plant based road trip

Easy, Plant-Based Snacks and Meals for Road Trips (and restaurant guide!)

In my opinion, one of the best parts of road trips is the snacks! Even though snacking isn’t the healthiest habit, some snacking makes all the difference in long car rides. Having healthy options in your car allows you to stay alert, avoid weight gain, and feel good while traveling. You want to do everything you can to avoid convenience stores and fast food stops, since they have so few options that are real food.

As Michael Pollen wisely says, “Never get your fuel from the same place your car does.”

By far the healthiest snacks are the ones God made–fruits and vegetables! Little sections of tangerine, berries, grapes, etc. are nature’s fruit snacks! Veggies cut into sticks are nature’s Veggie Straws!

#1 Tip: Pack a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and make them your staple snacks. Promise yourself you’ll eat some fruits and veggies before digging into the more exciting stuff.

And now, 21 Healthy Snacks (or meals!) for Traveling

• Ready-to-eat fruit . Simply taking a few minutes to peel oranges, wash apples, cut grapes into little bunches, cut the stems off of strawberries, etc. makes you so much more likely to reach for them. In the summertime, lots of fruits are in season: peaches, melons, pineapple, mangoes, berries, yum!
• Veggie sticks. Carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, jicama sticks, red pepper strips, celery sticks, or baby tomatoes with hummus. You can buy little individual hummus cups at Costco (although they have added oil) or make your own and put them in these little containers that have lids.
•   Best Hummus Recipe from Cookie and Kate
• Green Chili Hummus 
• Curry Hummus. 
• Peanut butter banana sandwiches. A staple if you need to eat breakfast or lunch on the road. Filling, delicious, and easy.
• Banana bars or muffins. Click here for my recipe for Banana Muffins or Banana Bars that are whole-grain, no-oil, naturally sweetened and can be gluten-free. Make them ahead and pull them out of the freezer on the morning of your trip for optimal freshness.
• No-Bake Granola Bars via From My Bowl.
• Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars via Minimalist Baker.
• Lara Bars. The ultimate bar, in my opinion! Made of only fruit and nuts, these are delicious while having no junk. They are pretty high calorie, but they make for a great treat. When they go on sale for less than a dollar each, I stock up. Buy some of my favorite flavor right now, so you’re always prepared with a whole-food option on the go.
• Rice Crispy Balls. Make this recipe for Rice Crispy Granola Bars and roll the mixture into balls instead pressing them into bars. Balls are less crumbly and you can make more of them. Skipping chocolate chips helps them hold together better, and they are still delish! Irrestistable!
• Chex (2 grams)
• Cheerios (1 gram sugar)
• Kix (2 grams sugar)
• Life (6 grams sugar)
• Puffed Brown Rice (0 grams sugar)
• Shredded Wheat (0 grams)
• Brown Rice Cakes. Rice cakes are fun to munch on, and have only two ingredients: brown puffed rice and salt. I get the Quaker brand of lightly salted rice cakes at my grocery store.   Alternatively, t his brand of crunchy Rice Rollers are very low sugar and great eaten alone. They are only 39 cents per rice cake and only 50 calories.
• Popcorn. Pop popcorn at home and put it into individual bags for a very cheap, plant-based, light snack.
• Energy  Bites. While this is a higher-calorie snack, it will make everyone in your car a little happier. Get my favorite recipe bursting with nutritious chia and flax seeds by signing up for my email list. You’ll automatically get a free download of 10 healthy treats, and my energy bites are on there.
• Healthy-ish Cookies. Try these Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies , or these delicious garbanzo bean chocolate chip cookies for a special treat. Make them half-size to help you not eat them too fast! Homemade Aussie Bites are also delicious for snacks or breakfast-on-the-road.
• Chia Pudding cups. I stir together 2 tbsp chia seeds with 1 cup light coconut milk and some frozen fruit, with a little honey or maple syrup if needed, and let sit overnight. These little containers would be perfect for chia pudding, oatmeal, hummus, rice pudding, etc.
• Bento Boxes.   This is particularly fun for kids. Get a container, ideally with compartments, (a great plastic option is here and a glass version here  that looks amazing!) and put their favorite fruits, vegetables, crackers, bread, beans, nuts, edamame, roasted chickpeas, or whatever else your children like. This is a fairly clean meal they can eat while sitting in their car seat.
• Applesauce or fruit cups. Make sure they have no sugar added and fruit cups are packed in juice or water, not sugary syrup! These make a great non-perishable option to eat fruits. Click here to order 20 pouches for $10. 
• Baked potatoes. My husband loves potatoes so much, he is happy to eat a baked potato like an apple. A little shaker of salt would make it even tastier, although you might want to salt them out the window or when the car is stopped so you don’t make a mess.
• Pepitas (or pumpkin seeds). You can buy different flavored pumpkin seeds, such as Chili-Lime, or enjoy them plain. I’ve seen them in the bulk bins sections of grocery stores.  They are a great source of protein, healthy fats, magnesium, zinc and iron.
• Roasted Chickpeas . You can buy these at the grocery store–I’ve seen several flavors in the bulk bins at Winco, although they do have processed oil as an ingredient, or you can order them online like these ones, here, that have a delicious variety  You can also make them yourself, see my recipe for roasted chickpeas . They are best within one or two days of roasting them, although I’ve heard they are crispier if you use an air-fryer.
•  100% Fruit Leather or Dried Fruit. At any grocery store that has bulk bins, go crazy trying different dried fruits! Try to avoid ones that have added sugar. Dried apricots, raisins, figs, apples and dates usually have no added sugar.  Stretch Island Fruit Leather i s one brand that has no added sugar. Although expensive, t his dried pineapple from Trader Joe’s is super tasty, and has no added sugar.
• Individual Packs of Nuts. These are perfect to keep in your car at all times so you always have something hearty and nutritious when you’re hungry. Here is an 18 pack for $10.

What to Order at Restarants

Subway –Veggie Delite sandwich on whole grain bread. You can load it up with as many veggies as you want!

Taco Bell –They have an entire vegetarian menu and you’re always welcome to customize and take the cheese and sour cream off. In ANY menu item you can swap meat for beans.  Make it “fresco style” to swap any higher-fat or dairy ingredients with diced tomatoes instead. 

Chipotle —Easily customizable to be 100% plant-based. Guacamole is free when you don’t order meat or sofritas (tofu).

Panera Bread –Several vegetable soups, salads, and bowls are vegan and vegetable-heavy. The Baja Bowl, Mediterranean Bowl, Tomato Basil Cucumber salad, and many more can be customized to be completely plant-based. 

Wendy’s –Get a few baked potatoes (ask for no sour cream or butter) and/or a side salad.

Blaze Pizza, Mod Pizza (or most build-your-own wood-fired pizza chains)–Customize your own pizza with a wide variety of vegetables. Vegan cheese is available, or it’s still yummy with no cheese at all. Gluten free crusts are available if needed.

Thai restaurants –Many curries and Thai dishes can be made with tofu instead of meat, or just vegetables. 

Indian restaurants –Most Indian restaurants have delicious vegan options, such as aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), chana masala (chickpeas in sauce over rice), or veggie samosas with chutneys. Some dishes may have butter or yogurt, so just ask. 

Mexican Restaurants –A burrito without meat or cheese, a taco salad with beans instead of meat, veggie fajitas, or even just sides of rice and beans with lettuce and tomato. 

Chick-Fil-A : Order the Spicy Southwest Salad,  Market Salad, or Grilled Cool Wrap without chicken or cheese. Add a non-dairy dressing like the Chili Lime Vinaigrette if desired. Fruit Cups are also available.

Mongolian Grills –Customize your bowl with tons of veggies and tofu, and you can even have it grilled with water instead of oil. 

Whole Foods Salad Bars –Load up your carton with a variety of salads, cut fruit, and plant-based entrees, and pay for your food by the pound. 

Costa Vida –Salads with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, fajita veggies, and tortillas, mango salsa, Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, are all vegan-friendly ingredients (although not all oil-free). Rice contains butter, and tortillas are grilled with some butter. 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe —Many smoothies are completely plant-based and sugar can be omitted. Hummus Wrap (ordered without cheese or ranch), Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Flatbread. 

Grocery Stores —When traveling, sometimes the best option may be to go into a grocery store and buy a few things to create a meal to eat in your car or take to a park for a picnic. A bag of baby carrots or snap peas, bananas, oranges, Lara Bars, whole wheat pita bread and hummus, a veggie tray, Mary’s Gone Crackers, rice cakes (look for ingredients of only brown rice and salt), peanut butter, jam, pre-made salads, popcorn, nuts or dried fruit (look for bulk bins), premade smoothies or green juices. 

Ideas for kids: You don’t have to order “kids meals” for kids! They don’t need separate “kid food” which is often just an overpriced collection of nutrient-poor foods coupled with a toy or treat. Although not always on the menu, simply ask for sides that fit the type of restaurant: a side of rice and beans, a simple bean burrito, a plate of tofu and rice, pasta and vegetables, pita bread and hummus, or share the adult entree you order. 

You can download the free app Happy Cow to do searches for restaurants with vegan options near you. This is a great way to find unique local restaurants to try. 

What to eat when Flying

Not going on a road trip, but a plane trip? (Those are my favorite kind of trips!!) Know that you are allowed to take food through airport security! I pack apples, bananas, or clementines on every trip so I have something healthy to eat in the airport when I smell Cinnabons or Wetzels Pretzels wafting through my gate.  For early morning trips, pack a container of cooked oatmeal or overnight oats and a spoon, or a square of baked oatmeal. My other go-to flying food is a PB&J. All food is allowed except liquids (like soups or smoothies), so healthy flying!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I would recieve a very small commission if you buy through the links at no extra cost to you. 

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Plant-Based Summer Road Trip Snacks

Happy Summer, friends! We hope you are out enjoying the sunshine!

Whether you are getting out for a road trip or taking in some weekend camping, we have put together some of our favorite plant-based snacks for all your summer adventures.

Happy travels!

If you give any of these plant-based summer snacks a try, let us know! Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it  #minimalistbaker  on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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21 Vegan Road Trip Snacks You Need to Pack This Year

• January 25, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links (see full disclaimer ). This means if you make a purchase after clicking, I may get a small percentage of the sale, at absolutely no extra cost to you.

Vegan road trip snacks are essential for any road trips you’re taking this summer, whether that’s your summer vacation or a weekend trip to a family reunion.

It can be tricky to find vegan travel snacks on the go, especially if you’re driving through areas where the only food for miles is found at rest areas, and usually consists of greasy burgers.

Here are the best easy vegan snacks you should pack:

• Vegan snack box
• Vegan energy bars
• Chopped up fruits and veggies
• Almond butter in individual serving sizes
• Vegan cheesy popcorn
• Tortilla chips and salsa

Vegan cheese crackers

• Vegan dark chocolate peanut butter cups

Why You Should Pack Vegan Road Trip Snacks

Are you going on any road trips this summer? Then pack your car full of the best vegan snacks so even if you’re driving through the desert or the prairies, with no plant-based food in sight, you’ll have some healthy road trip snacks on hand!

