Easy Road Trip Food Ideas For Your Next Adventure
When you’re on the road, you’ll have to figure out what you will do for meals, regardless of the length of your trip. Preparing your own food will help you to travel on a budget, so let’s take a look into some easy road trip food ideas!
The Benefits of Bringing Your Own Road Trip Food
Aside from saving money on your adventure, preparing your own meals can be a healthy alternative to eating fast food. Not only that, but if you’re on a long stretch of road that has no conveniences, you’ll be good to go.
Besides, who doesn’t like to stretch out there legs and breathe in the fresh air while enjoying a picnic!
How To Road Trip Meal Plan
If you want to have a full range of options for meals on the road, I suggest investing in a cooler, so that you can bring along cold treats and store food.
I’ve also found it helpful to bring a rice cooker or hot plate, so I have the option to do a little more cooking when I camp. These options will, however, require some kind of power source.
The easiest thing you can do is be mindful of the food storage space you have in your car and plan meals according to that.
Reality and Practicality of Road Trip Food
The truth of the matter is that preparing your own food takes longer than buying fast food, especially when it comes to road trips. Everything takes longer than you think on the road.
Be mindful of this and the energy you’re going to have after driving. During longer drives, I like to stick to easy to prepare meals, since my priority is driving. I also get tired and just want to eat.
The nice thing about having a cooler and dedicated food space in your car is that you can typically find grocery stores along with way (which also allow you to use their bathrooms).
A Thing to Remember about Road Trip Foods
Driving makes you tired. Be mindful of this when choosing what to buy at the store.
It’s ok to invest in some staples like sauces, but remember, you are limited in what you can carry. When I buy a sauce or dressing, I try my best to plan multiple meals around it until I’ve run out.
Eating on the road will help you to get creative in the “kitchen.”
Nonperishable Grab and Go Road Trip Food
These food options won’t require you to have any sort of cooler or fridge in your car, although it’s still best if you keep them out of the heat. I find the back passenger floor to be a prime space to store my dry foods.
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Nutella and jelly sandwich
- English muffins with peanut butter and bananas
- Store-bought granola
- Dry cereal
- Pop Tarts
- Breakfast Bars
- Banana nut muffins
- Granola bars
- Hearty trail mix with nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich
Cold Grab and Go Road Trip Food
Adding a cooler or fridge to your road trip setup greatly increases the options you have for on-the-road meals. Here are some that utilize the cooler but don’t require the use of cooking appliances.
- Charcuterie board of cheese, pretzels, cold cuts, and fruit (honestly, one of my favorites)
- Deli meat sandwich
- Tuna sandwich
- Pita chips, veggies, and hummus
- Cream cheese bagel
- Turkey/ham pita
- Deli foods (there are some grocery stores that have things like chicken wings, mac and cheese, and more)
- Cereal and milk
- Overnight oats
- Fruit parfaits
- Salad in a bag (I shake up my toppings in the bag, which means less mess)
- Bagel sandwiches (to spice it up from typical bread)
- Ceasar salad wrap
- Store-bought pasta salad
- Store-bought potato salad
- Chicken salad croissants
- Roast Beef Sliders
- Cold pizzas on naan bread or English muffins
- Chicken salad with grapes wrap
- Ham and cheese homemade Lunchable
Easy Cooking Road Trip Food
We’re going all out here! Your possibilities become vast when you add in some cooking appliances like a hot plate/camp stove and rice cooker. The below meals can all be made with either of these options. Most of these will take longer to prepare, but I find they give me a good reason to get out of the car and stretch my legs!
Don’t worry, cooking in rest stop parking lots is not as strange as you may initially think. I’ve made many successful meals right from the back of my car.
- Instant oatmeal (sprinkle in some dried fruit for fun)
- Angel hair pasta with butter, olive oil, and parmesan cheese
- Fruit pancakes
- Chicken alfredo
- Spaghetti with beef
- Avocado toast with sliced cherry tomatoes
- Rice and beans
- Orange chicken (from the freezer section) over rice
- Hot dogs and chips
- Chipotle-style Veggie Rice Bowl
- Salsa, black bean, and cheese rice bowl
- Beef bulgogi bowl
- Rice with siracha mayo, shredded carrots, and chicken
- Breakfast burrito with eggs, salsa, avocado, and cheese
- Hard-boiled eggs on a cobb salad
- Shredded chicken burritos
- Cheese quesadilla
- Burger sliders
- Pasta bag freezer meals
- Steamed veggies over rice and chicken
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- Grilled cheese with pepperoni
- Breakfast power bowl (egg, quinoa, avocado, bacon, cheese, and peppers)
- Tuna Melt
- Yellow curry with chicken, rice, and steamed veggies
- Completos (This is a hot dog with mayo, avocado, and tomatoes. I use guac as a hack. Trust me when I say this is good.)
Easy Road Trip Snacks to Enjoy While Driving
I live for snacks, especially ones that I can enjoy while driving. A good snack is easy to eat while you’re behind the wheel.
- Baked chips
- Kettle chips
- Pretzels
- Goldfish
- Wheat Thins (add Nutella for extra goodness)
- Yogurt tubes
- Mixed nuts
- Sliced cheese and pretzels
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Baby carrots
- Cherries
- Kettle corn
- Dried mango
- String cheese
- Cherry/grape tomatoes
- Veggie straws
- Popcorn
- Trail mix
- Sliced peppers
- Granola bars
- Dried cranberries and almonds
- Banana chips
Easy Road Trip Food Hacks
There are ways to make your life easier when planning meals for your road trips, so let’s go over some tips.
First, rice cookers are your friend. I use mine as a “microwave” to reheat leftovers or make frozen bagged meals.
Second, a lot of grocery stores sell precooked or shredded chicken. This has seriously come in clutch, because it’s one less thing I have to worry about cooking. This also expands what your meal options if you’re not planning on breaking any cooking gear.
Third, accept that these meals may not always be Iron Chef quality. That’s not to say they aren’t sustaining, but don’t beat yourself up when you opt for a jar of pre-made pasta sauce. We’re going for ease here, not Michelin star quality meals.
Last, don’t be afraid to get creative. Just like cooking at home, there are a lot of clever meals you can come up with by mixing and matching!
TLDR: Easy Road Trip Food Ideas
Whether you’re planning a weekend trip to hike around a National Park or a month long journey up the California coast, being able to prepare your own meals and snacks will be more cost effective for you and allow you to have more control over what goes into your body. These easy road trip food ideas are sure to keep you going for whatever adventure you’re going on.