Taking your own Food Revolution Road Trip can be fun, educational, and a real experiment in local food cultures. Far from being a bunch of work, it can be a way to teach your kids about food, while avoiding overindulging on vacation. It does, however, take some planning ahead, so that everyone is well fed and happy while you are on the road. Read along for a guide to creating your own.
Plan Ahead
First of all, agree on the rules. You need to decide what will work for your family, and agree to it before you get into the car to avoid any conflicts later on—when people are tired and hungry. Be willing to compromise if need be. Vacations are not a time to introduce a whole new way of eating to your kids, and could induce meltdowns. We try to keep things as similar to home as possible, which keeps tummies and all of us much happier. We found in our travels that some places have required us to ‘cook’ a little more, while others have Trader Joes, which carries a large array of pre-made salads that we enjoy. How much cooking you intend to do will decide how much you want to pack and plan ahead.
If you are staying in hotels, look for rooms that have fridges in them. Another option is to buy a plug-in cooler, which makes things really convenient, as well. Hotel room fridges are quite unreliable and may freeze the food, which can be inconvenient and a bit frustrating.
Packing It Up
Packing smart is essential to your success, and a well stocked food prep bag will make things much easier if you have kids and need to assemble snacks and lunches. You don’t need a lot of things, but there are a few key items that you can’t do without. Obviously, a cooler goes a very long way. We don’t use a large cooler, but rather a medium-sized, soft-sided one that can be kept in the car at hand, ready with snacks and drinks for that particular day. And we shop often, only buying enough for two to three days at a time.
What To Pack In Your Food Prep Bag
A Rectangular Plastic Container* Filled With:
* The bonus is that the items can be removed from the container, and it can double as a bowl to stir things in, such as salads or fillings for wraps.
We also like to include at least one reusable grocery bag of food from home that is familiar and all of us enjoy. This makes it easier if there are brands that we can’t find, and some familiar items keep kids happy, as well. The picky eater in your family will love it and this also solves the dilemma of kids asking for treats every time you stop at a gas station. A few well packed treats, along with healthy snacks, will keep everyone happy. We like to include:
If you are crossing the border, there are many items that you can’t bring into the U.S.A. (or vice versa), so it’s good to be very careful what you pack into the bag, and then stop at a grocery store to supplement with cheese, yogurt, and fresh fruit, once you are across.
So You Are On The Road, What Now?
Relax. Seriously, you are on vacation. Load up on fresh fruit and veggies at the store, and buy some dips for them. Try to buy things that don’t need to be put in the fridge (for risk of freezing), or that are a bit hardy and will be okay if the fridge is a bit cold. For sandwiches, you can stop and get some deli meats or cheese, and load them up with sliced veggies. Stay away from buying any mayonnaise, and stick to mustards, hummus, or even make your own guacamole to use as a spread. To break away from sandwiches, try draining a can of chickpeas and tossing it with some Italian salad dressing, fresh sliced cherry tomatoes, green onion, and a drained can of tuna. You can also make your own simple salads from favourite vegetables at the store, or buy a pre-packed mix. Make it more of a meal by picking up a store-roasted chicken, which can also be used in sandwiches, if you wish.
Packing your own, doesn't mean going without—we realized that if we bought a small tub of ice cream, it was less than $2, and we could each have a good sized scoop, rather than spending three times that on cones that were far bigger than we needed. The benefits were that it was far easier on our waistlines and the wallet!
Another option is a no-fuss picnic—the strategy that Alexis, Tracey, Nicole, and I adopted on our way to Blogher, in San Diego, last summer. As we drove there and back from Vancouver, B.C., we stopped at Trader Joes along the way and picked up various cheeses, pre-made salads, naan bread, dips, fruit, and vegetables. We would find a rest stop and have a picnic, which soon became the favourite part of our day. Not only did it keep the food costs ridiculously low, but it was so good, that a year later we still occasionally mention it. After all, we were outside in the California sunshine, sharing a meal with friends. In the end, we realized that in ten days, we only ate out three times in total, and the cost of groceries worked out to be less than $10 a day each. We also ate very healthy and felt great the entire trip.
What could be better than that?
Picnic Lunch Image Credit: Tracey Rossignol
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