Finding vegan snacks to go can be tricky, particularly if you’re driving through rural areas. Don’t waste your time trying to scrounge up vegan store bought snacks at a gas station. Instead, here’s how to stock your car with the best road trip snacks, vegan style. Just toss these store bought vegan snacks (most can be bought online) in your car, your well-packed suitcase plus some vegan sunscreen , and you’re ready to go on your road trip! Wondering where to go on your trip? Check out my guide to the best vegan hotels!

Vegan Snacks to Buy Before Your Trip

So, you’re ready for your vegan holidays…but what are you going to eat? Here are a few of the best vegan on the go snacks to stock your car with this summer.

Most of these also make great vegan plane snacks too! If you’re flying, don’t forget to pack vegan airplane snacks because in-flight meals can often leave something to be desired (not to mention sometimes airlines forget to pack your requested vegan meal). Wherever you’re going on your trip, and whether you’re driving or flying, I’ve put together this vegan snacks list to make sure you eat well on your travels.

If you’re bringing your dog on your road trip, don’t forget to bring some snacks for Fido too ! 

P.S. Mercy for Animals put together this vegan road trip playlist so you can play it and sing along in your car !

The best vegan road trips snack box: Vegan Cuts Snack Box

What are the best vegan snacks for traveling? I love the vegan boxes put together by the vegan company Vegan Cuts, because they always provide vegan friendly snacks I’ve never tried (or sometimes even seen) before! You can buy a snack box subscription or you can buy a single box , perfect for your vegan roadtrip snacks (if you can resist eating it all before the trip, that is).

If you’re looking for easy vegan snacks on the go for your trip, grabbing one of these boxes (or any of the vegan boxes I reviewed here ) is the easiest. Just order online, and a box of vegan packaged snacks will be delivered to your door, which you can put in your car and eat on your trip. 

Click here for more information about the Vegan Cuts snack box.

Pack of dried fruit and nut bars

Energy bars or dried fruit and nut bars are convenient and healthy vegan snacks for traveling. My favourite vegan easy snacks are  these bars. Before your trip, you can purchase a pack of a variety of different flavours from Amazon and put that in your car! They’re also great vegan snacks to bring on the plane, since they’re compact and easy to put in your carry-on bag. I never leave home (whether a road trip, a flight or just a day trip) without a few fruit and nut bars in my bag; they’re one of the best vegan store bought snacks because they last so long, are so portable and convenient for travel and are easy to find.

Best healthy vegan snacks on the go: Fruits & Veggies

In terms of packing vegan food for travel, be sure to bring fruit and veggies that are easy to eat (e.g. carrot sticks, apples, grapes) — bonus points if you store them in reusable glass tupperware containers like these — and refill them with other vegan food on the go you buy at supermarkets on your trip.

Here are a few that are easy to transport:

• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Baby tomatoes

Reusable glass containers

These are the perfect BPA-free storage solution for your fruits and veggies and other vegan travel food. Click here to check the latest prices .

Dips for Your Veggies (or Bread)

Hummus, nut butters and vegan pate are all make good vegan road trip food. You can find hummus and nut butters at most supermarkets, so you can just pick up a tub of hummus or a jar of nut butter from any supermarket you find on the road. If you’re lucky, you might even find vegan gas station snacks in the form of hummus and nut butters. (Also, you might be able to get away with not refrigerating the nut butter …just don’t leave it in your hot car over night!)

Vegan pates are an even better option for your vegan trips since it doesn’t require refrigeration until opened. 

Almond Butter Packets

Ok, so you  might be able to get away without refrigerating your nut butters but if you’re worried, the best solution are these mini packets of Jason’s almond butter , which my mom always takes when she travels. Unfortunately they generate more waste than a bigger tub, but you don’t have to worry about finding a fridge once you’ve opened your jar of nut butter. And the maple almond butter flavour is  amazing . 

Click here to check the latest prices .

Dried Fruit and Nuts

Dried fruit and nuts are also easy-to-transport on the go vegan snacks. Plus, if you’re looking for vegan gas station food, you’re likely to find some kind of nuts in many (just double check the ingredients–some nuts include gelatin, believe it or not!). They’re the ultimate healthy vegan packaged snacks if they contain no extra ingredients, and perfect for the vegan on the road.

Avoid nuts in the shell like pistachios, which will make a huge mess in your car — unless you don’t mind vacuuming peanut shells out of your car for the next month!

You can make your own trail mix (one of the best vegan travel snacks) by mixing a few different kinds of nuts, seeds and dried fruits together! Or, you can buy a raw, GMO-free nut mix like this one for your vegan trip.

Sandwiches or Wraps

Eating vegan while traveling doesn’t need to be hard, especially if you take some vegan road trip meals pre-made with you. When I was a kid (I was brought up vegetarian), we did a lot of family road trips, and my mom always packed a few veggie burgers and sandwiches in the cooler so we had lunch and dinner for the first day of the trip! Read on for some vegan travel food ideas so you can prepare do some vegan road trip meal prep in advance so you’ll be assured of healthy road trip meals, too.

When it comes to sandwiches, you probably don’t need recipes! Vegan newbies, though, sometimes get stuck with thinking of sandwich ideas, so here are a few suggestions. Make yourself a sandwich or wrap with hummus, dairy-free pesto, veggies, falafel, tofu ( Taifun’s marinated tofu is my favourite for making sandwiches) and/or your favourite vegan meat… You can even bring leftover pasta, pre-made sushi or veggie burgers, as long as you have a cooler.

Collapsible Cooler

If you’re bringing sandwiches or other vegan food for travel, you’ll want to make sure you have a cooler. I like the look of this collapsible cooler  — perfect if you’re flying to a destination and then renting a car, and also great for the beach or a picnic. You can refill your cooler with ice from the hotel’s ice machine each night to keep your vegan grab and go snacks cool. That way, you may even be able to keep food fresh for several days (my family always managed to on road trips, thanks to ice machines)!

Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Chips as salsa are easy vegan snacks for road trips. As portable vegan snacks go, tortilla chips and salsa can be a little messy — I recommend pulling over and eating these at a rest stop! I love these blue corn chips . Pair with your favourite salsa (or if you’ve got time before your trip, make your own; this fresh salsa comes together really quickly). But if you’re like me and never leave yourself enough time to prepare and pack before your trip…just pick up a jar of your favourite salsa! You can find tortilla chips in most places if you need vegan convenience store snacks on the raod!

Crackers make a great portable vegan food eaten on their own, or you can dip them in hummus or pate. They make great vegan snacks for travel!

Click here to find the latest prices .

If you love cheesy crackers, then these vegan cheese crackers are perfect for you! Earth Balance makese vegan butter, mac & cheese…and cheese crackers! They’re also GMO free and Kosher.

Chocolate and Sweet Treats

If you like your vegan prepackaged snacks on the sweeter side, then this section’s for you. Vegan dark chocolate (or rice milk/oat milk chocolate, if you prefer) is great for when a sugar craving hits. Just make sure to put it in the cooler if your car is hot so it doesn’t melt!

If you like baking and have time before your trip, you could also make muffins (the recipe I’ve linked is for raspberry lemon muffins but you can substitute whatever you want and make blueberry or chocolate chip muffins!) and bring them along. Eat vegan on the road is easier than most people think, but one thing I often miss while travelling is vegan baked goods. So bringing your own muffins is the perfect solution!

Be sure to bring a water bottle with you so you stay hydrated. ( This one keeps water cold up to 24 hours and also keeps hot beverage hot too). You can also bring a few of your favourite drinks (whether that’s coconut water or kombucha) in your cooler.

Equipment you might need

Don’t forget to bring a cooler, storage containers and cutlery, so you can keep your vegan prepackaged snacks cool and eat with ease! Here’s some equipment that will make eating on your road trip easier:

Storage containers

Bring some tupperware (I really love my glass containers like these — so easy to clean!) so you can store chopped fruits, veggies, sandwiches and more. 

Don’t forget the cooler! You’ll need it to keep your drinks, hummus, sandwiches, salsa and other vegan car snacks fresh!  You can easily refill your cooler with ice from the motel’s ice machine every evening and morning to keep your food from spoiling (be sure to keep your cooler in the motel with you, rather than in the car overnight, where it will get hot). If you’re bringing raw vegan snacks on the go like chopped up fruits and veggies this will be essential.

This collapsible cooler is great for saving space — if you’re planning on going to the beach, you can pack it full of food and collapse it once you’re done eating. It’s also perfect for packing in your luggage if you’re flying somewhere and then renting a car.

Travel cutlery

Sometimes the best healthy road trip snacks require a little prep, such as chopping veggies. Be sure to bring some cutlery with you; you can either just grab some flatware from your house or get a set for road trips, picnics and camping like this travel cutlery, which is lightweight comes with a carrying case .

Storage box

You’ll need a box to store your non-refrigerated food items in. You can use a plastic storage box if you have one, or you can just use a cardboard box you’ve recently received a package in!

Finding healthy meals on the road

Apart from vegan snacks to go, here’s how to find vegan road trip restaurants on the go.

Happycow is my favourite site and app for travel. It lists vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants around the world; the app will show you what’s nearby.

If you want to eat only organic or local foods, Vanilla Bean (free on iOS) shows restaurants with vegan, local and organic options.

You can find out which chain restaurants have plant-based options; many do now! For a US list, see here .

For a UK list of chain restaurants offering plant-based fare, see a very comprehensive list of vegan restaurants options from Veganuary here.

More healthy road trip ideas

Looking for more tips on planning a healthy, meat-free road trip? Check out my book, The Essential Vegan Travel Guide ! Now in its third edition, I’ve got sections on finding plant-based fare, choosing where to stay, eco-friendly and vegan toiletries, plus retreats, cruises, camping and more. It’s available in paperback or Kindle format.

Buy a copy on Amazon here .

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Looking for more travel tips? Check out my guide to vegan luggage , and my vegan city guides such as my guides to Amsterdam , Barcelona and Athens.

Find more vegan travel tips and product guides here , and learn all about vegan travel here .

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Caitlin Galer-Unti

7 thoughts on “21 vegan road trip snacks you need to pack this year”.

This is such a great post! Thanks for all of the ideas! Would you mind if I share your post on my blog?

Thank you Laura! Sorry, I’ve only just seen this (wasn’t getting alerts for new comments) — of course I wouldn’t mind, please feel free to share a link!

Snacks are definitely the best part of road trips (I mean travelling is great, but come on, snacks!) I can’t go anywhere without a flask of tea and some biscuits or a slice of cake for the journey too!

Absolutely the best part! :D

Hi Caitlin, So I’m planning a 2 week road trip next year and will be flying to my starting point. Because of this reason I needed to think outside the box and what I did was purchase a few portable kitchen kits, one contains 2 plates and 2 sets of silverware in a nice zippered case, the other set contains a few knives, cutting board, peeler, can opener, large spoon, shears, and spatula in a zippered case. I am planning to pack these in my suitcase to use for my road trip. This way I can stop by any grocery store and get the supplies I need to prepare meals in my hotel room. I am learning some techniques with the microwave so I can use it to assist for things I need to heat. I plan to purchase a small storage bowl set and cooler once I start my drive. This way I can have prepared meals wherever I am and they will be healthy!

Hi Susan, This sounds like a very smart idea! A portable kitchen kit sounds really handy — I haven’t come across one like that but it sounds very useful. Hope your road trip goes well!

