Road Trip!!!

We just got back from a trip to Florida, a 21-hour drive each way--if you don't stop. Many people asked us what we eat, seeing that road food options are not always the best. Here, by way of example, is what we do. Your mileage may vary.

Like bento foods, most of these are not messy, are easy to eat, keep well, and are tasty at room temperature. Only bring food everyone likes; it might seem like a good time to get people to try new things, but everyone is just sitting around and their appetites are dull and a bit fussy. We keep a cooler in the back and a grocery bag of snacks in the cab of the car. Considering that sitting all day is hard on the digestion, we include raw fruits and vegetables and minimize (but don't eliminate) chips and popcorn. For the same reason, we bring raw cheddar to eat with the apples--it's more expensive, but also more digestible, and the expense reduces the overall consumption.

Here's what we brought on the way down: Apples, cheddar, carrots, GF pretzels, Pirate Booty, and toasted nori for car food. In the cooler we brought more apples, plus milk, boiled eggs, cucumber chunks, leftover cole slaw and GF bread. We also brought cereal to eat with milk for breakfast in motels, and a couple cans of sardines because we like sardines; we don't eat them in the car, though. On the way home we had similar food, plus celery sticks and jicama sticks. We let the kids buy Lay's potato chips; they like to buy something at rest stops, and Classic Lays don't use cottonseed oil. We also give everyone a water bottle and have a couple gallon jugs of water in the back for refills. Other good car foods are grapes, dried fruit, fried tempeh or tofu cubes and mixed nuts. You can bring messier foods to eat when you arrive--on one trip to a water park, we dined for a couple days on a giant can of grape leaves, apples, crackers, olives, cheese, carrot sticks, and a 2-pound pate de campagne.

We tend to eat small snacks every couple hours so no one gets too hungry (read "irritable"). Also, since we're only sitting, eating frequent, smaller snacks leads to less indigestion. As for the cooler, we use frozen water bottles and ice packs rather than ice--it's less messy, and they're small enough to refreeze in the motel fridge.

In addition to actual food, you might find it useful to bring condiments. Sometimes you'll want to stop for a meal, and while you might find a place that fits your diet perfectly, having condiments gives you flexibility. We bring GF soy sauce (for plain rice), organic catsup (for french fries) and salad dressing (for salad bars).

Here is something less obvious that helps tremendously: Eat less, and you won't have to bring so much food. Pack nutrient-dense, organic foods, and chew them well to help you feel full sooner. A car trip is nothing but time and a captive audience, so it is a perfect opportunity to entertain yourselves by chewing really, really well. Fletcherize! Since digestion depends on movement and you'll be sedentary, chewing well is even more important.

Remember a few posts ago when I talked about having flexibility regarding what makes a meal? The benefits pay out on the road when someone is hungry but you cannot stop for a meal because you're in a traffic jam, or there's only KFC, or you have a flat, or you just stopped 10 minutes ago, or your husband is not stopping till we get to Aunt Bertha's, by god! Pick a reason. The point is, if people are used to making a meal of apples and cheese, or a boiled egg and pretzels, they are more likely to be satisfied with that and not put up a fuss.

Sometimes I'm tempted to try "Manifold Destiny," or maybe get a power converter to run a slow cooker. What do you do on a long car trip? I'd love to hear what other families do!