How to Prep Healthy Food for Travel in 5 Minutes

“Are we there yet?”

“Can we play I Spy?”

“I’m bored!”

“Mummy, I’m huuuuuungry!”

Sound familiar?

Travelling with kids can sometimes feel like a stressful experience, and while it has brought my family a lot of joy that makes it totally worth it, I can definitely relate to the deep breathing needed to deal with yet another “I need a wee” shouted from the back 3 seconds after we’ve left the latest service station.

Eating well on the road can feel like just more added stress when you are already dealing with packing, planning, and sorting out the last-minute panic over the passport that you could have sworn you left in the drawer.

Not to mention the fun experience of having your chair repeatedly kicked by a remarkably strong toddler.

My parents assure me I did this to their beat-up little red Peugeot, too, to the extent that when my dad got in the car one day, the seat just gave up and fell backwards onto the (thankfully empty) seat behind. Let’s hope our front seat holds out a little longer!

How eating well on the road makes travel cheaper

For a long time, I figured eating on the road had to be one of those things that fell into the 20% part of our 80/20 lifestyle. I assumed it was simply not possible to avoid the gas station stops and greasy, sugary fast food that came with it.

But after being charged another £15 for a sandwich and bottled water in an extortionately priced petrol station coffee shop (ok, maybe it was more like £7, but it felt like more!), I started to wonder if maybe there was a better option, if not for our health, then at least for our decidedly lighter wallets!

So I started experimenting.

And after having honed some ninja-parent eating well on the road tips (and learning from a fair few not-so-great attempts), I’ve come to realise that not only is eating well on the road possible, but it actually makes for yummier food, huuuuge savings, and the rush of feeling like a supermum after just a few minutes of actual work.

Eating well on the road with minimal prep time

Now I know when you are busy stuffing questionably clean clothes into suitcases, attempting the giant Tetris game that is loading the car, and muttering under your breath about the 7 dirty mugs you’ve found strewn around the house that now need to be washed up before you go, you aren’t exactly flush with time to prepare healthy food.

Which is why I’ve come up with healthier and cheaper eating well on the road options that can be made in 5 minutes, 15 minutes or 30 minutes, depending on how much time you have.

I like to get an online shop delivered straight to the door a few days before we leave that has enough food for a few days at home as well as travel food all in one go.

Time and money already saved.

Then this happens:

How to prep healthier travel food in 5 minutes

Only got 5 minutes? No problem! On our last trip, I knew I would be short on time and we had an early boat to catch, so with 5 minutes to spare, I assembled this:

No assembly required:

• a bag of tortilla crisps (chips to US readers) – ideally baked or without veg oils but most basic ones will do in a pinch, they’re dirt cheap and don’t contain extra flavourings, additives or sugar
• fresh fruit (easy to eat on the go stuff like apples, clementines, bananas, etc)
• super dark chocolate – feels like a treat but has minimal sugar when you get the 85-90% stuff
• a bag of mixed nuts (plain, as the prepped ones tend to have a load of salt, sugar and/or fat added to them)
• a stainless steel bottle filled with filtered water each

Some assembly required:

• simple off-the-bone free-range ham & cheese sandwiches packed with veg like salad leaves, avocado, tomato and cucumber or sliced apples, made with whole grain or sourdough bread (I usually bake an extra loaf of bread earlier in the week to make it healthier, cheaper and easier for myself) – I made these the day before leaving in less than 5 minutes
• prepped raw veg (we sliced a load of peppers, but carrots, celery, cucumber, and similar veg works well, too) – these took 2 minutes to slice

How to prep healthier travel food in 15 minutes

Have a little more time? You can take it a step further by getting together some of the following:

• healthy dip like homemade hummus, or pesto stirred into cream cheese
• a substantial salad either alongside or in place of sandwiches
• some nut butter (shop-bought no added sugar one or homemade), which you can spread on sandwiches, use as a dip for fruit, or spread between sliced fruit like apples or bananas for a quick protein-packed snack

• salted popcorn (or choose a healthy savoury or sweet topping that isn’t too wet so the popcorn doesn’t get soggy)
• a green smoothie you can keep cool in a stainless steel flask

How to prep healthier travel food in 30 minutes

Got a more leisurely start to your journey? You can save yourself even more money and make it even healthier by making some of the following:

• soup for a Thermos
• a healthier baked good than you’ll get on the road to give everyone a road trip treat – a low sugar cake, some savoury or sweet muffins, or a traybake like brownies or flapjacks

• a tray of roast veg for snacking on or to have with the sandwiches
• a sandwich-free option like soup, frittata, cold chicken drumsticks, raw or cooked cold veg or your favourite food that travels well!

The right tools for eating well on the road

To make your life easier, I recommend making sure you have:

• a cool-box or cool-bag (an essential if you are bringing cooked foods that need to be kept cool)
• ice packs
• some Bento lunch boxes, sandwich bags, or similar containers
• Thermos or similar flask
• stainless steel water bottles for plenty of water on the road

I may not be able to save your back from the constant kicks, or your ears from the shouted demands for TV, toilet stops, and accusations about who inched over whose side of the car, but at least I can help you make eating well on the road a little easier, and save you a few pennies to spend on building a few more memories on holiday.

Want more 5 mins prep or less snack recipes for busy families on the go? Check out my 30 Low Sugar Snacks e-book here. Or sign up to my monthly newsletter for FREE access to my veg-filled family favourites cookbook for more inspiration you can find out more here or just below this post: