It’s spring break time around here, thank goodness. As a result, we’ll be doing a bit of traveling during the course of the week. Brian and I both grew up doing lots of travel by car and, as a result, we’ve been packing snacks to go since we were kids. If I’m going to be out of the house for more than 4 hours or so, I’ve generally got some food with me. With summer vacation not too far in the distance, it seems like a good time to share some of my favorite travel snacks and tips.
First, Some Tips
Always pack napkins in your bag of snacks. You never know when you’ll need them. You may also want to consider cups, plates and/or resealable containers or bags for divvying up larger packagers of food later.
Also useful: chip clips (or binder clips) for resealing bags after you’ve opened them.
Travel mugs + tea bags are awesome. Much to my chagrin, our travels often start early in the morning. I usually leave the house with a travel mug of tea, which means I can get even more sleep before we leave. Brian and I both take our travel mugs on trips and coffee shops are more than willing to fill them for us, often with a discount involved. Sometimes I bring my own tea bags, which means I’m guaranteed get the tea variety I want; I’ve gotten shops to fill my mug with hot water for almost nothing.
My Favorite Travel Snacks & Accessories
Cheese and crackers – this is my go-to snack all the time, but especially when I travel. It’s easy to slice up some cheese and put it in a reusable container or plastic bag. Pre-wrapped string cheese is also pretty great, but not as cheap as buying a block of cheese.
Candy – travel is a special occasion, so special snacks always seem appropriate. Besides, sometimes a person needs some sugar to cheer them up while driving 12 hours to North Carolina. Most recently, I’ve been enjoying peanut m&ms while on the road.
Nuts – if cheese and cracks are my go-to snack, nuts are the close runner up. I’m a big fan of almonds and vacations are the perfect opportunity to try out a new variety I haven’t sampled before. This time around, I’m enjoying Blue Diamond Bold Honey Dijon, which are full of flavor (and a little messy – don’t forget your napkins!)
Vegetable sticks – just like cheese, it’s easy to buy a bag of carrots or celery and cut them into sticks before you leave. If you’re feeling fancy, pack some dip or hummus as well.
Water bottle – I use my water bottle
Dried fruit – dried fruit keeps well and won’t get bruised or squished. I picked up this pineapple recently and it is really delicious. Some dried fruit has a lot of sugar in it, but other varieties are just fruit.
Eating in the Hotel
Whenever possible, I try to book hotels with at least a refrigerator, which means it’s easy to keep my water bottle cold, plus I can bring other types of food and store any leftovers I might end up with from local restaurants. Even better if I can find a hotel with a microwave and/or a kitchenette.
Even if your hotel only has a coffee maker, you can still make food in your hotel room. The hot water can be used for tea, coffee and even instant oatmeal.
If oatmeal isn’t your thing, a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter can make a great cheap breakfast before you leave your hotel to explore your vacation destination. Similarly, if you have a fridge or like visiting the ice machine, bagels and cream cheese work well.
A microwave is great for heating up restaurant leftovers or making canned soup for an inexpensive meal between sight seeing adventures.
Please share – what are your favorite travel snacks or eating tips?
This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. This post also contains affiliate links.
