Summer often means more road trips and outings. It’s fun, but all that fun can make it more difficult to eat healthy and stay on track with your health and fitness goals. I definitely loosen up my nutrition standards a lot over the summer! This year I’m hoping to do better…ice-cream, but not quite so much ice-cream. Chips, but not quite so many chips. There’s a fine line between allowing for indulgences that you enjoy and allowing for binges that make you feel like crap and mad at yourself too. Clean eating snacks on-the-go can help.
I’ve found a little extra thought and preparation makes a big difference. If you start out with good intentions and do what you can you’re setting yourself up for success. Even if by the end of your vacation you’re inhaling pop-tarts on the car-ride home, at least you started out strong!
I put together a list of clean eating snack ideas for one of my groups and thought it would be useful to share here. It’s hard to find packaged snacks with a “clean” ingredient list, but with a little more prep you can have great snacks on-the-go.
My favorite go-to snack is Shakeology! It really is. When I’m leaving the house for a long ride I make a shake to take with me. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s loaded with nutrition, it’s filling, and since I drink it blended with a lot of ice, it cools me down, too. A nice bonus in the summertime. You can also shake up a scoop or a packet with water and drink it out and about. I’ll have an emergency stash with me wherever I go this summer. But there’s only so much Shakeology a girl can drink.
Here are some more of my other favorites clean eating snacks on-the-go:
- Veggies & Dip. Prepare some baggies with cut-up veggies and eat them on their own or dip in some hummus or guacamole. You can buy nice serving-sized containers of both.
- Granola Bars. Ideally these would be homemade. But in a pinch, you can find some healthier options. Or go for a Kind Bar. Yum!
- Energy Bites. I love energy bites. They’re filling and tasty and can even fill in for lunch if you pair them with fruit.
- Muffins. Take the time to make some healthy ones at home before you go and these are the perfect portable snack!
- Yogurt. Ideally plain greek yogurt with berries & honey and/or a little homemade granola. Make up some jars of berries and yogurt to take with you. These are best eaten when you’re not the driver…don’t ask me how I know 🙂
- Nuts and fruit. Fruit is easy and portable. You can also buy the 100 calorie packets of nuts, or make your own. Seeds are a great option too. They’re my go-to healthy fat/protein to pair with fruit since we can’t have nuts. You don’t want to overdo it with the nuts or seeds, but pair it with an apple or banana and it’s perfect- filling and tasty.
- Cheese & Crackers. String cheese sticks and whole wheat/grain crackers (check the ingredient list on these) are a great option. Easy to have in the house all the time and easy to take with you when you’re rushing out the door.
- Popcorn. Popcorn you’ve popped in an air popper or in a pot with some healthy oil is a great snack. Shake some sea salt on it and bag it up, and you have a healthy salty snack. And the serving size is pretty big! I love this when I’m driving!
- Chickpeas. This one might sound weird, but roasted chickpeas are a great healthy alternative. You can flavor them different ways- sweet or savory- and pack them up in little baggies.
- Celery & Sunbutter. Celery with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter is a yummy and filling snack. Add some raisins too for an “ants on a log” throwback to childhood.
- Hardboiled eggs. So long as you peel them ahead of time, eggs are a great way to get protein in as you snack. These might not be the best for long car rides. So I was reminded when I attempted to bring them in the car with us on the way to Florida. The smell 🙁 But if they won’t be sitting around too long and you’ll be outside, eat up!
- Sandwich. A whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter, cinnamon, and maybe some sliced banana is easy to make ahead and pack for the road. Or a good old peanut butter (or sunbutter) and jelly sandwich. Just watch the ingredients again! Choose all-natural peanut butter, jelly with no added sugar, and the best bread or tortilla option you can find.
Clean eating takes some extra thought and preparation, but is so worth it! Bring a little cooler or lunchbag with you for those snacks that need to be kept cool.
We drive from New York to Florida and back every spring, so I know how important it is to be prepared! On the way down I manage to avoid fast food and junk food 100%. We pack sandwiches and snacks in a cooler. We also bring extra water to refill our reusable water bottles. I do bend a little with the kids and buy them some treats they wouldn’t normally get at home. If you’ve driven from NY to Florida with four children you’ll understand the importance of snacks.
The way home is a little harder because it’s harder to prep away from home. We still manage to eat pretty well, though with some packaged options thrown in there. For example, SkinnyPop is a good packaged option to have in place of my popcorn. You can also find packaged granola with a not-so-bad ingredient list.
This picture is from our drive down to Florida this past April. I took a picture and posted it in my Facebook challenge group, writing something like, “Is it crazy that I packed mason jars of kefir and berries to eat on the drive?” I think some of them answered, “Yes.” But I am obsessed with kefir and berries with granola! And they’re a healthy way to fill up on the road! Alright, maybe it was a little crazy…but I didn’t eat pop-tarts 🙂
Enjoy those road trips! And enjoy your treats- but do your best to save them for treats you really want to savor, not “treats” you’re forced into buying because you’re in a pinch and hungry.
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What are some of your favorite snacks for on-the-go?
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