Top 5 Healthy Road Trip Snacks
When taking the family on a long road trip few decisions cause more anxiety then deciding what items are the best to snack on. Decisions on what to munch on during a road trip are most often based on convenience and price instead of the most important factor, nutrition. With some thoughtful planning you can turn the road trip snack planning process into a fun and interactive time for your family; and when the family interacts they tend to enjoy the entire process. Road trip snacks don’t have to be messy, they can be fun to eat and taste great.
Baby Carrots
Our family loves these little versions of their bigger cousins, the baby carrot. While carrots wont actually improve your eyesight, they are chalk full of vitamin A and with a little dip, can be a delicious snack for the road. If your family doesn’t like baby carrots they can change it up and use broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber slices, pepper strips or whatever they like. The vegetables are rich in vitamins and antioxidants and due to their high water content they will help you stay hydrated. You can even swap the dressing for a more heart friendly hummus dip.
Blueberries & Grapes
Use a zip lock bag to keep these fruits fresh in your cooler. Any seasonal fruit can be substituted, such as bananas, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, or whatever your family likes. Same healthy benefits as the aforementioned vegetables. You can even substitute the fresh fruit for dried fruit if you prefer just keep in mind the nutritional value does go down. Blueberries have been found to help prevent urinary tract infections, which in turn can reduce the time needed for potty breaks on the road.
Apples Slices with Peanut Butter
Another easy to prepare and healthy snacks are sliced apples with some peanut butter dip. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and a fun way to get kids to eat apples. If you don't like peanut butter you could use caramel, but you will miss out on the protein from the peanut butter.
Trail Mix
Walnuts are the best nutritionally, but mix it up, add almonds, cashews, peanuts, and even pumpkin seeds for a very healthy and fun mixture. Raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, and even chocolate are just a few things you could add to make a trail mix a family favorite. While you could buy pre-packed mix, it can be a fun family experience having your kids help make the trial mix.
Yogurt
Perfect tor a road trip snack; conveniently packaged and lots of fun flavors and varieties to choose from. This kid favorite is full of protein, calcium and also rich in vitamins. Have some fun with your yogurt and add some nuts or fresh fruit to it, don’t fall for the yogurt with the granola or sprinkles on the top, that’s usually just added sugar.