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Hi, I’m Caitlin and I’ve been vegan since 2008 and vegetarian my whole life. Since going vegan, I’ve lived in 4 countries and travelled to over 30! I’ve also published two bestselling vegan books (The Essential Vegan Travel Guide and The Barcelona Vegan Guide ) and had my work featured in The New York Times, Vegetarian Food & Living and Vegan Life magazine. I’ve veganised my life and I’m here to help you design your life around your vegan values. 

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Try our game-changing plant based meal plans

American Road Trip Plant Based Meal Plan

By Team Dirty

Feb 25, 2022

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7 Convenient Plant-Based Road Trip Snacks

Eating healthy on a road trip shouldn’t be hard. With these 7 easy road trip snacks, you’ll stay fresh and fueled for longer than your gas tank.

When planning a road trip, the first thing you think about isn’t typically which snacks you’ll be bringing. 

We’ve all been there: You’re trying to run to the grocery store and pack away whatever will fit in your cooler or bags for some last-minute road trip goodies. If you’re in a fully packed car, it can be even more difficult to fit everything you need. Finding convenient and easy snacks will ensure that you stay energized throughout your trip without much hassle. 

While most grab-and-go snacks are loaded with sugars and salt, packing your own homemade plant-based snacks creates a healthier environment for your trip. You won’t feel like crashing after stuffing a homemade granola bar in your face, and you’ll know everything that you’re putting into your body. 

Making snacks homemade might feel time-consuming, but you can limit your amount of packaging waste and feel more confident that you and your road trip buddies are eating healthily and mindfully. To find some inspiration on what you could bring with you, keep reading ✨

Snacking On-the-Go

When you’re planning a road trip, you want to limit the amount of trash you produce and find foods that will do well sitting in the car. Ice cream, potato chips, veggie straws, sugary gummies, fruit snacks, and frozen pizzas might not be the best road trip snack ideas, unfortunately.

However, by putting together your snacks yourself, you can know what ingredients are going in and choose foods that will revitalize you throughout the drive. From a two-hour road trip to a 20-hour road trip, coming prepared can make the drive go smoothly. 

What’s the Importance of Refueling Your Energy?

Balanced meals are important to fuel your body with the energy it needs to function all day. It might not seem like a road trip would tire you out—especially if you're not the one driving—but that’s not completely true. Food helps to supply your body with the nutrition it needs to function. 

There’s a thing called “travel fatigue” that can happen to anyone who is traveling long distances, including passengers. Even if you aren’t flexing your leg muscles to push and pull off of the gas pedal, your body is accounting for changes in pace and motion. If you experience a bumpy ride, your muscles are working to keep your body upright and in a comfortable position. Even if you have just been sitting in the car, your muscles are still at work. 

The motion might also tire you out without even realizing it. You could feel like you’re being lulled to sleep, so energizing with food can keep you awake and alert. This is especially important while driving. 

Make Sure To Pack the Proper Equipment

Before you even hit the road, you’re going to want to make sure you have space for a decent-sized cooler or reusable bags. It’s best to store your food in a cooler space because traveling in the car and sitting in a place stuck between other luggage could ruin certain snacks. Of course, not everything needs to be cool, but it’s up to your preference.

Packing your own snacks means you can use reusable containers and avoid too much waste. This will keep your car in a much tidier state throughout the trip, which almost no one can complain about 🙌

Plant-Based Healthy Road Trip Snacks to Pack

When driving long distances, it’s important to have food ready to go in case there is not a gas station stop for several miles. If you feel hungry during a car ride, don’t hesitate to pull one of these seven snacks out to re-energize. 

You’ll feel more focused, awake, and confident heading into the next long stretch. 

1. Fresh Fruits and Veggies

You can never go wrong with fresh fruits and veggies. There are many different kinds that will do well in a car—especially if they are packed away in a cooler—but others do just as well un-cooled if you don’t have space for a cooler in the car. 

Cutting up carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, and cucumber and storing them away for snacking allows you to munch without worrying about a mess. If everything is pre-cut, all you have to do is pop them into your mouth to get a boost of energy . 

Fruit makes a great sweet snack that can revitalize your body and also satisfy a sweet tooth. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, and watermelon all provide your body with hydration from the water content, as well as natural sugars that can keep your energy up. 

Apples, oranges, and bananas don’t need to be refrigerated, so you can fit more things in your cooler by putting them into a reusable fruit bag and chucking them into the backseat. 

2. Hummus or Other Dips

To make your fruits and veggies even more delicious, you can bring along hummus, plant-based cream cheeses , peanut butter or another nut butter, or even your own homemade fruit dip. These can be stored in the cooler and make for an easy addition to your other snacks.

If you have baby carrots or carrot sticks, bell peppers, snap peas, or celery sticks, these dips are great as toppings. Hummus is one of the best road trip snacks because it’s full of protein from the mashed chickpeas. You can also add your own flavors to hummus and make a unique travel snack, including red pepper, olive oil, and garlic. It’s a dip the whole family can enjoy!

3. Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Before you head out on your road trip, having something sweet with you is going to be key. Everyone has a sweet tooth, but you don’t want to be eating too much chocolate or high-carb candy that will lead you to a sugar crash. Instead, try out these Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies from Thistle. 

Using Thistle's Steel Cut Oats with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote, you can add almond flour, flaxseed meal, and your favorite plant-based chocolate chips into cookie dough balls. Bake these for 12 to 14 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and voila! Delicious breakfast cookies are available to you. Breakfast might be in their name, but you’ll be eating them at any time of the day—not just during breakfast hours 🍪

4. Trail Mix 

Crafting your own trail mix can ensure that you include all your favorite nuts, seeds, fruit pieces, and chocolates in the bag. Trail mix is great for on-the-go snacking and gives you a boost of energy when you eat it. You can add whichever ingredients appeal to you, including peanuts, dried fruit, almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pecans, plant-based dark chocolate chips, walnuts, hazelnuts, pretzels, sunflower seeds, and so much more.

What’s great about making your own trail mix is that you can completely decide what goes into it and then it can be eaten for several days. The more protein-boosting nuts that you incorporate, the more energy you’ll have after eating them.

Believe it or not, popcorn made with olive oil that avoids added salt is extremely good for you — and makes a great snack to enjoy from the car seat on long drives. No, not the Movie Theater Butter popcorn—homemade, popped-over-the-stove popcorn. 

It’s a whole-grain, gluten-free, light snack that is easy to make prior to leaving and then stored in airtight containers. You can add a little bit of olive oil, pink Himalayan salt, or nutritional yeast to give it a little something extra. 

6. Lemon and Coconut Energy Balls

These homemade energy balls are perfect for a midday pick-me-up on long trips and are easy enough to pop into your mouth while driving. They aren’t super messy, especially if you make the portions bite-sized. 

To make Thistle’s recipe for Lemon and Coconut Energy Balls , you’ll need a few ingredients:

• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup macadamia nuts
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 dates, pitted
• ¼ cup cashew butter
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp turmeric

Put these items into a food processor and blend them into a dough. While this happens you will create the topping that you’ll dip the balls into. This consists of ¼ shredded coconut and 2 tablespoons of dried lemon zest. Once you’ve formed the energy balls, roll them in this mixture, set them on a tray with parchment paper, and place them in the freezer for two hours. 

You can keep these in an airtight container in the cooler and have to snack on and energize with. They might take a few minutes to prepare, but they will be very convenient when you’re craving something sweet but need a boost to get you to the next rest stop. 

7. Plant-Based Yogurt

A very convenient way to snack is by purchasing a few plant-based yogurts for the ride. These are great for a cool and easy snack and they don’t take up too much space in the cooler. Plant-based yogurt has fiber and protein needed to give you a little boost, and it can be added to the homemade trail mix we mentioned above for a yummy double whammy of nutrients.

By sprinkling some on top you are given additional protein and fiber to your snack, making it extra worth it 😍

Plant-Based Snacking with Thistle

If you’re someone who likes finding inspiration from other sources when it comes to recipes, consider signing up with Thistle . We provide you with a variety of plant-based Meals, Snacks, and Juices that will energize your body and impress you with their tastiness. Each week we deliver ready-to-eat meals right to your door. 

Maybe you’ll find your new favorite dish or snack with us and you’ll find a way to incorporate it into your next road trip.

Food as Fuel: Care Instructions | Government of Alberta

Bounce for the Ounce: The Energy of Fruits and Vegetables | University Medical Center: New Orleans

Health Benefits of Nut Consumption | NCBI

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3 ways plant-based diets affect the health of your skin, ask a dietitian, volume vii: protein recommendations and dietary solutions, winter wellness: boost your immunity with thistle’s winter menu, how plant-based diets have been shown to affect gut health, ask a dietitian, volume vi: cholesterol management, diabetes-friendly choices and understanding sugar, how plant-based diets affect sleep.

Best Healthy Road Trip Snacks

No need to worry about what to eat or toss out your nutritious eating habits while traveling. There are lots of amazingly delicious ways to plan ahead for the road, and we have some of the best Healthy Road Trip Snacks to share with you!

We all love to snack and when we’re traveling or on the road, simple healthy snacks are harder to come by. While you are trying out the vegan snacks in this list, be sure to also try our homemade Chex party mix .

How do you eat healthily on a road trip?

Many of us work hard to nourish our bodies with the foods we know promote health, prevent disease , make us feel good, and help keep our weight within a normal BMI ( body mass index ) . So do the normal rules simply go out the window when we hit the road? No way!

Just because you need something portable and easy doesn’t mean you have to chuck out all your wholesome eating habits out the window.

Eating healthy on the road all boils down to one thing– planning ahead . By bringing your own healthy on-the-go snacks, you can avoid falling to the mercy of only what’s available at gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food chains along the way.

That’s easy to say, but how do you actually make it happen when there is so much temptation? Easy! Just make sure the food you have on hand is deliciously healthy, stay hydrated, and don’t let yourself get too hungry. 

The good news is that we are here to share some of our favorite healthy road trip snacks to eat while you’re traveling that will keep you feeling full, nourished , and able to enjoy the beautiful road that lies ahead.

Here’s what you need to pack food for your road trip

• good travel-size cooler
• ice packs (frozen water bottles work great)
• storage containers (glass, plastic, stainless steel)
• ziplock bags
• paper towels and/or paper plates

Healthy snacks on-the-go

The list below will give you some great inspiration for choosing which healthy snacks to include on your trip. Recipes can be found in the last list at the bottom of the page.

• Fruit – The best portable food ever includes apples, oranges, pears, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, peaches, nectarines, cuties, mangos, pineapples, and anything else you can think of.
• Celery sticks with peanut butter – Simply cut celery into small pieces and top with natural peanut butter or other nut butter. 
• Veggies with hummus and dips – We love carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and colorful bell pepper strips dipped in hummus or spinach dip. Great hummus and dip recipes are included below.
• Kale chips – These are terrific, and Minimalist Baker has a delicious recipe for making them that I will share below. 
• Sandwiches make terrific hearty snacks that will keep you full, and we aren’t just talking about a PBJ (peanut, butter, jelly) . Take a peek at our chickpea salad, vegan egg salad, and hummus veggie options included in the list below.
• Air Popped Corn – This is a family favorite, and we’ve included instructions and 20 different varieties of toppings below.
• Trail Mix – There are so many different ways to combine ingredients, and we will share one of our favorites.
• Nuts – So many to choose from–almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, and more. Matt with No Meat Athlete shares his S’nuts recipe in the list below. Another of my favorites is DateNuts.
• Wraps and Pita Pockets make great hand-held snacks for adults and kids alike, and we have some filling ideas to share with you.
• Roasted Chickpeas make excellent crunchy flavorful snacks on the go, and you will find two great recipes below.
• Potato Chips – Yes, you can easily make oil-free low-fat chips, and a link to the instructions can be found in the list. Also included, are baked tortillas from PlantPure Chef. 
• Muffins, Snack Bars & Cookies – Not the processed, prepackaged kind, but healthy options like the ones shared by some great plant-based bloggers that are included below.

