Whether you're taking a long drive home from school, road tripping across the country, or simply driving aimlessly through backroads (is that just an Indiana thing?) food is always a necessity. However, when you don't want to stop at a drive-thru and not every food is exactly car-friendly, finding the perfect snack isn't always an easy task. Instead of making the wrong choice and spilling shaken soda or melting chocolate onto your dashboard, browse through the following options to satisfy your car cravings, no matter what they may be!
1. Healthy Options
Fruit: Grapes, bananas, and dried fruit all make great choices, but stay away from items such as peaches and oranges that may be tasty but are guaranteed to leave your fingers, chin, and steering wheel a sticky mess.
Jerky: Jerky of any kind (beef, turkey, etc.) is a great option as it is often relatively healthy, full of protein, cheap, and comes in a variety of flavors from sweet to savory to please everyone.
Smoothie/Protein Shake: Drinks are a great option to keep the cravings at bay as you can customize them based on your needs and preferences. Add in your favorite fruits, protein options such as your favorite flavored powder or greek yogurt, and even healthy fats such as peanut butter or flax to keep you full, satisfied, and focused on the road.
2. Sweet
Lollipops: These are a car ride staple for my family as they typically do not melt and take a long time to eat, keeping you from munching on everything else you brought.
Sour Patch Kids: Unlike many chocolate options gummies won't melt as quickly, leaving you free to open a bag without the fear of its spilling out into a puddle in your car.
Skittles: The hard shell of these candies keeps them intact while you travel (just don't hold them in your hand too long).
3. Savory
Pretzels, Chips, Popcorn: These are all great items as they are relatively mess-free, easy to pop in your mouth while driving, and come in a variety of options.
Granola Bars: Stay away from bars coated with chocolate or peanut butter as they will quickly melt in their wrappers
Nuts/Trail Mix: When you can't decide what to bring, just pick a little of everything, throw it in a bag (or buy a pre-made variety), and call it trail mix!
4. Drinks
Sparkling Water: Fizzy water is a great option when you're not really hungry you're just bored. The flavoring will give you something to cut your cravings while the carbonation tricks your stomach into thinking you're full without actually consuming any calories.
BCAA's: Common to those within the fitness realm, BCAA's simply stand for branch chain amino acids, which are essentially just types of proteins. While the real benefit (if any) of taking these supplements is questionable, there is no denying they're tasty and a much better option than soda.
Diet Soda: If you ARE going to drink pop, you might as well make sure you're not unnecessarily consuming much more calories than you need. Like everything else, fake sweeteners and chemicals are okay in moderation (There is no conclusive evidence showing they have harmful effects), just make sure to get your water in, too.
