On our long drive to Scotland last week, I knew that there would be the urge to snack at some point on the journey. We had planned to stop 2 hours into the drive, which was the half-way point, but due to horrendous traffic on the M6 we decided not to lose any more time and continue on our trip up north.
Thankfully I had the foresight to shop and pack some snacks before we left the house. Let’s face it, the petrol stations aren’t really known for stocking the healthiest of foods, unless you are stopping and visiting the mini-supermarkets that most of the motorway service stations seem to have attached to them now. I picked up a lovely quinoa and asparagus salad from Waitrose when we stopped for a break on the return journey home. If you’re stopping just for petrol, they really don’t have a lot to offer in the way of healthy snacks at the petrol station and all the junk food can be tempting when you are in the middle of a long journey.
I made sure that I packed enough snacks with lots of variety in case I got bored and kept in mind the return journey home as well, so ensured that I was covered for both trips. Here’s what I packed for our road trip to Scotland:
This part of the healthy snacking haul was based around what I thought I would like on the trip, Alfie’s stash was centred more around Haribo’s and Random’s, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I wanted to snack on something healthier on the drive. Cherries and almonds are great portable snacks and I’d been snacking on them loads week’s prior to the trip so I knew that they were dead certs for the journey. I really can’t fault Nakd and Trek Bars for their wholesome and natural ingredients and thought it was best to have this Cocoa Oat protein flapjack from Trek on hand, which has a layer of dark chocolate, perfect for a protein chocolate fix on the go!
Pink Lady apples are the best in my opinion and I can eat quite a few of them in one day, and of course, a big bottle of water is a must to stay hydrated and focused on the road while driving. I’ve become a popcorn fiend recently and Metcalfe’s Skinny Topcorn has been a saviour in kicking my cravings to the curb and giving me a healthier popcorn fix as opposed to some other sugar-laden brands out there.
The word road trip really doesn’t mean the same thing with a baby in tow and the last thing you want on a long car journey is a cranky baby. Packing snacks to keep an unusually grizzly Aiden at bay is always a good idea. We find the Organix finger food range really good as its free from refined sugar and chemical nasties, the rice cakes and carrot sticks are AJ’s favourites. He’s also a big fan of the gingerbread men from the same brand that I sometimes used to buy to eat myself. It’s always good to have his favourite fruit on hand, even though he ends up stealing mine and he loves drinking ice-cold water from his sippy cup.
Anything above 1 hour is considered a long journey to me. I normally carry a snack in my bag when we are out and about, but felt that an 8 hour round trip needed a bit more preparation and having something healthy to snack on did make the long drive more enjoyable.
I don’t snack much but I carry similar snacks for my babies. They love the Goodies stuff.
I love their range of snacks for babies, great ingredients list too.
I am not a fan of the M6! When Dan and I first started seeing each other most weekends were spent travelling up to Wolverhampton on the M6 and Junction 8 is always a nightmare! Now I’ve swapped it for the A14 (Just as bad!)
I’m rubbish at remembering to pack snacks on journeys and often fall victim to petrol station cop-outs for snacks, although recently have started travelling with a large bottle of water as I drink so much water during the day. If I was to think ahead though it would be nakd bars and apples for me. I’m all about the braeburn apples though!
The M6 is a pain in the butt and to think that we paid to go on the toll road too and still got stuck! I think Braeburn apples would have to be a second favourite after pink lady’s. They’re always so crunchy and tangy – I hate soft apples!
I’m a big packer of snacks, I often travel with more food than anything else ha! Always good to be prepared.
It’s always best to be prepared. I LOVE that you pack lots of food to take with you – a girl after my own heart there!
I remember last November driving up and back from the south of England to Scotland for my Granddad’s 90th birthday (SUCH a long journey!) and stopping at Tebay, spending an absolute FORTUNE on the healthier choices! So on long journeys, it’s a wise idea to purchase some healthier snacks before hand that cost a lot less. Trek/Cliff bars are a great idea, and I often have a little box of nuts and some dark chocolate to keep me going.
She’s So Lucy
OMG! What an epic trip that must have been! I agree, packing healthier choices before heading on your journey is definitely a money saver.
haha, got to love the men for their unhealthy food snacking choices! I am yet to try TREK bars! I love Metcalfs popcorn though for snacking and went through a stage when I couldnt get enough of the stuff!
Metcalfe’s is so addictive! I love that it’s kind of healthy too and the flavours are great.
My boys loved Goodies snacks when they were little.
They do seem to be a favourite with babies. 🙂
Long car journeys in the UK are such a pain! We went to the Lake District a few years ago, and the return drive took us all day. I tend to avoid chocolate (even on cereal bars) because it melts if the car gets warm. I like the popcorn idea!
They are the worst, especially if you have to go off the motorway and it’s mostly country roads. We drove through the Lakes on the way to Scotland and it looked stunning even from the M6.
I don’t really snack while travelling but I do keep a cereal bar in a car just in case.
It’s great that you are prepared just in case you fancy something even if you don’t snack.
They all look so yummy 😀 I love natural healthy snacks.
They are the best! 🙂
My favourite part of a road trip is packing the snacks haha. You can’t go wrong with fruit and nuts really, and you can usually pick them up at a service station if you forget to pack them too.
Food is the best part of any trip!!! 😀 Fruit and nuts are always so readily available that I think they are the easiest snack out there.
Long car journeys are awful. Good snacks can definitely help. It’s so tempting to buy those bags of Cadbury’s chocolate (you know, the mixed ones or the mini chocolate bar ones – so good) but I do like to be sensible most of the time. Probably a fruit salad from M&S or some beef jerky to keep me full. Apples obviously 😉
Our favorite is beef jerky. High protein, low calorie and don’t have to worry about it spoiling! Perfect for trips!
Thats such a great ideas for snack! I am going awaya and the cherries looks appealing!
GREAT POST! LOVE THE BABY GOODIES!!!!!
These are some great snacking ideas! Our last road trip was to take the car south on the ferry (an overnight crossing) to Aberdeen, then drive down to the Lake District via the Cairngorms and Edinburgh, and back up to the Cairngorms for more camping before taking the ferry back to Shetland. It took 13 days. It was awesome!
I’m the same as you, almonds, pink lady or gala apples and popcorn but I also would have added some flapjack which I guess isn’t very healthy but 8 hours in a car that’s my treat!
Last time I did an epic journey like that we moved from Plymouth back to North Yorkshire which was an 8 hour drive with two bunnies, no babies though! xo