Best Road Snacks
A few of the recent comment threads have mentioned great road snacks--Mountain Dew and corn nuts among the favored snacks--but after today's mention of bologna sandwiches and ice-cold Coke in Cookie the Dog's Owner's Plymouth Belvedere post, I think it's time to discuss great road snacks. There are many reasons to love a long road trip--great roads, picturesque scenery, meeting great people, the chance to relax and listen to the music of your choice at high volume--but snacking ranks right up at the top for me.
I am an avid amateur in the fine art of road snacking but can't quite claim the professional stature of my cousins, aunts and uncles, who pile en masse into their Chevy Suburban with coolers full of food and begin eating when the trip odometer ticks off its first tenth of a mile.
These are my favorites, but I'm interested to hear what others prefer. Beware, just reading this will likely add five pounds and raise your cholesterol. I know that after writing it, I'm now wondering how I have managed to avoid morbid obesity and heart attack after eating all of this junk.
Home-made Snacks
I'm not terribly creative with home-made road snacks, preferring instead the processed variety. My favorite is a nice baggie full of molasses cookies cooked to my mother's recipe, which are sweet enough to satisfy but not so rich and sweet that they are cloying. On the natural side, orange slices are great, as are celery stalks. The celery doesn't really fill you up, but it's crisp and refreshing and the sheer effort to chew it helps pass the miles.
The worst? Whole apples. Most of the time I am ambivalent at worst towards apples, but biting into an apple in the car that hasn't already been sliced is a nightmare. You are obligated to hold it in your hand the whole time, and the juice gets everywhere. The more of the apple you eat, the fewer clean and dry handholds you have on the thing, and at the end of the process you still have a wet, sticky core to deal with. Even sliced, the slices turn brown way too quickly.
Processed Snacks
Yes, I know--processed snacks make you fat, wreak havoc on your blood sugar, have wasteful packaging, poke gaping holes in the ozone layer, and introduce trans-fats to endangered species. They are also fantastic on road trips.
The hands-down best road-trip food ever in my book is Smartfood popcorn--the cheddar-flavored fast food popcorn available in every gas station along every major Interstate. It's hard to avoid greasy, white powdered hands, but that and a rapidly expanding waistline are really the only downsides. Smartfood tastes much lighter and more subtle than other favorites like Doritos--which makes it much easier to keep eating over a period of hundreds of miles, a distance over which Doritos long since became overwhelming. I wouldn't be shocked if the white powder on Smartfood was actually some sort of controlled substance; it is ridiculously addictive. Like a lab rat testing cocaine, I simply can't stop eating Smartfood until the whole bag is gone or until I split in half, whichever comes first. It is this combination of sustained eatability and continued deliciousness that makes Smartfood nonpareil as a road snack.
Plain popcorn is, of course, much healthier, and there are much lighter health-oriented snack popcorns out there, making them potentially better road-trip foods, but they are not as readily available on a road trip as Smartfood.
Doritos are great, as are chocolate bars of all persuasion, but it's hard to eat either over a period of hours while driving. For one thing, Doritos have the potential to make your steering wheel smell of Cool Ranch, and the potential for getting Dorito sweats makes Doritos on a hot drive an unappetizing prospect. On the chocolate side, it's hard to sustain chocolate intake over a 600-mile drive--though I've tried valiantly to buck the odds with Reese's Pieces.
No, when it comes to sugary road snacks, I fall into the warm, gelatinous embrace of the gummy treat. Gummy bears are one of my favorites--they are sweet enough to be pleasing but aren't overwhelming, and an astonishing number of gummy bears can be consumed on a road trip with few ill effects. Peach gummy rings are such a ubiquitous favorite of mine on road trips that my friends have given me bags for birthdays; they're nasty and fantastic all at the same time, a quality required for many road snacks. Beware--I once left a bag inside the car on a hot day, and the rings melted together and separated into their component ingredients in various color strati. It wasn't appealing. Strawberry puffs are the cream of this particular sugary crop, but they're surprisingly hard to find.
Fast Food
Like processed food, everybody knocks fast food--but we all eat it on road trips. There is little more satisfying than getting off the freeway, dashing through a drive-through, and getting right back on the freeway less than five minutes later.