Easy emergency food kit

If you are interested in keeping an emergency supply of food in your car at all times or just want a stash of small meals available for any occasion, Little Blue Plates has an inspirational article called Vegan Road Trip!  Just take a look at these photos to see what great ideas they have. 

Always keep an EMERGENCY FOOD BOX in your car, because you never know when you are going to get stuck in traffic, or are running late, or you are just too hungry to wait until you get back to a plant-based safety zone. But with your food box fully stocked, it’s super easy to just open up some pop-top cans and bowl of sealed, pre-cooked brown rice, and you’ve got a delicious, FILLING meal ready to eat RIGHT NOW!– Little Blue Plates

The photos show ingenuity and creativity with their simple meal and snack ideas. Everything has a pop-top type, or the peel-back kind , so there’s no need to worry about finding a can opener. None of the items need refrigeration. You can open just one of the cans for a quick snack, or combine the cans, bowls, and cups to make a full meal. Brilliant! 

Now, take a peek at these delicious healthy recipes that are great on-the-go snacks to take on the road. And, if you need a little picnic inspiration, take a peek at these 35 Easy Vegan Picnic Ideas .

This post may contain affiliate links.  Read my full disclosure here.

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

Ready for the ultimate road trip with lots of food and fun? Take some of these amazing foods along on the trip to keep you satisfied and feeling great! Click on each of the photos, recipe titles, or 'Get the Recipe' buttons to see full recipes with ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button.

Chewy Granola Bars

This simple recipe for Granola Bars happens to be gluten-free, oil-free, and dairy-free which makes them a super healthy option for breakfast or a snack.

Cranberry Crumble Oatmeal Bars

Never waste leftover cranberry sauce again  with this easy recipe! These  vegan cranberry crumble oatmeal bars  are so good and a perfect day after Thanksgiving snack.

High Protein Trail Mix

If you're like most people, you find it hard to wait for your next meal, but you don't want to blow your healthy diet. If you have a handful of this high protein trail mix, it'll help you over the hump and stop cravings in their tracks!

Sometimes you just need a little something sweet that doesn’t require a lot of effort. Whether you’re making a snack for yourself or for a crowd, these easy stuffed dates are the perfect healthy dessert or snack.

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Tired of a boring sandwich? Let me help you fix that with this  Ultimate Veggie Hummus Sandwich  that is piled high with crunchy vegetables and creamy hummus and can be ready in  15 minutes or less.

Vegan Sandwich Pinwheels

These bite-sized colorful sandwich pinwheels make terrific little appetizers or a quick tasty lunch, and they are very kid-friendly!

Healthy Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie Treats – made vegan – and made healthier! These healthy rice Krispie treats do not use butter, margarine… or marshmallows! Yes, you can make vegan rice Krispie treats – and make them healthier!

Baked Crunchy Tortillas|

If you love crunchy tortillas, these are full of flavor and easy to make! We love to serve these for taco night, as a snack, or dipped into our favorite plant-based cheese sauce, guacamole, or salsa.

Apple Cinnamon Vegan Muffins

Dark, moist, and scattered with raisins and fresh apple bits, these applesauce vegan muffins are perfect for breakfast or a snack. So scrumptious and easy to make, no one will ever guess they are actually healthy. Make ahead of time and freeze for quick breakfasts on the go!

Chickpea Vegan Salad

Chickpea Avocado Salad  is by far my favorite vegan sandwich of all time. Something about the flavors of lime, avocado, and cilantro just thrill my taste buds.

S'nuts! A Healthy, Smoky, Vegan Snack

A batch disappears within hours at my house — due in no small part to our son, who is as picky in his eating habits as any three-year-old. S’nuts are a good way to get him to eat something besides his normal sustenance of bananas, hummus, and Ezekiel bread.

How to Make Kale Chips

These kale chips are foolproof. By baking at a low temperature for a longer period of time, the kale gets crispy without browning or burning, yielding  perfect chips every time .

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Nine ingredients and less than 30 minutes  to incredible healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies. Crispy edge and melt in your mouth middle, perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack!

Roasted Chickpeas | Salt and Vinegar

The ultimate snack for traveling! We are loving this little crunchy, tangy, protein-packed  roasted chickpea snack . Warning, you will need to make more than one batch!

Vegan Hummus | Oil-Free

This easy vegan hummus takes only about 10-minutes to make and requires absolutely no cooking. It also happens to be completely gluten-free.

Stove Top Popcorn

Popcorn is one of the world’s healthiest and most popular snack foods. Whether binge-watching your favorite TV show or sitting down to a movie with friends, air-popped popcorn is a great snack. These are our favorite  healthy   vegan popcorn topping options .

Vegan Egg Salad

This Vegan Egg Salad is super simple to make without even needing to boil or peel eggs. Great for lunch, dinner, and picnics!

Chocolate crispy fruit squares

Kid-friendly, dietitian-approved these treats are perfect for when you're on the go.

Vegan Wraps

Healthy meals just don’t get any easier than with these easy  veggie wraps  layered with hummus or mayo and piled high with fresh veggies like lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, and anything else you can think of.

Homemade Potato Chips

Thought you couldn’t eat potato chips on a healthy vegan plant-based eating plan? Me too, but thankfully we were wrong! These  healthy homemade vegan potato chips  are easy and delicious!

Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper

This oil-free vegan  roasted red pepper hummus  recipe requires only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes to make. If you have 10 minutes and a blender or food processor, you’ve got a delicious  healthy snack .

Artichoke Spinach Dip

This vegan spinach artichoke dip is sure to be a hit at any pot-luck or game night! The recipe is so versatile, it  can be made with white beans or cashews.

Cheese & Onion Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Ridiculously crunchy & addictive Cheese & Onion Crispy Roasted Chickpeas. The perfect savoury snack, soup or salad topper, but just a warning, once you start eating them you just can't stop! 

Sweet Potato Vegan Muffins

Fluffy and moist sweet potato batter swirled with apple sauce, raisins and cinnamon makes a dozen muffins that are packed with beta carotene and fiber. These vegan  Sweet Potato Muffins  are a welcome addition to any breakfast! Make ahead of time and freeze for quick breakfasts on the go!

About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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Healthy Road Trip Food for the RV + 40 Vegan Recipes

Sharon Palmer

Published on August 16, 2022

These vegan RV recipes for healthy road trip food, including breakfast, dips, salads, entrees, sandwiches, and desserts, are perfect solutions for your RV trip. You’ll find the best healthy road trip snacks and essentials for your journey.

Are you taking to the road for a well-deserved get-away? Well, you might want to make sure you pack away your best ideas for healthy, delicious, plant-powered eating in your RV. It takes a certain amount of finesse to cook up healthy, plant-based meals during an RV trip. You’ve got to do a bit of planning to ensure that you can create simple, easy meals that are also satisfying after a long day of traveling, hiking, biking, or water activities. That’s why I put together this amazing collection of 40 BEST Plant-Based RV Recipes from my favorite bloggers—these are all vegan and delicious, in every category, from breakfast to salads to sandwiches to desserts. Have a wonderful road trip! And check out these nutrition tips for healthy eating on the road here .

Eat and Live the Goodness!

Healthy Road Trip Food for the RV + 40 Vegan Recipes 

Overnight oats.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats , Holly Yzquierdo, My Plant-Based Family (shown above) Morning Glory Overnight Oats , Amber Gray, Produce for Kids Overnight Spiced Oats with Figs and Walnuts , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Summer Fruit Overnight Oats with Peach & Apricot Jam , Sarah Mordelt, Sarah’s Vegan Guide (shown above)

Avocado Salsa , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian “Ceviche” with Vine Ripe Tomatoes , Maren Epstein, Eating Works

Classic Bruschetta , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian (shown above) Cowboy Caviar Dip , Rosa Tamm, This Healthy Kitchen

Mango Corn Salsa , Alena Kharlamenko, RDN (shown above) Tomato Pesto Hummus , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Blackberry Basil Bowl with Balsamic Dressing , Renee DeLeon, Veeg (shown above) Southern Potato Salad , Rebecca Pytell, Strength and Sunshine

Tofu Kale Salad with Chickpeas , Renee DeLeon, Veeg (shown above)

InstantPot Minestrone Soup , Prajakta Sukhatme, Profusion Curry Slow Cooker Chili , Melissa Altman-Traub, RDN

White Bean and Kale Soup , Traci Antonovich, The Kitchen Girl (shown above)

Burrito Bowls , Jennifer Sebestyen, Veggie Inspired (shown above) Burrito with Refried Beans and Corn , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta , Julianne Lynch, No Sweat Vegan (shown above) French Ratatouille , Emese Maczko, My Pure Plants Penne all’Arrabbiata , Jack Slobodian Simple Cajun Black Bean Potato Bowl , Sarah Hayes, Bad to the Bowl Tempeh Asian Lettuce Wraps , Dianna Dyer, Plant-Based Cooking

Tempeh Tacos , Elena Szeliga, Happy Kitchen Rocks (shown above)

Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomatoes , Plant-Based Jess (shown above)

Burgers and Sandwiches

Black Bean Burgers , Sophia DeSantis, Veggies Don’t Bite (shown above)

BLTA Sandwich , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian (shown above) Chickpea “no Tuna” Salad with Avocado , Florentina Lile, Veggie Society Edamame Hummus Veggie Wraps , Megan Ann, Short Girl Tall Order

Farro and White Bean Veggie Burgers , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian (shown above) Perfect Sloppy Joes , Elena Szeliga, Happy Kitchen Rocks Rainbow Hummus Veggie Wrap , Mabintu Mustapha, Recipes from a Pantry

Seitan Corned Beef Reuben with Russian Dressing, Veganosity

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough , Amy Gorin, MS, RDN

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Scotcheroos , Colleen Christensen, RDN, Colleen Christensen Nutrition (shown above) Chocolate Avocado Pudding , Melissa Karch, RDN, Nutrition Dynamix

“Dunkaroos” Dip , Valerie Libutti, Vegan Travel Eats (shown above)

Easy Chocolate Chia Pudding with Strawberries , Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian (shown above) Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding , Kara Lydon, RDN

I love to use my Instant Pot for RV cooking, just push the button and dinner is done. Get your own with my affiliate code here !

For more of my favorite RV recipes, check out the following:

Smoky Lentil Chili Easy Curried Leek Vegetable Soup Dark Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats⁠ Vegan Cowboy Cookies Bliss Berry Energy Balls

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, click  here .

