A successful road trip is all about preparation, including mapping a route, booking lodgings, and bringing healthy snacks for the car. It’s easy to load up on gas-station sweets and unhealthy foods, but they rarely meet dietary needs. Use the nutrition tips below to fuel your road trip.

Your Guide to Wholesome Road-Trip Snacks

What Constitutes a Healthy Snack?

Healthy snacks need to achieve several goals. On a road trip, this includes giving you plenty of energy, minimizing caloric intake since you’re largely inactive, and providing the body with vitamins and minerals. Protein and fiber help digestion, provide energy, and make you feel full — the key to cutting down on aimless snacking. Snacks should also have real ingredients. If you don’t recognize what’s listed on the label, pass on the snack. Also, avoid sugary treats because they’ll ultimately leave you feeling tired. Aim for snacks that contain between 100-200 calories.

Snacks to Try

There are plenty of delicious foods that don’t require refrigeration and achieve all the previous nutrition goals. For example:

• Beef jerky: Tasty, filling, and loaded with protein, beef jerky is a long-time road-trip favorite. Focus on finding brands with low sodium and few saturated fats, and opt for unflavored to cut out artificial ingredients.
• Trail mix: This is a versatile snack that brings together several ingredients. Seeds, nuts, berries, and more are all loaded with nutrients and provide an energy boost. Stay away from products that contain candies, however, as they’ll have a contradictory effect.
• Sparkling water: Stay hydrated on your odyssey. Alongside a stash of bottled water, add sparkling or flavored options. These can satisfy any sweet tooth and are also a healthy substitute for soda and sugary fruit drinks that will eventually lead to a sugar crash.
• Dried fruit: It’s not easy to carry perishables on a road trip, let alone eat juicy, messy fruits, so opt for dried options. Banana slices, apples, apricots, grapes, and more can all be preserved and provide many of the vitamins and minerals that fresh fruit does. Avoid packages with added sugar or flavoring.

Staying on top of nutrition will help you feel alert and healthy on your next road trip. If you need help making dietary adjustments at home, the team at Eastern Hills Chiropractic, led by Dr. Matthew Haumesser, can help. Serving Cincinnati, OH, since 1988, this practice addresses a variety of conditions, including back and neck pain. The team uses massage therapy, nutrition, chiropractic care, spinal adjustments, and other treatments to achieve excellent results. Learn more about their services by visiting them online. Call (513) 528-2200 to schedule an exam, and connect on Facebook for more health and wellness tips.