Road Trip Snacks!

 

I saw a quote that said, “There’s no joy like the kind you feel when you’re shopping for snacks for a road trip.” I’m not sure if that stems from the freedom of buying fun food or the knowledge that vacation looms, but either way, there’s truth to it!

            I remember when Ryan and I were about to leave for our wedding/honeymoon, and one of my work friends (Hi, Sheryl!) put together this amazing gift bag of snacks and restaurant gift cards for us to enjoy on our way down and back. I would have to say in that case, there was no joy like the kind we felt when we were gifted snacks for a road trip and didn’t have to worry about buying our own. May I submit to you that when you don’t know what to give someone for a gift, you can just think of them at road trip time and gift them some snacks!

            For us, there’s the push and pull of wanting some fun things to eat while we drive and knowing that we need to be responsible in our snacking, too. So maybe we only get half the joy of the snack shopping.

            When it comes to healthy road snacks, Ryan likes bananas, which are easy enough to pack and consume, but I don’t love the smell of bananas, so when it’s all over, I’m eager for a stop so we can ditch the peel! He also likes apples, because he doesn’t mind biting into them to eat them. I’m an apple slice girl, so I usually don’t eat them until we’re stopped at our destination. But when it comes to fruit…grapes make a perfect road trip snack, I think.

            I remember the time we thought we had the stamina for an all-nighter road trip out to my niece’s wedding in Kansas. We weren’t quite as tough as we thought, it turned out. We stayed awake together as long as we could, and then I napped while Ryan drove. When it was my turn to drive, it was deep into the dark of night and there weren’t many cars on the road anymore. The longer I went and the later it got, the more exhausted I felt. I cranked the air and reached behind me for the grapes and just started eating. Turns out grapes don’t have caffeine. Not long after we entered Wichita, I pulled into the parking lot of (I think) a nursing home and waved the white flag. No more grapes. Just let me sleep.

            I almost always make a batch of energy balls before a trip, because those make great car snacks, and they keep us pretty full. And sometimes I make another kind of treat – like no-bake cookies or some other kind of cookie.

            We get salty stuff too: pretzels (Peanut butter stuffed for me!) and extra toasty cheese crackers.

            I used to always buy combos for road trip snacks, with the cheddar cheese filling being my favorite. I was soured on those after a filterless lady saw me eating some before our wedding reception and asked if I really thought that was a good idea to consume when I knew I needed to fit into my dress. Thanks for that!

            Back in the days when I chose not to worry about my figure – and the short period of time when I didn’t have to worry about it – my road trip snacks of choice were Hostess cupcakes (the chocolate ones with the white icing swirl on top), Combos, and a McDonald’s frappe. I consumed so many of all those things and can still taste them (with joy).

            Trail mix is another road trip favorite. When we went to my family’s vacation last summer, we packed a big bag of indulgent trail mix from Aldi, which is our go-to pick. We shared some with my sister and brother-in-law and I found out they still like to buy that now and then. (Perhaps there is no joy like introducing someone you love to something you love!)

            For the most part, we stick to water and coffee on our road trips, much like we do at home, but we do treat ourselves to Cokes now and then – and the road trip ultimate: frozen Coke. It’s the only way I can make it last longer than half a second. I’m usually known to indulge in a frappe or milkshake at some point on a trip. I’d drink them every day of my life if I could get away with it. LOVE THEM.

            All this food talk has me hungry (see what I did there?) for a road trip! What’s your favorite road snack?