What foods to take on a road trip?

[Ottakee]

17dd and I are heading out Friday evening with a friend of mine on a road trip from Michigan to Montana. We have about 30 hours of drive time ahead of us. We are driving a big pick up with camper topper on it pulling a car hauler type trailer full of stuff.

 

We will have a cooler but likely that will keep things cool but not COLD for very perishable items. We aren't turning on the fridge or stove in the trailer.

 

To complicate things a bit this is a one way trip. We are driving that far and then dd and I are flying home while my friend's dh is flying in from Alaska and they are driving the rest of the way there and will keep the truck, camper and trailer up there------so whatever we bring container, cooler, etc. wise won't be coming back with us.

 

We will eat out---likely fast food 1 meal a day but the rest will be eaten on the road as we drive.

 

What great ideas do you have for me? Healthy choices would be great, esp. those not carb heavy.

[MeghanL]

Sorry I can't help you with healthy, not-carb-heavy. If I'm going on a road trip, I need my pizzeria Combos!

[wapiti]

nuts of all kinds (I'd bring almonds and macadamia)

 

cheese if it can be kept sufficiently cool

 

nut butter with spoon :tongue_smilie:

[Annie G]

I usually choose fruit and yogurt for breakfast but if you want low carb, hard boiled eggs and cold cooked bacon would fill you up and is easily portable.

A delicious Chicken Caesar salad or Cobb Salad would last in a cooler, as would a wrap made with a low carb flatbread/tortilla.

I make chicken tenders from scratch and eat them cold- they are delicious, though they are coated with panko and aren't truly low carb.

 

You can buy replacement ice really cheap along the way, so keeping things cold probably won't be difficult.

[Ottakee]

I don't need really low carb, just more healthy carb. It is easy to think of chips, crackers, popcorn, etc.

 

We will need 2 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 2-3 suppers maybe. We will likely have one night in a hotel so that 17dd can swim and my friend and I can enjoy the hot tub and a breakfast in the morning. The other nights we are sleeping in the camper.

[Annie G]

4 lunches? How many days will it take you to drive the 30 hours? I was thinking two days. 4 days will be a bit more difficult.

[NotSoObvious]

I'm listening because we will be doing the same thing this summer. We've come up with apples, trail mix, nuts, lunch meat and cheese from the deli counter, yogurt... I still haven't figured out how often we'll need to replace ice, but I'm thinking once a day will be enough.

[RoundAbout]

Flavored tuna pouches

Nuts

Olives

Summer sausage

 

Need ideas for our trip this summer too!

[Tita Gidge]

Don't forget that many gas stations with mini-marts have microwaves to use. That may open up more options.

 

You could pre-make biscuits and eggs or breakfast burritos. First wrap in wax paper, then in foil. When you're ready to eat, remove foil wrapper and warm in the microwave. Won't be the best biscuit or burrito, but it'll be warm and filling. You could even freeze before you leave, allowing for a slower thaw in the cooler. Another breakfast option might be single-serve oatmeal packets. All you'd need to do is stop by a gas station, McD, or donut place for a cup of hot water. We actually leave these in our car for just driving around town, when the kids get hungry for a snack LOL. Protein shakes are good, too - just bring powder, and buy small milks on the road. Pour into a plastic cup from home or one you saved from your fast food stop (rinsed, of course!)

 

For lunches, use those same microwaves to pop popcorn (buy there or bring from home). A few bags will carry a light lunch farther and can be better than chips, some crackers. Corn chips and salsa - the latter might not require refrigeration until opened, and you'll have an excuse to finish it off. Cheese and trail mix. Nuts can get tricky - too many, especially if you're not used to them, can mean a lot of time at those gas station restrooms IYKWIM. Ewwww.

 

Raw veggies with dip do fine if kept cool; will last at least two days. Wraps, too - chicken can be eaten cold and makes a good wrap w/cheese and lettuce. Another option for the first few lunches might be fried chicken. It keeps awhile, and tastes fine cold

 

Pre-bake some healthier muffins, maybe from a Paleo site or something.

[plath]

Tuna packets

String cheese

Trail mix

Dried fruit

Fruit

Nuts/seeds

Muffins

Homemade granola bars

popcorn

Bagels with Pb (those little packets are perfect)

 

We're road tripping before our camping trip next week and that's what we usually pack.

[plath]

Oh and tortillas are good for sandwiches. They don't get smashed under stuff like bread does.

[Mommyof4ks]

We do sandwiches for lunch and dinner, and muffins and hard boiled eggs for breakfast on road trips. Snacks include nuts, dried fruit, and fresh fruit that can be stored without any fuss like bananas and apples. These are keep nicely in our cooler, but 2.5 days of driving is the most we have done.

[Sasharowan]

We like granola bars, beef jerky/sticks, mints, and gum for snacking when traveling. Can also be used for breakfasts. Take tortilla wraps, a lunch meat or even taco filling, along with lettuce, cheese, etc for lunches. Grapes are an easy fruit for snacking in the car.

[KatieJ]

McDonalds around here will give you ice for free. My son used to work there and sure enough, they do! They will even give you large amounts for parties. (We got some for his grad open house as he was employed there there. )

[aug17girl]

One suggestion is to replace one of the fast food stops with a grocery store or big box store stop. This works especially well after the midway point of the trip. You could pick up a rotisserie chicken and a pre-made salad to share and replenish any perisables that need it. They usually even have free cutlery. We google potential stores to stop at along the route before we go so we don't waste time driving around looking for one.

 

Ziplock bags are great for holding ice, keeping food dry in the cooler, and can be used as a replacement for a plate or bowl for eating in the car.

 

We also find a good thermos is handy. It can either be filled at gas stations with coffee to top up travel mugs or filled with hot water for oatmeal, tea, or small roadside dishwashing jobs.

[UrbanSue]

We usually make "egg muffins" which you can find lots of recipes for on Paleo web sites. We think they are great cold and they are healthy and filling and--most important with small children--not crumbly!

[Dahliarw]

I would probably just get a cheap styrophome cooler so you can toss it (or pass it off) on the other end. Cheese, hard boiled eggs, small packages of sealed things like hummus, etc will keep well in a cooler. Unopened packages of lunchmeat will last longer than opened ones as well (so if you can get super small packages to do sandwiches or something that would work best and you could keep it right on the ice and use within a day or two). Fruit and veggies keep for quite a while chilled, even though not fridge temp. You can also get the aseptic little packages of milk and such that do not require refrigeration before opening. Nut butters and nuts are also very healthy and filling options. I'm assuming you can refill your ice along the way if you need at a grocery store, and possibly pick up fresh groceries?