A road trip with your boo and a weekend getaway with the girls are must-do items for the summer. But being on the road can make staying on track with healthy food choices more difficult than you care to admit. Thankfully, with a little planning ahead and a quick trip to the grocery store, you can make yourself some fail-proof treats before you head out the door. And to make sure you have enough time to pack and plan, we spoke with Hillori Hansen, a culinary instructor at Whole Foods Market Northern California, to find out her favorite healthy snacks and simple recipes to throw in the car.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
According to Hillori, vegetables and fruits are great, easy snack options for a road trip. She says, “They travel nicely and can be easy to chop up. Plus, you can store them in stackable airtight containers to keep them fresh the whole trip. I like to avoid fruits or vegetables that will smash or bruise easily, like bananas, peaches or strawberries.” Instead, she suggests sticking to grapes, blueberries, cherries and sliced apples and carrots, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cut cucumbers and celery (bonus: bring along some peanut butter packs to give the celery an added punch). “I also like to pack squeezable fruit purees, chia pudding and dried apricots, figs or mangos.”
1. Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Kite Hill Cream Cheese: “It’s always great to have a cooler in your car, to keep some of your traveling items chilling, but this is vegan-friendly (if you use the Kite Hill Cream Cheese) and would be fine for a few hours in the car,” notes Hillori.
Serves: 12-16 peppers
Ingredients:
— 1 package mini tri-colored sweet peppers
— 1 cup of your favorite herbs/veggies (dill, chives, shredded carrots, artichokes)
— (2) 8-ounce containers of Kite Hill Cream Cheese or Regular cream cheese (softened)
Instructions:
1. Cut the tops off of the peppers and scoop out seeds if present.
2. Combine the cream cheese, herbs and veggies.
3. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and store until ready to eat! Yum.
2. Berry Chia Pudding:
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients:
— 1 cup berries
— 3 cups 365 Vanilla Almond Milk
— ¼ cup honey
— 1 cup chia seeds
Instructions:
1. In a blender, combine berries, milk and honey until smooth.
2. Add in the chia seeds and stir constantly until well incorporated.
3. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until set.
Note: This will last you a week in your fridge and is great to add to a lunch bag, eat for breakfast or have as a healthy snack when you need a quick boost of energy.
PROTEINS
“Having healthy protein snacks for your travels is a great way to relieve hunger and keep you from stopping at the nearest fast food burger chain,” advises Hillori. “Pack a few hard-boiled eggs with herb seasoning, jerky, nuts, string cheese or energy bars, like Lara Bars, which are always a favorite and made with natural ingredients.”
3. Raw Energy Brownie Bites:
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
— 2/3 cup Medjool dates
— 1/2 cup walnuts
— 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
— 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
— pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined and dough can be formed into bars or small balls.
2. Remove and roll dough into small balls or, if you prefer, roll the dough into bars. Enjoy! Store them in an airtight container for easy travel.
4. Turkey & Wraps:
Serves: 1 – 2 people
Ingredients:
— 1 tortilla wrap (sprouted grain or collard greens are healthy options)
— 2 Tablespoons cream cheese or vegan cheese spread
— 1 teaspoon herb seasoning
— 3 ounces of your favorite protein (turkey, ham, salami or cheese)
— handful of your favorite veggie toppings (peppers, tomatoes, olives, spinach)
Instructions:
1. Spread your tortilla with cream cheese and sprinkle with herb seasoning.
2. Layer the meat slices onto the tortilla and add the veggie toppings as you like.
3. Roll the tortilla with fillings inside and cut in half or into quarters.
4. Stick with a toothpick if you need to hold it together.
Tweet us what you pack to keep things healthy on the road @BritandCo!
(Photos via Whole Foods)