Finding healthy food options on the road can be a challenge. We recently took a 10 – day road trip from Florida to Ritzville, Washington – stopping at Mesa Verde and Arches National Parks. We decided to eat mostly picnic style, packing the “ingredients” for all our breakfasts, lunches, snacks and some dinners. This worked out very well, so I thought I would share. It’s helpful to make your hotel reservations where there’s a refrigerator in the room. Frozen foods double as ice for the cooler, and each day, adding more ice as needed.
Items for the Cooler:
Carrots, Celery, Mini Peppers
Red Cabbage
Organic Spring Mix
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Oranges and Apples
Frozen Items:
Ezekiel whole grain bread
2 quarts of soy milk
Homemade Beet Burgers
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
Tofu squares *** and cubes (read how to make)
Strawberries
Blueberries
Additional Items:
Sushi wraps (watch a demo)
Edamame (steamed)
Walnuts
Ground Flax seeds (2 Tbsp daily on my oatmeal or salad for my Omega 3’s)
Hummus (made fresh – red pepper with garlic and basil with cumin)
3-2-1 Dressing, barbecue sauce, peanut satay sauce (Thai dip for wraps)
Canned pinto beans (or your favorite) (look for cans that have the easy pop top)
Meal Ideas:
Granola is an easy breakfast, tastes great everyday and it’s a super nutritious start to the day. You can vary it by adding different fruits. Overnight Oatmeal is also a great breakfast. *See recipe below.
Pack an insulated “lunch box” with a salad and sandwich or wraps for lunch, and an afternoon snack of hummus and veggies and apple (crunchy snacks are calming!) (take different veggie combinations for fun)
Sandwich variations: 1. Beet burger on whole grain bread with barbecue sauce 2. Black bean burger on bread with sliced tomatoes 3. Wraps and Thai dip, and edamame 4. Hummus on bread with sliced tomato and lettuce 5. Tofu square on bread just plain is delicious or with Thai dip 6. Beet burger on bread with sliced tomatoes
Be creative with your salads using various combinations of your veggies and/or fruits. I packed my salads by putting the chopped ingredients in the bottom, add the 3-2-1 dressing to those, and layer the lettuce on top. This keeps the lettuce crisp; shake it up when you’re ready to eat!
Make a full meal by adding
beans or tofu to your salad.
Generally when we stopped for the night we could find a plant based friendly restaurant – Thai, Italian, Mexican, even the local diner in Moab made a fabulous veggie variety loaded pizza and wonderful salad.
Each day we replenished our ice. And packed the days lunch in an insulated bag.
You probably have your own favorite cereal for breakfast, or you could try “overnight oatmeal”. Make your favorite veggie burgers for the trip, or an “eat loaf” to slice for sandwiches. Packing takes a little planning, but a picnic at a rest area is relaxing and you have food you know you’ll enjoy; also packing ahead does save time in the long run (no searching off your route) and money.
Overnight Oats can often be seen at Lyndon’s workstation. In a 1 pint container (or larger) place:
1/2 Cup of Oats
1/2 Cup of Fruit (your choice – berries, banana, peaches, kiwi ......)
1 Cup of Oat Milk (or Almond, Soy….)
Shake it up
Place in the fridge overnight
When you’re ready to eat it in the morning just stir it all together and enjoy (can serve cold or warmed)
Arches National Park (Moab, Utah)