My father used to constantly be driving long distances on the road, and he was a fast-food road eater par excellence. This was before cupholders, so he would cruise along with a burger in one hand, a soda in the other, a box of fries in his lap, and steering with one knee. This might sound unsafe, but I've witnessed the majesty of him in full operation and I've rarely felt more secure. I think the man could drive pretty competitively at Le Mans using only his left knee.
Personally, I think there can be only one winner in this category--Taco John's softshell tacos. Taco John's is a little known taco chain in the Midwest and Western plains states. Think South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming. Taco John's tacos are slightly more expensive than Taco Bell's, but the taste and quality are exponentially superior, with a delightful array of seasoning. I was reared on a steady diet of Taco John's, and I've craved their tacos for years. I used to drive a few hours out of my way to hit the only one near my house; now it's closed, and I've seriously considered paying people to freeze the tacos and ship them to me. They are that addictive.
The great thing about Taco John's as road food is that unlike most tacos, their tacos hold together reasonably well and are easy to eat with one hand. They're also satisfying but not massive, meaning you can eat a couple over 50-100 miles without gorging yourself.
Runners-up? Well, a good hot dog works well on the road, though I'd pass on big heaping servings of chili. McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are also a road-trip staple and help the miles pass by.
Full Meals
I've never really brought along full meals on road trips--they seem unwieldy and difficult to keep warm unless you wrap them in foil and place them in the engine compartment. But I'm sure some of you have some favorites, and I'm eager to learn.
Beverages
Given the sugary, fatty, and salty nature of most road food, bringing along the right beverages on a road trip is of paramount importance. Since most road beverages are also sugary and dehydrating, it is of course key to bring along some water. But road-tripping man and woman cannot live on water alone.
Most, like Cookie the Dog's Owner, prefer ice-cold Coca-Cola or Pepsi. I'm not among them; I simply can't stand dark cola and the taste that, as Bloom County so succinctly put it, reminds one of malted battery acid. A good root beer works well, and Mountain Dew is of course a perennial favorite for long road trips.
No, my premiere road-tripping beverage is Crystal Light, that sugary quasi-lemonade concoction that exists as slightly upper-crust version of Tang or Kool-Aid. Sweet but refreshing, Crystal Light can be mixed strongly or weakly without compromising the taste, meaning it tastes great mile after mile without wearying the taste buds. Gatorade works well too, but it tends to be pricey.
And no, you in the rusty pickup driving through West Texas--a case full of Old Milwaukee does not count as a good road beverage. You know who you are.
The top photo, with the Eat sign perched out in desolation comes from Flickr user jessiqua, the orange slice came from Sesselja Maria, the in-action Smartfood driving shot from solupine, the gummy bear army from Bethany L. King, the Taco John's excitement from just a spark, and the Crystal Light homage from Steeena.
--Chris H.
Bruce on August 05, 2008 at 01:16 PM
I'm particularly struck by the recommendations for Mountain Dew, which has always had an immediate and POWERFUL laxative effect on me, making it less than ideal for travel, particularly if you find gasoline station men's rooms as horrifying as I do.
pittspilot on August 05, 2008 at 01:17 PM
C'mon people.
You have forgotten Vines.
Red Vines, Grape Vines, Green apple Vines, Root Beer Vines. They don't metl, they are not too sweet and easy to eat.
West Texas Scott on August 05, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Road food must be tasty, hang together to avoid cleaning up too much afterward and can be eaten with one hand.
Therefore: Oreos eaten whole; Chips Ahoy, ditto; fritos and doritos, preferably plain (no Chili and Cheese or Cool Ranch); grapes, kept cold; carrot sticks, ditto; various crackers of the Wheat Thins family; french fries or tater tots, depending on which fast food joint you hit with your 5 minutes off the road.
Ultimately the best intentionally-designed-that-way road food: McDonald's Egg McMuffin and Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
Beverages: Arizona Tea with Gensing; Dr Pepper, preferably from Dublin, Texas; Sonic's sodas and especially their Limeade; Ozarka Water; ditto the votes for Starbucks Double Shot espresso-in-a-can.
Special road treat that requires some cup, spoon, steering wheel juggling: Dairy Queen's Blizzard.
