ideas for healthy snacks?

[Morgana]

I’m looking for ideas for nutritious and not-too-high-calorie snack foods / finger foods. I’ll be driving cross-country soon — on a route that is pretty much a grand tour of the Covid surge map red zone :-(  — so I want to avoid restaurants, and I’m hoping to just snack my way through lunch.

I’ve thought of cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, Bell peppers (which you can eat like an apple) … it’s pretty easy to find snack-able fruits … maybe peanuts for protein, and tostadas (which seem to have a shelf life longer than Twinkies) for carbs?

Does anyone have other suggestions?


PS
Yes, I'd rather do this trip not during a Covid flare-up, but this is what is.

 

[bullfrog]

You can go a week without food and for most Americans it probably wouldn't hurt. Fruits and vegetables won't last long term. Raisins, nuts and dried fruits last longer but I tend to eat more than I should if I don't package them in portions. Boiled eggs, pickles and preserved foods work well as long as they don't require refrigeration after opening and you have a way to store the leftover portions. Club crackers in the larger boxes come in 20 or so individual wrapped packages. Salsa and foods in small bottles make individual servings and will stay good a long time before opening. Snacking while driving is not a good idea. Getting some exercise and taking a break from driving is a good idea. Pull out a chair and only eat when eating. I carry enough and pay at the pump so I don't have to have contact with people while traveling. I avoid going inside places and crowded places. Wear a mask when I do and washing my hands after seems to help as well even though I am vaccinated. I haven't been sick in over a year which is unusual for me so I guess being more of a hermit works.

 

[vanbrat]

There are lots of goodies. I like nuts, string cheese, Humus is good stuff, but not while driving. Easy eating is just that, easy eating. Deli meats rolled with cheeses, good old trail mixes. Dried fruits, etc. And of course DARK chocolate. If you stop and are taking a break from driving don't forget the good old PBJ's on whole grain crackers or ?

When I am over doing it riding my bike I have been know to get headachy. String cheese and nuts and DARK chocolate and big drinks of water or iced tea revive me. Hubby likes beef jerky, but again with lots of water. Granola bars are good, but not low in calories. I like Cliff bars they are good, one bar makes a whole lunch for me.

You probably want a good mix of proteins and fresh fruit and veggies and some good grains. The jerky would be to salty in my humble opinion but Hubby would disagree with me on that. I have learned to keep my mid day meal small when driving ( meaning ME driving) as I get sleepy but hubby says he doesn't get sleepy after eating. Anyway we always have some munchy stuff by the seats for driving time. I like small bit sized fruits he likes tiny chocolates.

 

[hugemoth]

Whole grain mochi cut into strips and baked then dipped in tahini.

 

[DLTooley]

Due the high volume I like popcorn for my carb fix. Kashi makes some lower sugar snack bars at a reasonable price. Plain sardines in water mixed with your own sauce and maybe a few spicier veggies on a cracker is good. I like the whole grain Wasa.

I used to like sunflower seeds, but the salt is too heavy now. Packaged pumpkin seeds are a reasonable convenience snack.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I’m looking for ideas for nutritious and not-too-high-calorie snack foods / finger foods . . . 
Does anyone have other suggestions?

I use a variety fresh veggies, nuts, and fruit as finger food when driving.  Cut up in the morning, they will last all day if not in the sun:
 - cucumber, radish, sweet onion, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, cherry tomato, celery, carrots, almonds, cashews, orange/grapefruit (separated), grapes, raisins, crasins, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,  . . .  the larger the variety the better the nutrition.  They are filling and give you complex carbs - much better than the cheap simple carbs in processed 'chips'.
 - if you can source them dried fruits: apple, banana, pineapple, pear (the fruits that would be hard to eat while driving).
 - sandwiches, cut up into small, bite-sized pieces.
 - gorp in all its varieties is calorie dense, but is good 'finger food'.
 - I've also done soups, protein drinks, smoothies in an insulated mug.
 - peeled hb eggs

I just avoid foods that can get my fingers sloppy, and have baby wipes handy.

 

[user 30781]

I'm about to experiment with making roasted chickpeas. I bought a little pack of them in a gas station and they were delicious. I'm going to make ranch flavored first.

 

[MGfromBC]

A bag of pitted dates. Not the pressed brick. Semi-sweetened chocolate from the baking section. Baby carrots. Little cans of V8 juice.

MG

 

[Morgana]

Many thanks, all -- this will make lunchtime more interesting and varied!
I just looked up the nutrition information on Wasa crispbread -- wow, that's a lot of food for the calorie count (or maybe it just seems that way because it's so crunchy)! and it's easy to pack.

This Covid uptick is looking scary enough that I'm trying to decide if I should scale back the trip. The only real optional part is a couple of days more in the New Orleans area than strictly necessary. I fully intend to mask etc., and I only have outdoor activities planned, but I'll be staying in motels (I know! heretic! but the car will be jam packed and I've got too much going on to have the learning curve right now anyway) with God knows what ventilation. I <3 New Orleans but don't want to be irresponsible. Well, that's a different problem. I'll have to eat several lunches either way.

Several more great ideas came in while I was writing this. Thanks again! I'm looking forward to trying these.