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2 thoughts on “ Healthy Road Trip Food for the RV + 40 Vegan Recipes ”

Hi Sharon! Love getting your newsletter all the time all the recipes you post are amazing. I know you use a lot of Tofu and Tempe (I like both) but with all the news about eating them kinda freaks me out, so I’ve cut way back. What is your opinion about the Research on them etc. harmful, what kind is the best, how often is it safe to eat?

Thanks so much! There is a bunch of non-science based hype on soy, which I spend a lot of time debunking. Soy is safe in moderation—up to 2-3 servings per day. That amount is even linked with health protection. You can read more about this on my blog here: https://sharonpalmer.com/top-5-soy-myths/

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34+ Vegetarian (and Vegan) Snack Ideas for Travel and Road Trips

Written by Becca

Updated on April 26th, 2024

Here are our proven best ways to save money while traveling. When traveling on a budget, there are lots of ways to make your money last longer, even during inflation.

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Table of contents

• Whole fruits
• Cut-up fruits
• Whole veggies
• Cut-up veggies
• Dried Fruits
• Nuts (Vegan)
• Vegetarian & vegan alternative protein snacks
• Beyond Meat Plant-Based Jerky (Vegan)
• Wahoo Ono Fish Jerky (Vegetarian)

EPIC Smoked Salmon Strips, Wild Caught (Paleo-Friendly, Vegetarian)

• Primal Spirit Vegan Jerky (made from wheat gluten, Vegan)
• Kool Ranch Kale Chips (Vegan)
• The Only Bean Crunchy Dry Roasted Edamame Snacks, Sea Salt (Vegan)
• Dang Toasted Coconut Chips, Original (Vegan)
• The Daily Crave Veggie Chips (Vegan, Kosher)
• Crispy Cauli Sea Salted Bites (Keto Cauliflower Chips, Vegan)
• HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Puffs + “Cheeze” Variety Pack (Vegan)
• Organic Hummus (Vegan)
• Tostitos Medium Chunky Salsa To Go, 3.8 Ounce (Travel Size, Vegan)
• Every Body Eat Snack Thins, Cheese-less Flavor (Vegan)
• Just the Cheese, Low Carb Snack (Vegetarian)

Plant Snacks VEGAN Cheddar Mix Cassava Root Chips (Allergen-free)

• HA! - The Healthier Alternative Snacks - Cheddar Cheese Crunchers (Vegan, Gluten-free)
• ParmCrisps Plant-Based Sea Salt Crisps (Vegan)
• Outstanding Foods Outstanding Cheese Balls “Chedda” (Vegan)
• Magic Spoon Cereal (Grain-free, Vegetarian, Kosher)
• Vegan Espresso Bites by Big Island Coffee Roasters
• Partake Foods Crunchy Chocolate Chip Mini Cookie Snack Packs
• Love + Chew, Banana Bread Minis
• Vegan Organic Gummy Bears
• Organic Chocolate by Hu
• OWYN Vegan Bottled Protein Shakes
• Pirq Vegan Protein Shakes
• EVOLVE Plant-Powered Protein Shakes
• No Cow Plant-Based Protein Bars

With our extensive experience traveling, and taking many different types of trips, we’ve picked up a few tricks for snacking.

Dan and I love snacks and between the two of us, with my allergy to gluten and intolerance to dairy, and Dan keeping a vegetarian diet, we find that the best travel snacks and road trip foods are vegan and/or plant-based.

We like keeping vegetarian and vegan because it simplifies things. With a health mindset, we seek out snacks and foods that are friendly for the environment, natural, organic and free of harmful chemicals.

We’ve organized this guide into categories that have made sense for us throughout our travels as we’ve perfected the art of vegan and vegetarian snacks for on the go. In the list that follows, you can expect to find ideas for healthy vegan snacks to take on your trip, along with vegan and vegetarian foods that travel well.

Fruits and Veggies for on the go

The downright healthiest way to get healthy vegetarian and vegan snacks on the go is to look no further than the produce section at your grocery store, corner market or farmer’s market.

Whether you are looking for vegetarian road trip food or vegan travel snacks, fruits and veggies can be filling, full of fiber, nutrient-rich and more. If you eat enough of them, they can even constitute a full meal if you need to pack in a quick and healthy lunch during a car trip.

Here are our best ideas for vegetarian and vegan road trip and travel snacks that you’ll be glad you packed!

Whole fruits

Whole fruits are an easy go-to and easy to pack snack. Plus, they don’t require any additional packaging. An apple or a banana go a long way in a variety of different vessels.

We’ve found the most luck with apples, bananas, oranges (or clementines and tangerines). And, don’t forget that some fruits come in handy snack-size dimensions already, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries! These make a great berry medley in a travel-sized sustainable container like EcoLunchBox travel containers .

Please keep in mind, though, if you are hiking or in nature somewhere, throw away your peels and various fruit droppings.

While peels biodegrade, they might not be good for the environment in which you leave them (for example, if the seeds are not native to the surroundings).

Cut-up fruits

We like the convenience of cut-up fruits. They are a nice treat on a hot day or staying balanced with a diet. Cut-up fruit like cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon and strawberries make great snacks for on the go.

Put your cut-up fruits into sustainable plastic-free travel containers like ECOlunchbox Seal Cups , and you’ll have leak-free storage for food while you’re on a trip.

Whole veggies

Some vegetables can be eaten whole, which makes the convenient to take right from a grocery store or market, to your plane, train, trip or hike! Among these are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, mini sweet peppers and small (or large!) Persian cucumbers.

During road trips in Portugal and Spain, we munched on grape and cherry tomatoes right from the carton, and it was a great way to add in healthy vegetables during the day.

Cut-up veggies

Cut-up veggies require a little big of prep, but the rewards are, of course, nice and yummy. Among the snack-able veggies you can buy either same-day or a few days in advance are celery stalks, zucchini (sliced), large carrots and bell peppers.

We tend to slice these to the size of the container we put them in, like the ECOlunchbox stainless steel travel cups .

Pickling your vegetables for snacks

If you haven’t left home yet, one thing you can do before you leave for a trip is to pickle your veggies. With a few days of pickling or kraut-ing, you can have travel-ready snacks that either do, or do not, require silverware to eat.

Among our favorite vegetables to pickle for snacks are Kirby cucumbers, string beans, red onion slices and baby carrots. These snacks pack quite a zesty punch (and just remember to maybe consume them outside instead of in a cramped environment like an airplane).

Dried Fruits

Dried fruits are great for vitamins, nutrients and fiber, and one of our favorite vegetarian and vegan hacks is having some figs, dates, prunes or Craisins on hand when we leave for a day trip or a longer-haul vacation.

Some tips for these handy and healthy travel snacks are to a) buy in bulk and pack them, and b) buy a whole package of these, rather than a single serving, which won’t be priced as competitively.

As for buying in bulk, the good news is that it takes months for them to go bad! Try getting these types of snack items at your Costco.

The last time we had flights to Mexico, we made homemade trail mix with dates, prunes and walnuts with sunflower seeds, getting in all those fiber elements before not being sure what our diet would look like in the next few days.

Vegan and Vegetarian Protein-Heavy Travel Snacks

As people who tend to avoid meat while traveling, sometimes, our protein sources can be a bit low!

We typically seek out protein sources like nuts (vegan), eggs (vegetarian), fish (vegetarian) and vegan “meat,” depending on where we are. If you sense you may have trouble at your destination, pack along some of these road trip and on-the-go plant-based protein snacks.

Nuts (Vegan)

• Brazil nuts
• Peanuts (not actually a nut because they’re legumes)
• Sunflower seeds (technically a seed)

What’s your favorite? I tend to love cashews and walnuts, mixing them with dried fruit for snacking on a trip.

Vegetarian & vegan alternative protein snacks

Getting enough protein is a challenge when you are vegetarian or vegan, but when you put your mind to diversifying your protein sources through a little additional snacking, you can be surprised!

Beyond Meat Plant-Based Jerky (Vegan)

Beyond Meat is one of our favorite plant-based meat alternative brands, and their new jerky is made of pea protein!

You can use their store locator or pick up some jerky on Amazon .

Wahoo Ono Fish Jerky (Vegetarian)

Forget that jerky was originally for meat: vegetarians can enjoy fish jerky with all the flavors.

I got introduced to EPIC products before leaning into a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. Their new paleo-friendly fish-based snacks are convenient and healthy.

You can find EPIC products on Amazon and also use their store locator to find their products near you.

Primal Spirit Vegan Jerky (made from wheat gluten, Vegan)

This vegan jerky is for plant-based snackers and travels very well.

Chips & Crackers for Road Trips

If you know us, you know we can’t stop ourselves when it comes to chips and travel snacks that have a crunch to them. In fact, we try to avoid buying large bags of chips because we’ll eat the whole thing in one sitting. Yikes!

Chips don’t have to be potato chips, nor corn chips, and this is something I’ve found out in my gluten-free diet. Chips these days come in an array of amazing varieties, from black bean chips to sweet potato chips to cassava and coconut chips. Let’s look at some great on-the-go vegan and plant-based snack ideas that fall into the ‘chips and crackers’ category.

Kool Ranch Kale Chips (Vegan)

Remember cool ranch Doritos from elementary school? If you’re now a vegan, you can still enjoy the flavor with this plant-based chip snack.

Learn more about Rhythm Superfoods on their website (you can shop there too). Their products are typically shipped and sold by Amazon , which is nice!

The Only Bean Crunchy Dry Roasted Edamame Snacks , Sea Salt (Vegan)

Crunchy and salty, these edamame snacks really do the trick on a long car trip. How cute are they! When we took them out of the package, they looked delectably munch-able and satisfying.

With only 100 calories per travel-size mini bag of roasted edamame beans, they’re gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegan and high in protein. They check all our boxes for ideal snacks to bring on road trips.

Dang Toasted Coconut Chips, Original (Vegan)

I can’t get enough of Dang products. They’re delicious, crunch, and pretty guilt-free for vegan snacking.

Dang products aren’t sold on their website anymore. You can usually find them at Whole Foods and Amazon ).

The Daily Crave Veggie Chips (Vegan, Kosher)

Veggie chips are a simple snack that you can take on a hike, train or plane, and these are vegan and kosher.

Crispy Cauli Sea Salted Bites (Keto Cauliflower Chips, Vegan)

Cauliflower products are all the rage now! These keto chips are vegan and perfectly salted.

HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Puffs + “Cheeze” Variety Pack (Vegan)

Hippeas have found a way to make yummy snacks from chickpeas. This vegan snack is cheese-flavored, and great for travelers who gave up dairy ages ago. Dan really enjoys these!

HIPPEAS are found at most grocery stores. We always see them at our local Whole Foods. Use their store locator to find them near you.

You can also find them on Amazon through a variety of different sellers.

Vegan and Vegetarian Dips

In this day and age of convenience, it’s easy to come by packable and travel-size vegan and vegetarian plant-based dips for chips and snacks. So many of these foods are the best things to take on road trips for everyone in the car!

Take for example, Sabra hummus cups: they’re so cute, and the perfect size for having in the car, or on a plane!

Organic Hummus (Vegan)

So convenient, and great for dipping veggies or chips. Hummus is one of Dan’s favorite snacks because it levels up fresh cut veggies.

