Last weekend, we headed out of state to a weekend-long basketball tournament for our boys. It was two and a half days full of hotel continental breakfasts, fast food, and other treats. Weekends like that can be a lot of fun. At the same time, we knew our stomachs would start to rebel after a meal or two of white flour, white sugar, and grease. In an effort to give us some good nutrition in the midst of ice cream cones and burgers, I packed as many colorful fruits and vegetables as I could.
While I was getting it prepared the morning we were to leave, it occurred to me how pretty it all was. Out came the camera. After all, I had plenty of time for food photography in the midst of laundry, packing, and making last minute preparations, right?
I made good use of my Pyrex dishes with lids. These travel well, and keep fruits and vegetables from getting squished. They all stack nicely together in a cooler, and keep the food fresh. I simply stuck a few ice packs in and around the food containers, and it all stayed chilled and nice all weekend long.
My encouragement to you with this post is to think outside the box a little bit as you pack fruits and veggies for travel. Before just a year or two ago, I didn’t really think beyond packing apples and carrots. Those got old after a while. Then I started noticing what other families had packed to eat during games. Oh, there are so many great options!
For this round of travel, beyond apples and clementines, we washed, prepared, and packed 2 pounds of strawberries to munch on, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and ranch dip, and sweet peppers. We also had a few applesauce and peach cups packed with spoons.
While we enjoyed our fair share of restaurant food, we were able to counter it with nutrient-filled food too. This was especially important, we felt, for our boys who were playing hard and sweating all weekend long. They needed energy and nourishment!
Here’s a list I created so you can get some fruits-and-veggies-on-the-go ideas at a quick glance:
- Apples
- Oranges or Clementines
- Pears
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Sweet Peppers
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber Slices
- Applesauce Cups
- Peaches, Pears, Mixed Fruit Cups in 100% Juice
- Fruit Leather
I would add bananas to the list, but have found that they get squishy quickly while being carried in bags from car to gym. What fruits and vegetables would you add to this list?
R says
sugar snap peas (Trader Joe’s has nice organic ones year round)
Lana says
We are the same as your family and it only takes about 2 meals to start to feel that icky feeling. Pears never travel well for us so they go into the bananas category of ‘do not pack’. I like to add some protein to the cooler like peanut butter and cheese and some whole grain crackers so that we can skip a meal out if we feel like we just cannot take anymore grease. We always travel with some chocolate too for when the urge for something chocolate strikes. It is better for us to have some small squares of dark chocolate than to hit up a vending machine and snarf down a whole candy bar. We also pack cases of water.
Vickie Houser says
Side Note: If you want to save on water try packing a water filter pitcher (like a Brita) and some reusable bottles. The filter pitchers process tap water pretty quickly and can be ready to fill everyone’s personal water bottle before you leave the rest-stop.
We often fill the pitcher one more time and put it in the cooler before we drive away. That way we have some extra water to re-fill bottles before our next stop. I have not had to buy bottled water in years.
Lana says
Thanks. We don’t drink water that is chlorinated. Even through a filter it makes me ache very badly. We only use bottled water away from home so it is not really a big expense since we are empty nesters.
Vickie Houser says
Sorry to hear that. You are correct, even the best portable filters will not remove all of the chlorine from tap water.
Deloris says
I like the Celery filled with pimento cheese or herbed cream cheese and I like Broccoli and Cauliflower with ranch dip. YUM Also like fresh pineapple chunks, so refreshing.
Kristin says
Mini Persian cucumbers are fun as well, since kids can eat the whole thing like a pickle. I like to put raw veggies and sometimes fruit as well in snack cups when we are going to restaurants, so my kids can eat them in the car or at the table while waiting for their food. That way regardless of the kiddie menu choices, I know my girls are at least getting their veggies/fruit. Though whenever possible we try to pack healthy meals to eat in the car or at our destination. We did an Indoor waterpark overnight the other weekend and packed 2 lunches and breakfast. We intentionally went out for pizza for dinner as a treat, though not without our veggies, LOL
Jody says
Definitely the sugar snap peas. And I have one son now who broccoli florets with ranch dip. I’m not going to complain about that one!
Vickie Houser says
I figured out how to pack bananas. Slice the banana skin down 2 or 3 of the sides with a sharp knife. Careful, only cut the skin. Then cut the bananas into 2″ segments trimming off both ends. Leave the skins on and dip the ends in lemon juice and let dry. Pack them in a container for snacking in the car. Easy to peel and eat!
We also pack cheese, pickles, and radishes. Stone ground wheat crackers and nuts are a standard for every trip too.
There are so many great things you can pack that we often just eat out of the cooler for lunch when we travel. And there are always nearby stores where you can restock. Just don’t forget the small knife and cutting board. :)
Joy says
All of the above! Plus … sometimes I rinse a bunch of baby spinach and stick that in bag in the cooler as well. We either grab a handful and just eat it plain, or throw some on a sandwich that might otherwise be veggie-deprived. Also, mango chunks when in season. Tastes so good when you are away from home and most restaurants do not offer enough fruits/veggies (or if they do, they’re not fresh!) Sometimes our road trips last for DAYS. I have found that homemade whole wheat bagels with cream cheese travel very well (better than loaf bread, which tends to get smooshed!)