 

[wayne49]

Crispbread reminds me of YMCA canoe camp in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area split between Minnesota and Ontario. Lunch was dark chocolate and peanut butter on a crispbread, not sure the brand, think maybe Ry-Krisp, this was back in 1962. Lunch was eaten while sitting in the moving canoe, between rotating paddling shifts. Drinking water was provided by the pristine lakes.

 

[Ikigai]

Some of these suggestions are healthy but high calorie, which you probably don't need if you are driving all day, such as nuts, hummus, dates. I have a hard time not snacking constantly when driving, so have some good low calorie drinks which will go e you stuff to do without excessive calories. Besides that any veggies, peas, green beans, cucumber, peppers. Maybe also some fat free Greek yogurt plain with your own added fruit in a squeezable container. Same with low fat cottage cheese. Popcorn, if prepared without a lot of oil or butter is a great snack too. Tastes great with nutritional yeast. Have a good trip!

 

[pearlog]

Plain Greek yogurt mixed with combinations of things like frozen or diced fresh fruit, granola, oats, peanut butter powder, protein powder, and cereal

Canned pumpkin mixed with combinations of peanut butter powder, cocoa powder and oats

Rice cakes or bananas with peanut butter

Raw vegetables with hummus, salsa or mustard

Roasted chickpeas

Broth-y soups

Dried seaweed

 

[user 30781]

I'm about to make my first ever batch of roasted chickpeas using this recipe

https://thebusybaker.ca/ranch-roasted-chickpeas/

If they come out good then I'll experiment with other seasonings.

 

[user 30781]

Oohhh even better. Cook them at a lower heat for longer to ensure they stay crispy.

https://www.acouplecooks.com/spiced-crispy-chickpeas/

 

[LERCA]

I can’t eat a lot (only eat breakfast and before 11am) or drink much caffeine but a cliff bar and cup of coffee keeps me going all day when driving. Hard boiled eggs too. Any high protein.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I can gain a lot of weight if allow to free range snack, so I try not to snack while driving.  A single protein bar, and a carrot and two cups of popcorn can pass for lunch.  I can and have eaten three times that, but it's not about what I want.  As a rule I always hydrate.  Here is one way, that also helps suppress food cravings.  
Sugar free lemonade:  In a nalgene bottle place, a lemon (peeled, cut into bits and deseeded), ice,  water and stevia.  Shake vigorously.  As the ice melts it will become weaker.  The more the lemon is shaken more juice is released so you can in fact top off water, ice and stevia and still have viable lemonade.  If you have any sun tea brewed you can top off with that for an Arnold Palmer.   After most the juice has been released the lemon bits can be eaten, or just discarded when you are finished. 
Water weighs about a pound a quart so think of this as do it yourself shake weight with hydration.  If you aren't driving you can add alcohol and make it a shake weight with benefits.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

When I was younger I used to go on tour with bands pretty much every year as a bassist or sound guy/roadie.
This would be 1-2 months on the road. Lots of partying until 3am, sleeping rough 5 or 6 hours then hitting the road for 3-8 hours a day.
Because of the way population is clustered in the US, you end up doing lots of short bursts up and down the coasts then long slogs through the middle.
Anyway, we quickly got gross and unhealthy from partying and eating bad.
So I started buying a bag of apples and a bag of oranges at the start and just gobbling those on the road when everyone else was eating funyuns and oreos.
At first I was mocked for being a hippie or something. But after the 3rd hangover day in a row lots of folks were looking at my oranges with wide, bloodshot eyes.

Two problems with eating on the road (aside from one handing it on the interstate).
Lots of food is salty, fatty and full of chemicals. Even stuff like dehydrated fruit is often full of sulfates or other preservatives, mold inhibitors and such.
The environment of driving a car means you are breathing in lots of VOCs, exhaust and getting more sun than normal.
Your body wants B and C vitamins and lots of water.
Not tea, juice or cola. Water.

I usually try and pace myself on the water to avoid too many pit stops.
Sometimes I'll even chart it out on a map.
Start chugging water at Lafayette, then you will need a pit stop around Springfield.

A few people have told me that celery is good for for flushing toxins.
Don't know if that is true. But it's crunchy, not sugary, and you can dip it in peanut butter, salad dressing or hummus.


Another thing I'd picked up is the whole cortisol(sp?) stress response.
You know when you drive a lot and there were a bunch of narrow misses from dunderheaded drivers.
You get to a rest stop and your body craves french fries with nacho cheese. That's stress response eating.
I had to learn to recognize that and zig when my stomach wants to zag.
Otherwise my 50 year old belly gets too Santa Claus-esque.

 

[brollins]

Trail mix. Just choose the one with lots of seeds and nuts.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Trail mix. Just choose the one with lots of seeds and nuts.

Trail mix can be made super personalized, mix it yourself in a gallon ziplock bag.  As long as sugary items are at a minimum and you only eat a half a cup at a time it can be healthy.  As you travel you can add new and different things to your trail mix as you go.  To avoid spoilage I would usually. finish a bag in about two weeks and start another one.  As yummy as they are chocolate and yogurt coated items make things messy in hot weather.

Calaverasgrande - You have the right idea, fresh fruit bought two or three times a week.   Carbs and grease are good if you are working outside in harsh winter cold.  When you're sitting in a drivers seat most of the day carbs and grease are all sorts of bad.  Processed sugar is never good, at best it gives you quick energy at a harsh price.

 

[meliscanan88]

Rice flour, Carob Molasses with milk. both healthy and weight gainer