Our cross-country road trip is nearly upon us! As it closes in, I find myself panicking as to what to pack in the car for our kids, not just to keep them occupied but also FULL. We will have stretches of road that will last more than 10 hours with no gas station, convenient store or roadside stop. My brain immediately goes to food (as it is known to do), and what is going to last the longest in their tummys. Empty calories such as sugary treats and juice boxes just won’t cut it and will leave them hyped up and hungry not long afterwards. The very last thing anyone wants is a car full of hangry children with sugar highs, periodically hyping and crashing!

A little prep before a trip goes along way! Homemade granola bars with steel cut oats, dried fruit, chopped almonds and some dark chocolate chips, are a traveling favorite of ours. Dehydrated apple chips are another. Simply slice the apple with a mandolin at the thinnest setting and bake at 200 degrees in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon until the they start to darken and crisp. This also avoids apple cores from being left in the back of the car, as my kids are so apt to do…

The Protein Brownies are a personal travel favorite of mine! Not only are they great for Tea Time, they are great for Travel time as well. That burst of dark chocolate quells my cravings, and the satiety of the protein in the black beans and the Designs for Health chocolate protein powder, along with the healthy fats in the beans and coconut oil, tide me over and keep me from becoming a “Momster” on those long treks.

Although prepackaged pastries and sodas might sound easy and enticing on a road trip to quickly crush hunger and provide a few blessed minutes of silence… think of the long term affects of the snacks you pack! You want something that will not only provide you (and whoever may be traveling with you) a quick and nutritious boost, but that will last and keep you full for quite a while.

TIP: Keeping your Travel Snacks in a cooler full of ice packs or some other cooling method will keep them fresh AND refreshing.

Happy Trails!

-Allie