Mochi Mochi on August 05, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Baked Possum? Yum! They taste so much better than they look like they would;) Especially when they sit on a fence at eye level and peer at you from the darkness of night - positively creepy. But bake 'em up and you have a feast. Collect enough and you can make seat covers out of their pelts. But you are right Elwood - they are a little greasy for driving. You need a whole lot of wet wipes.
sbw on August 05, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Most be something that lasts a long time and keeps the mouth active -- Coffee Nips.
For variety, try M&Ms, one at a time.
For substantial nutrition, Nature Valley Raisin and Nut bars.
For fluid, alternate Iced Tea, Coffee, and Diet Pepsi.
Works for several thousand miles.
Oh. Listen to books on tape or CD. The words keep you awake. Try Harry Potter or Charles Dickens. They are meant to be read.
paddady on August 05, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Combos. Delicious pretzel cheesy goodness, which is somehow amplified on a road trip.
wolfwalker on August 05, 2008 at 01:52 PM
My $0.02 worth:
For quick snacks, I always carry a box of apple-cinnamon NutriGrain bars. Junk food like chips and popcorn is right out -- I eat too damn much of that as it is.
For drinks in the car, I prefer plain water, usually heavily iced to keep it cold. Gatorade sometimes, and regular soda is also a possibility. Oddly, the amount of caffeine in a typical soda doesn't seem to affect me at all; it's the sugar that gives me an energy jump. Thus, diet soda doesn't work.
As for road music, I recommend late fifties/early sixties rock-and-roll, and anything with a similar sound. It's bloody near impossible to doze off while listening to Chuck Berry or early Beach Boys.
seguin on August 05, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Whataburger, Chicken Express (local Texas chains) for fast food...Combos, beef jerky for processed snacks, Kolaches from West, Texas when I drive on I-35, apples, water, trail mix.
tamdar on August 05, 2008 at 03:31 PM
I like to get a big bag of sunflower seeds. What's so awesome about that, other than the constant, mind-soothing fiddling (the soaking and softening, the opening, the extracting, the shell collecting and discarding) is that withing about an hour the inside of your cheek - where you store the seeds during the soaking and softening stage - becomes a raw, puffy wound.
Yet you can't stop loading another handful of the salty nuggets in there, the sting of salting the irritated flesh bringing tears to your eyes.
Earl on August 05, 2008 at 05:39 PM
I also use sunflower seeds -- in California, at least, you can get the Low Sodium "flavor" (helps minimize the raw cheek/tongue problem) and I have my brother ship them to Tennessee for me. Working on these seeds will keep your eyes open on a long freeway leg better than anything else.
I love beef jerky, and have since the '50s when I ate it on my paper route. I make my own - google for Martha Stewart's recipe and use London Broil on sale - it's totally traditional, and the absolute best.
Alternating the foregoing with the baby carrots, celery sticks, grapes, etc. helps alleviate the salt and dehydration problems.
For drink, I keep a 12-pack of Pepsi (none of that Diet stuff) behind the seat, and refill my Bubba Keg with (free) ice when I stop for gas, plus once in between. An 11-hour trip takes about four or five cans because I just sip it, and have a glug of water every now and then. The constant trickle of caffeine helps the alertness enormously.
And finally, YES on the books on tape/CD -- much better than constantly fiddling with the radio to keep new stations coming in. Harry Potter is wonderful.
Regolith on August 05, 2008 at 06:13 PM
Every year since I left home to go to college I've made something like 5 or so 900 mile round trips a year to "go home" to visit my parents. Sometimes, I'll visit my grandmother at the same time, which turns it into a 1200 mile round trip.
When I first started out, I used to eat a bunch of junk on the road - candy bars, soda, energy drinks, etc. These almost always left me feeling like crap by the end of the trip, though. So I've made some changes.
First, I got rid of the soda and energy drinks, and replaced them with water, tea, and the occasional sports drinks. Then I ditched the junk food, and started eating things like Triscuits with real cheese topping instead (though I still add the occasional candy bar, but it does not dominate my snacking). These two changes alone made a huge difference as to how I felt by the end of my trip.
For meals, I usually stop at either Subway or Arby's. I like the mozzarella sticks at Arby's, and the Sweet Onion Teriyaki at Subway. I also usually eat a hard boiled egg and pint of chocolate milk at one particular point in my trip. Dairy Queen, Denny's and Panda Express have also been stopping points, particularly when traveling with family.
