And for me, road trip is synonymous with “snacks!” My husband Dan likes to tease me and say that I consider any car trip longer than 10 minutes a road trip, and he’s not wrong! Stopping at a convenience store and getting snacks is one my great pleasures in life. I’ll grab a diet soda and we’ll usually split a candy bar. But on longer road trips, we sometimes need actual food. We try to avoid fast food places if we can help it, and thankfully, convenience stores have come a long way as far as nutritious options. Many of my favorite stores (Wawa and Sheetz for local stores; QuikTrip (QT) in the Carolinas and Wisconsin-favorite Kwik Trip) have a refrigerated case with healthy items near the cash registers, and there are some minimally-processed items on the shelves as well. Grabbing a few of these can fill you up and keep you out of the drive-thru.
I've rated the items for the amount of processing they've undergone, and their “eatability” while driving.
PROCESSING:
HIGH – highly processed with many additives 🔴 - eat sparingly
MODERATE – processed, but with minimal additives 🟠 - everything is processed to some degree, and this one is a decent choice
LOW- minimally processed (just what’s required to get itfrom the field/farm into the packaging) 🟢 - eat with abandon!
“EATABILITY” WHILE DRIVING:
LOW – no way! It’ll wind up all over you! 🔴
MODERATE - some risk of some of it landing in your lap 🟠
HIGH – go for it! 🟢
HARD BOILED EGGS. Sometimes sold in a two pack for 12 gramsof protein, 0 carbohydrates and 10 grams of healthy fats. PROCESSING – LOW. EATABILITY – MODERATE (make sure you open the wrapper before you drive –it’s a two-handed operation!)
MOZZARELLA CHEESE STICKS – 7g of protein, 1 gram of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fat. PROCESSING – MODERATE; EATABILITY –HIGH (open before you drive, but this one is a clear winner in the “eating and driving” food options)
CHOBANI FRUIT-ON-THE-BOTTOM YOGURT – 12 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat. PROCESSING – MODERATE. EATABILITY – LOW. This WILL wind up in your lap, but is a good option if you’re a passenger, or you could eat it in the parking lot. Don't forget to grab a spoon!
P3 PORTABLE PROTEIN PACK (turkey, almonds and Colby jackcheese) – 11 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of fat. PROCESSING – MODERATELY HIGH. EATABILITY - HIGH
FRESHLY CUT FRUIT CUPS OR FRESH WHOLE FRUIT. Whole fruits (bananas, apples) are usually available, but you’ll also see fresh cut fruit. For high EATABILITY, grab a cup of grapes. PROCESSING–LOW
NUT PACKS. Nuts are minimally processed and filling, but are easy to overeat. Their high fat and calorie total means we need to stick to the smaller snack-size bags. A Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almond pack has 21 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of protein. PROCESSING - LOW. EATABILITY– HIGH
PROTEIN BARS. There are a wide variety of bars out there; check the nutrition label and go with what you need. Most protein bars will have 15+ grams of protein. For a meal replacement, you’ll want higher calories with fats and carbohydrates, as well as protein. PROCESSING - HIGH. EATABILITY– HIGH
OTHER BARS. There are plenty of “bars” on the market, many claiming to be “healthy”, but since there is no universally recognized definition of what makes a food healthy, you’re on your own to make a good choice. I’d recommend reading the ingredient list. Less ingredients are better!
DID YOU KNOW that the ingredients are listed in the order of amount contain in the product? So your oatmeal bar should have oats as the first ingredient, and your protein bar should have a protein source (whey, soy, etc) as the first ingredient.
Also check the “added sugar” column. If most of the carbohydrate grams come from added sugars, avoid it. PROCESSING - HIGH. EATABILITY– HIGH
I hope this list helps you make some healthier choices when on the road so you can indulge when it matters – at a good restaurant or on a family vacation.
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