some of my favorite pointers with you today to support you on your next trip!
So here we go…
TIPS FOR HEALTHIER EATING ON THE ROAD
PACK PLENTY OF SNACKS FOR THE ROAD
I can’t even tell you how grateful I was to have a full cooler and box of healthy snacks in our back seat on this trip. While we certainly enjoyed delicious meals out and enjoyed breakfasts served by the many Bed & Breakfasts we stayed at, there were times when we found ourselves hungry, but driving through areas with either very few options for a meal, or, in the case of this trip, areas that literally had NO food/meal options available at all. Having a wide variety of snacks, including protein and healthy fat options to help tide us over, helped us feel empowered to stop to eat at places we wanted to eat at rather than settling for a subpar option. {For a full list of what we brought with us, see list below…}
FOCUS ON GETTING AT LEAST ONE VEGGIE-PACKED MEAL A DAY
Veggies (and fruits) can be the hardest things to sneak in when eating out on the road, so a great goal is to try to prioritize having at least ONE of your meals per day have lots of veggies whether it is a salad or another option. Swapping in fruit for toast at breakfast is another great way to sneak in fresh produce while on the road.
USE GOOGLE, YELP, & TRIPADVISOR TO RESEARCH RESTAURANT OPTIONS
Even just a little bit of research can help you find restaurant options that are more likely to have healthy and unique options while on the road. I was so impressed by many of the restaurants that we ate at and their commitment to using locally sourced ingredients in their meals. Even a quick search on Yelp or Tripadvisor (seems like many of the Canadian towns we stayed in used Tripadvisor more!) can help you get a better idea of the meal options available to you. Plus, who wants to eat a subpar meal at a tourist trap just because it was the first thing you saw when you were starving?
ROAD TRIP SNACK ESSENTIALS
THE BASICS
FRESH FRUIT – Apples are my favorite portable fruit, but any will do!
CUT-UP VEGGIES – Carrots, cucumbers, celery, and bell pepper all make for great stackable and nutrient-packed snacks that last a long time after being cut up.
HARDBOILED EGGS – So easy and so satiating, HB eggs can make for great snacks or breakfasts on the road. {Full disclosure: I boiled a bunch of eggs to bring with me on this trip and then promptly forgot to pack them. I guess you win some and lose some, though I certainly missed having them!}
BABYBEL CHEESES/CABOT CREAMERY MINIS – Easy, portion controlled and delicious!
SINGLE-SERVE HUMMUS – I love Costco’s Kirkland brand single-serve hummus packs! They made snacking on veggies on the road so much easier and satisfying.
SINGLE-SERVE GUACAMOLE – I also love Wholly Guacamole’s single-serve guacamole packs that we also get at Costco! Great with veggies or chips.
GREEK YOGURT CUPS– These were great on mornings we didn’t have great options for breakfast.
NUTS – Almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachios, walnut etc.
PROTEIN BARS – I brought along my favorite caramel almond sea salt KIND bars but also love to recommend RX Bars and Think Thin Bars as other great options for on-the-go snacking.
SUPPLEMENTS – If you regularly take a multivitamin or other supplements, be sure to bring them along! When you are out of your routine, it can be a great time to provide your body with some extra vitamins/minerals that you might be missing as you are eating alone the road.
OTHER FUN SNACKING PRODUCTS WE BROUGHT ALONG THIS TIME
LA CROIX SPARKING WATER– Nothing better than an ice cold sparkling water to enjoy on a hot afternoon of exploring. Love the flavor of these and that they are unsweetened and artificial sweetener free!
MISSION MEATS GRAZE STICKS – These grass-fed, nitrate-free, and sugar free jerky sticks are great for quick protein on the road!
FIELD TRIP CRACKED PEPPER TURKEY JERKY – For another quick and portable protein snack, I love the Field Trip brand turkey jerky and love that it is lower in sugars than most other jerkys on the market!
RHYTHM SUPERFOODS KALE CHIPS – These feel like a yummy and snacky treat for the road. Both my husband and I enjoyed the Kool Ranch flavor.
SIETE GRAIN-FREE TORTILLA CHIPS – A great alternative for the gluten-free and grain-free crowd, these chips are a nice alternative for your crunchy craving.
FORAGER ORGANIC PRESSED VEGETABLE CHIPS – These were a fun new chip we tried out on this road trip and were great for satisfying the need for crunch.
VITAL PROTEINS COLLAGEN PACKETS – Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins found in the body and is a major building block in supporting connective tissues and the integrity of your skin, muscle tissue, bones, and tendons. These packets dissolve easily in hot and cold liquids and because they are flavorless are easy to add to anything and perfect for travel! I love having these while traveling so I can stir them into a cup of coffee in the morning if we won’t be getting to breakfast right away or in the afternoon for a quick way to sneak in 10 grams of protein.
OTHER GREAT GEAR FOR A HEALTHIER ROADTRIP
A GREAT COOLER – We invested in a nicer cooler before we left that would keep things cold for a few days. Luckily, it worked great and we only had to refill on ice 2-3 times on our ten day trip. We recently purchased this Igloo BMX 25 Quart Cooler.
REUSABLE INSULATED WATER BOTTLES – Great to refill at hotels to help us stay hydrated and reduce the amount of plastic water bottles we would have had to purchase along the way.
REUSABLE COFFEE MUGS – For coffee or tea at hotels in the morning or for coffee shop runs. Great way to reduce waste and keep your beverage hot!
BAG CLIPS – Whoops. Would have loved to have some bag clips with us on this trip. Missed having these for snackier items like chips that we opened!
WET WIPES/NAPKINS – Especially after snacking on things like fruit, veggies etc, it’s really nice to have a quick way to clean off your hands!
SILVERWARE AND/OR FULL PICNIC BASKET – We brought a picnicking backpack along with us on our trip and while we never had a picnic, we did use the silverware from the pack! It was great to have that option available to us.
COMPRESSION SOCKS – Anytime you are sitting for long periods of time, compression socks can be a great tool for preventing venous blood from pooling in the legs and feet and decrease the risk of blood clots. I was so glad to have mine with me and they helped me tremendously on longer driving days along with staying hydrated, getting out of the car whenever possible, and elevating my feet. I love my Sockwell Compression Socks and have now used them for plane and car rides and just general pregnancy symptoms and they have been great!
RESISTANCE BANDS/BOOTY BANDS – I love resistance bands and booty bands because they are so easy to pack on the road and are great for fitting in a quick workout, even if you only have ten minutes! Check out my 5 Move Loop Band Booty Workout You Can Do Anywhere here.