You can find hummus at almost every grocery store. It’s sometimes harder to find snack-sized cups. Depending on your travel situation, you can pick up a few, portion some out into a container and go on your way! You should try to keep them chilled but look on the packaging to see if that is necessary.

Tostitos Medium Chunky Salsa To Go , 3.8 Ounce (Travel Size, Vegan)

Personally, I like salsa with mostly anything, from carrots (try it!) to tortilla chips. What will you dip in your travel-sized salsa?

Similar to hummus, it’s harder to find individual cups of salsa. You can find jars at pretty much every grocery store, small market and gas station. You almost never need to refrigerate (even after opening) so it’s great to have it around — even if you don’t find the smaller cups.

Dairy & Vegan Dairy Alternative Snacks

I personally don’t eat dairy products or cheese, so I’m open to cheesy alternative snacks that don’t contain lactose or animal products and are therefore vegan. Keep in mind that a lot of vegan cheeses may contain nutritional yeast, so if you have an intolerance to histamine, be sure to read the ingredients.

Check out these cheese-flavored plant-based snacks below for a surprise, the next time you’re on the go.

Every Body Eat Snack Thins, Cheese-less Flavor (Vegan)

Holy smokes, these are delicious and absolutely addictive. These brown rice crisps pack in the flavor, without the dairy products, and they are free of common allergens.

They’re crispy, crunchy and make great little dippers if you have some dip on hand. We can’t wait to take them on a trip.

Note that the cheese flavored varieties have nutritional yeast in the ingredients, in case you have an intolerance to histamines (good to mention, for those who do). Otherwise, the EBE facility is free of wheat/gluten, milk/dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, corn, sesame, eggs, mustard, celery, lupins, sulfites, fish, shellfish, and mollusks (according to their website).

Check out this store locator to find out where to get them.

And, they turned out to be a pretty snazzy flight snack.

Just the Cheese, Low Carb Snack (Vegetarian)

These vegetarian cheesy snacks are mini and cute!

I like the taste of cassava, and these vegan cheese-themed snacks are free of common allergens.

HA! - The Healthier Alternative Snacks - Cheddar Cheese Crunchers (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Are you on a gluten-free diet and going vegan? Even if you’re not, try these cheddar-flavored crunchy snacks for a trip.

ParmCrisps Plant-Based Sea Salt Crisps (Vegan)

Could you believe that these cheese-ish oven-baked crispy snacks are gluten-free, dairy-free, keto and vegan? Incredible.

Outstanding Foods Outstanding Cheese Balls “Chedda” (Vegan)

Plant-based cheese balls? Count us in! These are nutritious and low-calorie, with no dairy.

“Guiltless” Snacking

Sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet may make your friends think you’re a health nut, but we all know that everyone deserves a treat every now and then! Check out these delectable vegan and vegetarian snacks that are super close to the “real thing.”

Magic Spoon Cereal (Grain-free, Vegetarian, Kosher)

Magic Spoon was created to be a guilt-free cereal that fits a keto diet. It is gluten-free, with 13-14g of protein per serving, great for a veggie diet. Dan has had their cereal as a snack and thinks it’s a great way to keep your diet on track.

Because the cereal has a decent amount of protein, it truly is a guilt free snack that fits into most diets.

With flavors like Cinnamon Roll, Cocoa, Peanut Butter and Maple Waffle, we’re excited to try them all, and bring them on vacation for breakfast (or really, any time of day).

Try the Magic Spoon Variety Pack or their new bars combo pack , which make an even better vegetarian snack on the go.

You can also browser some of their products on Amazon .

Vegan Espresso Bites by Big Island Coffee Roasters

We love the flavor in these smooth and creamy espresso bites . They are totally vegan (as per these selections below), and made with 100% Hawaiian island coffee. As a bonus, you can also melt them in hot water for a coffee drink on the go when you’re traveling.

If you live in a hot climate or if the weather has been hot recently, keep in mind that these could melt a little while being shipped. We put ours directly into the freezer when we unpacked the package.

We also recommend the “edible espresso” sea salt espresso bites , which are also completely vegan and pack a flavorful punch, with a kick of caffeine. If we could, we would eat these all the time, especially with our morning coffee.

And, if you love coffee…

Big Island Coffee Roasters makes travel-friendly Hawaiian Coffee Singles, which are compostable steeped coffee sachets for making coffee on the go, like on a road trip. All you need is hot water, so there’s no need for a grinder, coffee maker, filter or anything like that.

We tried this at home, to practice for making coffee while traveling on our next trip. We thought this coffee tasted great, in only minutes of this quick brewing technique.

We put a bit too much water in the mug and the coffee was a bit light. Next time, we will use less water or let the coffee steep for longer.

Partake Foods Crunchy Chocolate Chip Mini Cookie Snack Packs

I discovered Partake Cookies at my local store a few years ago and I’ve made them my birthday treat year after year.

They’re vegan, gluten-free and free of common allergens, which makes them very easy to bring to gatherings and parties where someone might have a random allergy to eggs or soy, not to mention road trips, when you may be sharing snacks!

Love + Chew, Banana Bread Minis

These soft-baked paleo and vegan mini treats come individually wrapped and are great for taking on the go.

Vegan Organic Gummy Bears

Gummy bears are my true guilty pleasure, but the original kind is full of junk, sugar and gelatin. Good thing there are vegan and organic ones on the market now! Check out the Project 7 Low Sugar Variety Pack (8 pack) !

Organic Chocolate by Hu

I’m a HU ge fan of the Hu products, since my days trying the paleo diet. Hu Chocolate is a winner because it’s vegan, free of soy (and soy lecithin) and gluten and it tastes amazing .

Vegan & Plant-Based Smoothies & Shakes

There are plant-based smoothies that come pre-bottled, so you can take them on the go! Just keep in mind that for going through airport security, these will not be able to come with you.

However, they’re totally fine for going on road trips, train rides, bus trips or day trips from your home. You can also pick up these types of bottled protein drinks when you arrive in your destination and you head to a grocery store.

OWYN Vegan Bottled Protein Shakes

These bottled protein drinks have vegan protein sources from pea protein, pumpkin seed protein and flax, with added Omega-3s and a green blend. They’re gluten, dairy and soy-free, so they check all my boxes for vegan protein on the go.

Pirq Vegan Protein Shakes

Pirq makes vegan protein shakes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, kosher and keto-friendly, featuring (in this flavor) strawberry golden milk with turmeric tumeric, maca, plus plant protein. They’re perfect for taking in your bag when you’re heading out for some travel.

EVOLVE Plant-Powered Protein Shakes

These vegan shakes are a source of calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc, which are essential nutrients for anyone whose diet does not contain meat! The EVOLVE protein (20g per bottle) is sourced from pea protein, so it’s 100% vegan.

Vegan & Vegetarian Protein Bars

No cow plant-based protein bars.

We became recently introduced to the No Cow products and personally, we’re glad that they’re all of the following, for both our dietary preferences: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free low sugar, high protein AND Kosher.

There are a variety of flavors to choose from, like Birthday Cake, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Mint Cookie and S’mores. Somehow, they’ve packed 20-21 grams of protein into these vegan snack bars.

Regarding the flavor, we felt there was slightly something to be desired, as these bars are a little dry. With the sweetness coming from a sweetener blend of stevia and monk fruit, you may find the flavor reminiscent of other nonperishable snack foods that use the same idea.

Nevertheless, these will satisfy a dessert craving if you’re on the road, a hike or in flight.

Check them out !

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10 WFPB Travel Snacks For Your Next Trip (Healthy Vegan Snacks to Go!)

Headed out on a trip? If you're following a whole food plant-based lifestyle, you may be wondering just what the heck vegan to go snacks even look like. Well, good news! You can satisfy your wanderlust AND enjoy delicious whole food plant based snacks at the same time...and you probably already know and love many of these plant based snack ideas!

We're coming at ya with our 10 favorite whole food plant-based travel snacks from standard nuts and fruit to grab-and-go oatmeal muffins and healthy vegan cookies!

Before We Begin: Try Healthy Vegan Snacks Risk Free. MamaSezz Snack Variety Bundle

Whether you're taking a vegan road trip or simply headed out for a busy day, don't forget to pack plenty of healthy vegan snacks to go! 

Eating healthy while traveling is possible!

Eating healthy can be tough when you’re traveling. Add a whole food plant-based diet to the mix and it can seem impossible; every roadside diner and airport restaurant seems to offer everything but the healthy meals you eat at home.

Luckily, you don’t have to abandon your whole food plant-based lifestyle when you’re on the go. If you take just a bit of time to plan out your whole food vegan snacks, you’ll be ready to hit the road (or take to the skies), healthy habits in tact with these ideas for easy vegan snacks on the go. Not to mention, packing your own vegan to go snacks is a surefire way to stay within your travel budget so hurray for another win!

10 Whole Food Plant-Based Travel Snacks 

1. raw nuts.

Nuts and traveling vegans go hand in hand. They're idea as vegan road trip snacks because they're protein-packed and help tide off hunger between meals (and when you have long stretches of driving to get done). Plus they travel great and take up very little room in your pack.

Bonus: raw nuts, especially almonds, are carried at plenty of rest stops and airports newsstands so if you forgot to pack vegan whole food snacks you’re covered! Pack your bag with:

• Raw Almonds
• Raw Cashews
• Raw Walnuts

2. Trail Mix

An essential whole food plant-based travel snack, trail mix hits all the sweet, salty, and savory notes all at once. And thanks to oil-free and refined sugar-free vegan chocolate chips, this plant based snack is a touch more kid-friendly than raw nuts on their own. Here’s a quick four-ingredient trail mix recipe for your next trip.

We have a saying at MamaSezz:

“If you think you’re hungry and an apple doesn’t sound good, you’re probably not hungry.”

It’s true! Having an apple in your bag is an excellent (and nutritious) way to stave off hunger on the go – making it an awesome choice for vegan snacks on the go. And when it comes to fruit, you can pack more than just apples! Choose options that won’t squished and require minimal prep so you can truly grab and go (after washing at home, of course). These fruits are some of our favorite vegan road trip snacks:

• Clementines (easier to peel than oranges!)
• Bananas (though pack on top so they don’t get bruised!)
• Dates  + other dried fruits
• Blueberries

4. Lara Bars

Most store-bought protein and snack bars have an ingredient list a mile long, with refined sugars topping the list. Lara Bars are a welcome exception to the rule! All of their bars have 9 ingredients or less and most are refined sugar-free, sweetened naturally with dates and other fruits instead. Plus they’ve got a huge variety of flavors , from Apple Pie and Blueberry Muffin to Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle. These are found in regular and natural grocery stores. Stock up!

5. Raw Veggies + Hummus

Hummus goes great with nearly all raw veggies and they’re packed with enough plant-based protein to keep you satiated while you’re out exploring. Making your own hummus? Here's a  quick and easy oil-free hummus recipe . Pro tip: Put a few tablespoons of hummus at the bottom of a mason jar then place washed and chopped veggies on top for an on-the-go veggie dip situation .