For entertainment, I usually either play the radio, or when in areas when there is no signal (I travel in some very remote areas), I play a variety of CD's I have on hand. I've thought about going the book on tape route, but haven't really gotten around to it.
Earl on August 05, 2008 at 06:21 PM
Note, you can probably borrow the books on tape/CD at your local library. Ours has a number of copies available for free, and then extra copies for which you pay a small fee/week to check out - these are ALWAYS available.
David Van on August 05, 2008 at 06:37 PM
Lil' Bama Pecan pies, Chocolate milk, John Prine. Awesome
jeanie on August 05, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Cold Coke and French burnt peanuts, because I get tired of them faster than M&Ms. There's gotta be a stopping point. Then water.
Books on tape, yeah. Harry Potter, oh yeah. If I'm not driving, I read aloud.
Face on August 05, 2008 at 08:52 PM
Ah, the good old days. The first things that popped into my head were Smartfood and Taco Johns too! Also sausage/egg/cheese biscuits from McDonalds when we were lucky enough to leave early. I remember making fun of Mom's granola bars and string cheese on every trip, but they were tasty and good for you! Traveling with the relatives and their "travel treats" was always awesome.
OldCarGuy on August 06, 2008 at 06:55 AM
Getting OT, but no books on tape/CD for me. I do have XM Radio and plenty of CDs if the mood strikes me.
Bryan on August 06, 2008 at 07:04 AM
Taco Johns is in North Dakota and Minnesota, also. Taco Johns rules!!!
Anthony Cagle on August 06, 2008 at 08:32 AM
"Road food must be tasty, hang together to avoid cleaning up too much afterward and can be eaten with one hand."
Yes. I don't eat much in the car anymore just because I don't like my steering wheel to get all full of grease, oil, sugar, etc. Otherwise, it's a Diet Coke/Pepsi. If I really feel the need to eat something I stop and eat something.
hmm on August 06, 2008 at 02:03 PM
I'm unintentionally quasi-vegan (a vegetarian with a dairy allergy) so finding meals right off the freeway is quite tricky. When I'm standing at the front of the fast food line questioning whether Wendy's has real butter on their potatoes I even annoy myself.
I like pretzels, nuts, and fruit (bananas, nectarines if I'm not driving, grapes) for bring-along snacks, and I eat a lot of side salads at fast food restaurants... I also adore gummi bears (hey, I'm only vegetarian because I've never liked meat - Chewy fruit-flavored gummi bears remain as delicious as ever).
Late night driving is impossible without the BAT mix: the best of the Beatles, Abba, and Three Dog Night.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on August 06, 2008 at 03:25 PM
As far as music goes . . . Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Anthony Cagle on August 06, 2008 at 04:04 PM
Erk. Someone mentioned bologna sandwiches. I once survived on them for two days. I had an old Buick and a Mobil gas card and about $100 in cash and started out for Wisconsin from Seattle, figuring I'd use the gas card for gas and the cash for food. I packed some bologna and cheese and what-not for the odd lunch here and there.
Well.
Turned out there wasn't a single Mobil station between the Cascades and Minnesota, so I had to spend all of my cash on gas (yeah, this was back when $100 really COULD get you halfway across the country). I ate the bologna sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, slept in the car, and rolled into Minnesota with $3 and 1/8th of a tank. I was never so happy to see a Mobil station in my life.
Ah, the life of a poor starving grad student. . . .
Nancy Rohrig on August 30, 2008 at 07:20 PM
What about McDonald's ice coffee and for a switch later iced tea!! You can also get the apple and walnut snack for the healthy side and chicken nuggets for the munchies. I do pack bologna and cheese sandwiches and of course my coke and water.
crystal on December 08, 2008 at 07:45 PM
what, no credit?
we actually made a road trip FOR the tacos. ...my boyfriend really, really loves taco john's.
crystal on December 08, 2008 at 07:46 PM
haha. i'm blind. forget that. thanks!
coffee on February 01, 2009 at 12:02 PM
a practical aspect of using Mountain Dew as a road snack is it keeps you from driving off into a ditch after the ninth or tenth hour of driving