Traveling is fun! We love road trips in particular. There’s nothing quite like traveling with your loved ones. Whether it's jamming to your favorite music with the windows down or eating at the best restaurants around, traveling is the best way we know to make memories last a lifetime. But what do you do when you’re traveling on a budget or driving lengthy roads with no food in sight? This is where healthy snacks come to the rescue!
Any road trip is incomplete without good snacking options. Most of the time, people tend to snack because they’re bored. But it becomes so much more important to pack healthy and filling snacks when you’re traveling. And yes we know, hearing about snacks being ‘healthy’ might just leave you in a twist. In this blog, we will be discussing healthy alternative foods when you’re on the go to help make your travels all the more fulfilling.
Let’s start with this staple travel food, trail mix. Trail mix is probably the most popular and practical travel snack. However, most packaged trail mixes contain added sugar and preservatives, making them an unhealthy option for a travel snack.
Why not make your own instead? It’s a fun little exercise to do on your own or with your friends before you begin your journey. Roast some nuts and oilseeds, and mix in some dried fruits of your choice. You can even add some homemade chocolate chips if you prefer. This not only brings down the sugar content and preservatives but also makes it more nutritious since you don’t lose any nutritional value in the cooking process. After all, homemade foods will always trump mass-manufactured products.
Granola bars are another excellent travel snack. They’re compact, easy to carry, and do not need refrigeration. The issue with manufactured granola bars is that most of them come loaded with refined sugar. This might make them a tasty snack to munch on, but if you’re planning to travel for an extended period of time - they might not be the best option for your body.
Believe it or not, granola bars are quite easy to prepare at home. There are several granola bar recipes available online to help you make some that everyone will love. Just like trail mix, preparing granola bars at home ensures that the nutritional value remains intact, and they can be prepared with healthier sugar alternatives like honey, stevia, or jaggery.
Road trips almost seem impossible without potato chips. It’s a snack that pleases kids and adults alike. Not to mention that they’re the most easily available snack. But you know what else is easily available in potato chips? Loads of preservatives, vinegar, and unhealthy oils remnants.
Popcorn isn't necessarily reserved for movie nights. It’s just as easily available as chips, and as fun to munch on (maybe more). We do advise avoiding regular microwave popcorn and going for organic unflavored ones. Air-pop them and drizzle them with some melted butter. Here you have a fun and tasty snack, with lots of fiber and nutritional value. Your companions are never going to get bored of it.
French fries are basically a staple food in the modern world. However, these deep-fried potato sticks lack nutritional value and they’re purely empty calories that taste good. Moreover, when it’s topped with ketchup, you load it with sugar and preservatives. It’s unbelievably unhealthy to eat repeatedly.
Our suggestion would be to switch to veggie chips, which carry far more nutritional value. There are plenty of recipes to make veggie chips. You can bake them, or air-fry them. Even if you buy the mass-manufactured ones, you’re still better off than just eating french fries. Veggie fries are loaded with flavors, vitamins, and antioxidants. Coupling it with hummus can make it an even better option than ketchup. Made from chickpeas, hummus is an excellent source of zinc, magnesium, protein, fiber, and folate. It’ll keep you healthy as you move along your travels.
Traveling with healthy snacks wasn’t that hard, was it? The first step towards good health is taken in the kitchen. No commitments should stop you from achieving your finest health. We hope this list helps you out and always remember to travel smart.