Road Food 101

Alright, you have your road trip planned out, gas tank filled, car's packed down with all the essentials.. now for the food. First and foremost, start off with what you're going to keep your food in. For me, I just went to Walmart and grabbed two small plastic totes. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "what about a cooler?" Picture this, you're on the road with your cooler and your perishable foods. You constantly have to stop for ice (ranging from $3 - $5 per stop). The ice melts, everything gets wet. Now you're spending time & money on something that is totally unnecessary. On top of that, you now have a big, bulky cooler taking up space in your vehicle. In my experience, I've found that totes are the easiest way to go. The clear ones work out the best for the simple fact that you can easily see through the tote and already have an idea of where whatever it is that you're looking for before you go rummaging through your things.

Next step: the food.

Now, since you're on the road and we just have our plastic tote, you're going to want to pick non-perishable foods. Below I've put together a list of items that work the best to go on the road with:

~ Beef Jerky

~ Pre-popped Popcorn/Veggie Straws

~ Protein Bars

~ Carrots

~ Peanut Butter and Jelly (or jams)

~ Pistachios (or any other nuts)

~ Trail mix

~ Dried Fruits

~ Pretzels

~ Cucumbers

~ Cereal

~ Applesauce cups (or any fruit cups)

~ Canned Tuna/Chicken/Turkey, etc.

~ Vienna Sausages

~ Beans and Franks

~ Loaf of bread

~ And, Precooked canned meals (Beefaroni, veggies, chili, etc.)

*PRO TIP*

Hit up some dollar generals and grab some canned food and a loaf of bread (although some brands and different types of canned foods will be cheaper at Walmart, if there's one close by and available to you). For those canned meats I mentioned just above, don't worry about purchasing condiments! When you're stopping for gas and to refill those reusable water bottles at the gas station, feel free to snag yourselves some mayonnaise packets, chopped onions, relish and BOOM, you've got all the ingredients for a homemade chicken/turkey/tuna salad sandwich.

Unfortunately, I know that these won't necessarily fill the void of eating a warmed cooked meal, but we're being frugal, remember? Best way I've found to keep myself from feeling the need to stop and grab a meal along the road is JUST EAT IT. Eat the food you've brought for yourself because it will save you time, money and you honestly won't go hungry. Any of these things pair greatly with a big cup of water after and will keep you full for HOURS. I'm not saying don't splurge once in a while if your road budget allows it, but definitely scrub it up for a few days until it's worth it. When you've found where you're going to settle for the night, you can always go grab a package of hot dogs (from most of the time any gas station) to cook up on a stick over a hot fire, or simply throw that can of Beefaroni/chili/beans right on top and have yourself a grand ole time. Now, that you know how to frugally and efficiently pack your food for your road trip, get out there!

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