Our favorite veggies to pair with hummus as a vegan road trip snack:

• Celery sticks
• Sugar snap peas
• Baby carrots or carrot sticks
• Broccoli florets
• Raw cauliflower florets
• Sliced peppers

6. Celery and Peanut Butter

There may not be a better snack combination known to humankind than celery and peanut butter. This plant based snack is refreshing, salty, crunchy, smooth, and a little sweet — all at the same time! Choose natural no-salt added peanut butter and add a sprinkling of raisins to transform your WFPB  snacks into childhood favorite, “Ants on a Log.” This is another great snack for your mason jars: peanut butter — and raisins if you’re adding them — on the bottom then celery sticks on top.

Are you even a vegan traveler if you don’t have a bag of granola on hand? But if you don’t have time to make your own you may not be thrilled about the refined sugars and oils that come with most store-bought brands? Enter MamaSezz Granola . With no gluten, no refined sugars, no oil, and no preservatives, it’s the ultimate addition to your vegan road trip snacks rotation.

8. Vegan Oatmeal Muffins

Breakfast can be one of the tougher meals to find when you’re plant-based on the road. These vegan oatmeal muffins are the remedy to your on-the-go WFPB snacks woes. Make a batch of these ahead of your trip and then pack several in Tupperware and voilà: a healthy breakfast, no matter where you are!

9. MamaSezz Not-A-Cookie 

Sweet tooth at odds with your whole food plant-based diet? We hear you and we were you...which is why we're pleased as punch we can offer a healthy plant based snack for your sweet tooth, that just happens to be good for you. Say hello the plant-based dessert and on the go vegan snack you can indulge in with zero guilt: the MamaSezz Not-a-Cookie .

10. Veggie Wraps

Here’s another suggestion that’s technically a meal, but we're filing it under vegan to go snacks anyhow because you can't pin us down!

One of the best plant-based travel lunches or WFPB snacks you can pack is a hearty veggie wrap. Wraps are less messy than the traditional sandwich, and they travel really well. We like to store our wraps in Tupperware and/or parchment paper. One of our favorite wraps for your next car or plane trip? These salad wraps with beans and greens !

Planning a vegan road trip?

Once you're done packing all your  vegan whole food snacks, c heck out our top 9 whole food plant-based travel tips . 

Key Takeaways for Vegan Snacks to Go

When it comes to  whole food vegan snacks, d on't leave home without:

• Raw Veggies and Hummus
• Celery and Peanut Butter
• MamaSezz Granola
• Vegan Oatmeal Muffins
• MamaSezz Not-a-Cookie
• Veggie Wraps

Updated 5/26/21

By Ali Brown

Ali is a mom wife, and nutrition and lifestyle writer and editor, with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

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Plant based snacks for your next road trip

Jacqueline Alwill

Brown Paper Nutrition

Road tripping is back for the summer baby, + to make your road tripping just that little bit healthier I’ve teamed up with @toyota_aus for World Vegan Month to give you some fun, nutritious and as always delicious plant based options to snack on the road.

CHOC-CHICK PB   ENERGY BALLS   : Rich source of protein – 5g per ball – from chickpeas + peanut butter – recipe below!

Recipe: Choc-chick PB Cookie Dough Balls

Makes 10 balls

Gluten free : Dairy free : Vegan

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (240g)

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup almond meal (44g)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup vegan choc chips (68g)

Place all ingredients   except choc chips in a food processor and blitz to a dough. Transfer to a bowl, add choc chips and mix. Measure 2 tablespoons of mix and roll into balls, then place in fridge to set.

COLD WHITE COOKED POTATOES: Love a roadie hot chip but need a healthier alternative? These babies deliver beneficial resistance starch to the trillions of microbes in your gut to support digestive + overall health.

PLANT BASED BERRY MUFFINS : Delicious but without refined sugars, made plant based by combining flax meal + soy milk to bind the ingredients – recipe just below!

Recipe: PLANT BASED RASPBERRY CURRANT MUFFINS

Makes 8 large muffins

Vegan : Vegetarian (optional)

2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 6 tablespoons water)

1 cup (250ml) soy milk (we use Bon Soy)

1 teaspoon (5ml) apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup (65ml) maple syrup

1/3 cup (85ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract

2 cups spelt flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup currants

1 1/2 cups mixed frozen strawberries and raspberries + some extra for the top

Heat oven to 180C and line 8 muffin holes with cases. Start by making your flax eggs. Place ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl, mix and set aside for 5 minutes or so to combine. In a large mixing bowl combine soy milk , apple cider vinegar, maple, extra virgin olive oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add flax eggs (once gelled) and whisk again. Add spelt flour, baking powder, sea salt and currants and mix, then gently fold through the frozen berries.  Spoon into muffin cases, top with additional berries then bake for 30 minutes.

STEAMED CORN: Fibre, vitamin B1 and B9 for energy, metabolism + a healthy gut, also less likely to decorate your car like a Christmas tree as popcorn does. That said, if popcorn is your jam, then pack what works best for you and the family.

PLANT BASED BEVIES : Pack your nutrition + hydration in one with wholesome plant based smoothies.

CRISPY SALT + VINEGAR FAVA BEANS : Stumped for an alternative to the humble salt and vinegar crisp? These plant protein rich beans are satisfying, salty, vinegary, baked not fried sub.

VEG STICKS + PLANTY DIPS:   Cut, or grab and eat whole enjoy with plant based dips so meeting the daily recommendation of 5-7 vegetables is easy- even on the road!

STRAWBERRY CITRUS ALMOND SLICE: A beauty to ensure you’re including a serve of healthy monounsaturated fats + antioxidants. Grab this recipe below…

Recipe : Strawberry citrus almond slice

Makes 12-16   pieces

1 cup (180g) sliced fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons maple syrup for vegan option

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2/3 cup (75g) rolled oats or quinoa flakes for GF option

1 cup (95g) shredded coconut

1/2 cup (72g) chopped macadamias

1 cup (88g) almond meal

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (40ml) grapefruit juice*

2 tablespoons (40ml) mandarin juice*

Opt: sesame seeds for top

Place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blitz for 2-3 minutes or until combined but still textured in consistency. Pour into a lined loaf tin and spread evenly. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top if desired and then place in freezer to set for 2-3 hours. Slice into 18-20 pieces and enjoy straight from the freezer.

*If grapefruit and mandarin aren’t in season use 4 tablespoons (total) fresh orange juice.

FUN FRUITS : Choose whole fresh, hard fruit then, create some fun by including a few other options.

RICE CAKES, CRACKERS + PLANT BASED (NUT) BUTTERS: Make sure if you’re packing rice cakes and crackers that there’s some wholesome plant nut butters + some green cutlery for the road.

+ This is a partnered post with Toyota Australia , all thoughts and opinions expressed are the authors own.

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Vegan on the Road: How I’ve Eaten Healthier than Ever While Driving Across the Country

It took three weeks and 5500 miles, but yesterday, I hit the unofficial halfway point of my book tour — Seattle, Washington.

Fun place, by the way, with tons of vegan-friendly restaurants. And as I head down the west coast and back across the southern half of the country, I’m looking forward to more food options than I’ve had so far.

And believe me, when you’ve spent most of the past week driving long, barren stretches through states like Wyoming, Idaho, and Nebraska, you appreciate options.

To be honest, I’ve never found eating vegan while traveling all that difficult. But the constraints of the past three weeks — owing to the fact that I’m in a car — have made it more challenging. The three big ones:

• I’m in a new hotel every single night, always without a kitchen and often with no fridge or microwave.
• The car is packed so tightly that there’s no room for a cooler.
• I’m without my beloved Blendtec — I left it for my wife and kids — or any blender, for that matter.

Finally, this is all on a budget — I’d go broke if I ate out at restaurants for all or even most of my meals. Selling books has helped to offset some costs of hotels, gas, and food, but this tour is a labor of love, not something that’s financially profitable by any means. So I’ve really got to keep an eye on my food cost.

Yet at the same time as I’m trying to keep costs down, it’s extremely important that I eat well. The book tour has been far more exhausting than I had prepared for, and if I weren’t eating better than ever, I think I’d have crashed long ago.

Yes, you read that right — even under all these constraints (in fact, because of all these constraints), I’m eating as healthily as I ever have, perhaps even more so.

Here’s how.

The Real Way to Eat Vegan While Traveling

Traditionally, the advice about eating plant-based on the road has taken only two words to dispense:

“ Happy Cow .”

And it really is all you need — assuming you’re on a short trip, and you don’t mind paying restaurant prices in exchange for getting a taste of the local vegetarian and vegan scene.

But that’s not my situation. In most places I’ve driven through, there is no local vegetarian and vegan scene. So instead my focus has been on practicality, value, and health, rather than on fun or fancy or exciting food — and that has made all the difference. (See what I did there? Robert Frost, road,  less traveled , etc. :))

The Key: Foods Over Meals

Recently I’ve started learning from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who advocates a plant-based diet entirely for health reasons.

A big idea I’ve learned from Dr. Fuhrman is that “the salad is the meal.” Interpret salad loosely here … the idea is that instead of worrying about eating a traditional “square” meal and getting your vegetables on the side or in a salad, you do far better by basing your entire diet on the foods in that salad. 

And that’s the trick that has helped me not just survive on the road, but thrive, by eating fresher, more whole, and more raw.

Forget the square meal. Forget about identifying the protein, the carbohydrate, and the fat. Fill up on the handful of foods that you consider to be the healthiest on Earth. And redefine “meal” to mean exactly that.

For Dr. Fuhrman (at least, in my interpretation), these foods are:

• Cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits, especially berries

Fuhrman uses the mnemonic acronym GBOMBS (greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, seeds) to remember these foods.

This is how I’ve eaten over the past three weeks. Combine whole, fresh foods, focusing on the GBOMBS. Do it in a way that fills you up and that you don’t get sick of, and you win.

What this means, for me at least, is that I end up eating a nearly raw diet until noon each day, and many days even longer than that.

Specifically?

Here’s the procedure I’ve fallen into, and it works.

a) Stock up on raw trail mix (raw nuts and seeds and raisins) and fresh fruit, especially oranges, bananas, apples, strawberries, and raspberries — foods that can last a few days without refrigeration. Eat this stuff for breakfast in the mornings, and snack on it throughout the day. (And really, what else are you going to find for breakfast that’s plant-based and not just a bunch of wheat? Certainly nothing in the hotel spread.)

b) Whenever you’re near a  Whole Foods , stop at it. Head to the salad bar and make a gigantic salad that includes dark leafy greens (usually kale), chickpeas or black beans, whatever seeds they have (usually sunflower and pumpkin seeds), and whatever other veggies you’re in the mood for — for me it’s usually cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and roasted mushrooms. I’ve stuck mainly to Whole Foods’s oil-free dressings, though I’m not anti-oil by any means.

If it’s meal time (even breakfast), I eat about half of this salad immediately and half for my next meal. If it’s not meal time, I still get the salad and save it until next time I’m hungry.

c) For hot meals, usually just dinner but lunch if I’m lucky, it’s one of three things:

• A burrito or bowl from Chipotle , with brown rice, black or pinto beans (they’re vegan now!), onions and peppers, guacamole, tomatoes, and medium or hot salsa.
• Something from the Whole Foods hot bar, or one of their built-in restaurants at larger stores. You’ve got to be careful here, because even though it’s Whole Foods, there are plenty of prepared-food options that are less-than-healthy. Mostly I stick to cooked vegetables and grains.
• A meal from a local vegetarian- or vegan-friendly restaurant, found either via Happy Cow or recommendation from friends on Twitter or at my book tour events.

