Best Foods to Pack and Eat on your Family Road Trip

family of four grabbing food from their bags sitting on a log

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5,200 miles of road, three weeks of camping and staying with friends. That’s the journey I took before moving to Seattle in August. After the first few days, I realized that beef jerky and trail mix just wouldn’t cut it. 

However, I quickly learned that it’s surprisingly easy to eat well on the road, with a little preparation and the very basics in cooking equipment: A small stove, fueled by rubbing alcohol, was my only means of cooking. 

Stopping at local grocery stores to pick up breakfast was easy: yogurt, oatmeal, raisins, walnuts and peanuts. The following is a list of other staples that sustained me along the way:

  • Peanut butter
  • Apples
  • Carrot and celery sticks
  • Dried fruits
  • Pasta
  • Beans
  • Bread (which keeps surprisingly well if it’s wrapped tightly and kept out of the sun)
  • Packets of tuna and salmon
  • Hard cheeses

But those foods were just what I always had on hand. Interspersing these occasionally with farmers market tomatoes, greens, peaches and whatever other produce I could get my hands on, left me not wanting for variety or flavor.

For those of you who want even more of a challenge, try roasting pumpkin seeds or baking kale chips before venturing off. Traveling doesn’t have to mean solely eating out of a can; fresh food can easily fit into your plans. More great travel recipes and tips can be found at BackpackingChef.com.

— Matt Keen, dietetic intern, and Debra Boutin, MS, RD