As an evangelist's wife, I am constantly traveling. We travel with our fifth wheel most of the time, so road trips tend to be long (and stressful). Since we can't easily pull our monstrous RV into tiny restaurant parking lots, our eating options are limited, leaving truck stops and large gas stations as our options.
I try to eat as healthy as possible and limit most processed food, so gas station snacks just don't cut it for me. What I end up doing is some major planning in the days before a trip and lots of prep work. Today, I'm going to share some of my favorite make-ahead snacks (plus the recipes!) for your next road trip!
Paleo Trail Mix
Trail mix is such a yummy and nutritious snack...if done right! Most pre-packaged trail mixes are full of sugar and other inflammatory foods, so I made my own....in the crockpot! I took a recipe from cookeatpaleo.com and adapted it to meet my personal preferences.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (I used a smoked olive oil)
2 tsp (or to taste) sea salt
2 tsp (or to taste) paprika
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in the crockpot and mix together well. Place slow cooker on high for 45-60 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes.
3. Remove mix from the crockpot to parchment paper to cool down. Let mix cool for at least 15 minutes.
NOTE: You can add any ingredients you want! Add some unsweetened plantain chips for crunch. Prefer peanuts? Use those instead of cashews. Do a sweet mix (sans spices and olive oil) with chocolate chips and coconut flakes. The options are endless!
Slice some apples (add some lemon juice for freshness) and have a side of nut butter for dipping.
I like to keep a jar of fresh berries in the cooler for quick snacking. It seems like I always crave fresh fruit on the road!
Energy Bites
Do you get the munchies on road trips like I do? Something about endless miles makes me want to snack! I like to make a batch of these energy bites before a trip to satisfy any sweet cravings. These are adapted from project-sunny.com. Warning: these are addictive!
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats (I like to find organic oats)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond butter
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (Lily's or Hu chocolate chips are my favorites)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup agave syrup (or pure maple syrup or honey)
Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Once mixed well, wet your hands just a little to keep the mixture from sticking to you and roll into balls.
2. Keep the energy bites stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Avocado Chicken Salad
I love chicken salad! I literally could have it for lunch every day! Most chicken salads, though, are not super healthy. So I started making my own version!
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded or chopped chicken (I like to make grilled chicken for dinner the night before and use the leftover chicken for my salad.)
1-2 large, ripe avocados (you want these to be super soft)
2-3 TBSP Primal Kitchen mayo *optional
Half purple onion, chopped
Dash of fresh squeezed lemon juice for freshness
Spices to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
Instructions:
1. Peel and mash avocados until smooth. Add in the chicken, onion, and optional mayo. Mix well.
2. Add the spices to your preference. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad and mix well.
3. Eat with crackers (my favorite is Simple Mills) or over fresh greens.
NOTE: You can add some crisp bacon or chopped pecans for crunch.
I hope you enjoy these yummy (and healthy) road trip snacks! Let us know on social media if you give these recipes a try!