That’s it. I can think of almost nothing I’ve eaten that doesn’t fall into one of those three categories, except for the fruit, trail mix, and salad.

I can anticipate a few:

How can you say Whole Foods is cheap?

I can get a huge salad, including beans and seeds, that will last for one or two meals, for 10 bucks. This isn’t cheap, but not that expensive either for a meal (or two meals) on the road. It’s entirely organic and I consider it the healthiest meal I eat each day, so it’s worth it. Sometimes I get the fruit and trail mix from Whole Foods too, but you can also get these (and even the salad, though not often with so many organic veggies) at most regular grocery stores.

In all, breakfast and lunch of fruit, nuts, and this mega-salad cost $12 or so, total. This is less than half of what I’d pay to sit and eat at a restaurant, and these meals are as healthy as they come.

Trail mix, fruit, and salad doesn’t sound like a breakfast.

No, it doesn’t. But it’s almost exactly the same ingredients as what’s in my smoothie when I’m at home. Eating this way took only a few days to get used to, and I love how it feels. So I’ll likely take this “raw until noon” habit home with me.

Do you really think Chipotle is healthy?

I do, if you get a bowl and avoid the white-flour tortilla. It’s beans, rice, and vegetables, which is a lot like a typical dinner I’d eat at home. The vegetables aren’t organic (as far as I know), but on the road, I’ll take it.

As for variety, if I were eating at Chipotle every day, my diet would be lacking. Thankfully, I’ve only eaten at Chipotle two or three times per week. I try to vary the contents of daily Whole Foods salad tremendously, by changing up the vegetables that I get in it each time, as well as buying different fruits and making different trail mixes from the bulk sections of stores to add to the variety in my diet on the road.

The Secret: Inconvenience is a Great Thing

That’s really all there is to eating on the road. It’s affordable, practical, and really not that hard, once you get used to it.

The key, of course, is throwing out your preconceived notion of  a meal, and accepting that combining fresh, whole, and often raw foods in a way that fills you up is just as good as any hot, “square” meal. In fact, I think it’s better: as I alluded to above, I truly believe that being so constrained in my choices is a tremendous blessing in disguise. And I’ve noticed this even when I’m not traveling: having to plan and prepare is the major reason I eat far better as a vegan than I ever did as an omnivore or even a vegetarian.

PS — A Special Fall Deal on any No Meat Athlete Roadmap!

(this program is no longer available).

And so for everyone who has bought the print book as their introduction to NMA and this lifestyle (and are hopefully inspired to do something special with it), I wanted to make it easy to go deeper and train for a big race — whether that’s a half marathon, a marathon, or a triathlon.

From now until Wednesday, October 30th, I’ve made each of the three Roadmap programs available at 35% off the regular price . I only do these sorts of deals once or twice a year (last time was for the first day of spring, over seven months ago), so if you’ve had your eye on the Roadmap systems, now’s your chance to grab one on the cheap!

You can find out more about each Roadmap and the special pricing here .

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I recently spent three days at a small town (~3600 people) where I knew I would be away from restaurants or other sources of food for the majority of each day. I ate very similarly to what you’ve described. I brought a quart bag filled with raw nuts and dried fruit, an apple and banana for each day, a loaf of vegan bread (I ended up only eating a few slices), home made hummus and a gallon bag of broccoli florets and baby cut carrots. My hotel room did have a refrigerator, so I was able to chill things overnight, but I just let them sit at room temperature during the day, and nothing went bad. For breakfast, I supplemented my trail mix with an orange from the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. I snacked on my trail mix and hummus and veggies throughout the day, and made hummus toast one day. My dinners were a subway salad and (I was shocked) the hotel restaurant had a veggie burger option, and a salad bar and it was pretty good! Having plenty of stuff to graze on really made it easy to eat while traveling, and I plan to do the same thing next time I’m on the road.

Thanks for the tips! I LOVE eating Chipotle & WF as a vegan. The only downside to Chipotle burrito bowls is the high sodium in the salsas. Thank you for letting me know that the pinto beans are now vegan! They need to update their signage to indicate that.

It may be too late for this, but I always stay in bed and breakfasts rather than hotels. I think they’re quieter, cleaner and I gotta stay in a place where the window open. Good morning meal is included and you get to meet so nice and informative homeowners. Just my 2 cents. Keep enjoying the travel and post some pictures if you can. ps. I love the Cliff Z Bars. They market them to kids but I can get a box of 6 for $3 at Target. They’re organic, 120 calories per bar, made with dates, etc. I also bring raw almonds, pretzels, fruit. Those are my travel foods.

Great point about the Z Bars. We’ve primarily bought them when we have snack duty after our kids’ soccer games, but they’ll also do for us in a pinch!

Great article, Matt! As another person who is also on the road a lot (with Robert), I have another suggestion that I just recently discovered for us. The beauty of the rice cooker. I take it into the hotel room and, even in the most basic of motel rooms, you can cook up some rice and heat up some beans. Also, I use it to cook steel cut oats in the morning. Put everything in the rice cooker before you go to bed at night, set the timer, and in the morning you’ll wake up to the awesome smell of oats (with cinnamon, dried fruit, and whatever else you want to put in it), all done and ready for you to eat. This is all at a cost of about $1. 🙂 Good luck on the rest of your tour! Perhaps I’ll see you in Portland this weekend.

Thanks for this… I’m about to go visit the in-laws and this is always an issue, espeically if it’s a short visit and we’re not planning to do much grocery shopping. The monster salad is often how I manage best.

I’m not going to lie, you make it sound so easy to eat like this. While getting the foods you want isn’t that hard, its not eating the other foods we see on a regular basis like sugars and pumpkin lattes. I like the idea though.

A bit off topic, but why so u favor the blend tec over the vitamix? Trying to decide which to buy

I often get a salad for lunch at a local hospital. They usually have beans, nuts, and seeds and are fairly cheap – $3 to $4 for a meal.

Hi Matt, first time poster but long time fan. I’ve been doing raw (mainly 80/10/10) before 6 and a cooked vegan dinner after 6 for about 3 months (100% cooked vegan for 9 months prior). I figure it’s about 51% raw for the day. I feel unbelievably great, even more alive than 100% cooked vegan. Seems like a good way to get the benefits of raw or 80/10/10 but not have to go all-in on it as I love to cook too much to be fully raw. Just thought I’d share my experience. Thanks for what you’re doing, keep up the great work!

And now we have this to look forward at Chipotle as well… http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/html/sofritas.html

Just tried this yesterday in Seattle! I think I like plain beans better, but it’s nice to be able to switch it up.

I can relate – we just moved to a new house and we have 3 young children (6, 3, and 3 month old) so it’s hard to get proper cooking in during all the preparations, the moving, and the settling in but I noticed I actually ate healthier than ever because I had to keep it simple and I couldn’t afford to feel yucky (ie too much sodium, gluten and dairy really get to me) because there was so much to do. We kept lots of fruit on hand, simple vegetables plus lots of hummus, and some frozen food convenience (pre-cooked rice, potatoes in various forms and precut veggie stir fries, etc.). Thanks for the post Matt and best wishes for the rest of your book tour!

My breakfast trick is to bring oatmeal (I use old-fashioned oats for this) for breakfast. Add hot water from the in-room coffee maker, and even old-fashioned oats soften and cook after a few minutes of soaking. You can add soy milk from one of the shelf-stable packs available from the grocery store, or if you’re desperate, the nondairy creamer in the room. I add craisins and walnuts and a cut-up apple or banana and it’s a good filling breakfast and very inexpensive. Also, if there’s no Chipotle, Moe’s is a good alternative.

Be careful with the pinto beans at Chipotle. They’re not all vegan yet. I was just at a Chipotle a couple days ago, and the pintos definitely still had bacon in them (or at least they told me they did). Maybe they’re rolling the meat-free ones out in certain regions first? I thought the sofritas were kind of gross, though. WAY too much salt in the batch I had!

Thanks for your small comment about being vegan in WY. It’s almost impossible! Luckily, there’s Smith’s (a Kroger branch). It’s not While Foods, but they have a house brand called “Simple Truth”. It’s not 100% vegan or organic. However, it’s free of alot nasty additives like HFCS. They also more healthier options than Wall-Mart. Hope this helps. 🙂

Should we bring healthy vegan food to your book events? Glad you’re making the best of it, but sounds like you could use a change (not that there’s a shortage of good vegan food here in Tucson).

Not all Chipotles serve vegan pinto beans just yet. I live in Columbus, OH and frequent 3 different Chipotles (one by my office and 2 two near my apartment), and only one of them has vegan pintos currently. I asked the manager of one about it and he told me Chipotle would slowly roll out the vegan pintos in all their restaurants.

Chipotle is awesome!!! Especially if you aren’t eating meat, they have great alternatives.

Great post! I’ve been traveling alot lately (between moving and taking a sabbatical). I usually wind up carting a cooler in the trunk of my car with a ton of premade meals, which works great for shorter trips. I’ve found mexican and asian restaurants usually have vegans options (probably not healthy) if you’re desperate, and Panera is actually a decent place as well. Most I’ve been to are more than accommodating to offer me a vegan meal. Its one of the few restaurants in the small town I just moved to where I can eat out without winding up with an iceberg salad. I agree with your defense of Whole Foods salad bars… its expensive sure, but most of the salads I make there last me 2 meals as well, so that’s $6 a meal, which is pretty darn cheap for eating out and not having to make it!

Hi Matt, After driving across eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana with my dad, I totally sympathize with the difficulties of a vegan / veggie diet while on the road. I found that people gave me long, suspicious stares when I asked if there was a meat free version of something on the menu. It definitely makes me appreciate Vancouver as a vegetarian-friendly city. But these are good tips and I’ll put them ‘in the bank’ for the next trip that comes along.

hmmm. i asked at whole foods and not much of their prepared food and salads are organic. i was really disappointed!

Lisa, I found that Whole Foods vary tremendously in their selections, store-to-store. Most of the salad bars were organic, from what I remember, but I’m not surprised that some aren’t.

My husband and I are in the process of planning a cross country trip (60+ days). We are plant based eaters. Here is what I have been doing to try to figure out meals. At each stop I research if there is a whole foods nearby and do a restaurant search and food store search. We also will have a cooler so we can stock up when we find a location with choices. We have already found that not all Whole Foods are alike. Got hooked on one in Salt Lake City and also Wyoming on a recent trip, but was very disappointed in some we found in PA. I will pre-make a bunch of stuff to last the first 3 days on the road of which most will be healthy grain salads. This will definetely be a challenge I’m looking forward to mastering.

[…] No Meat Athlete Matt Frazier has some great tips that add to what we’ve already discussed: he says while on his book tour he’s been eating healthier than at home. How is this possible? Frazier says it’s because he’s eating mostly fresh, raw foods for the bulk of the day, and basing his diet on quick fruit and veggie snacks. He says, “instead of worrying about eating a traditional ‘square’ meal and getting your vegetables on the side or in a salad, you do far better by basing your entire diet on the foods in that salad. And that’s the trick that has helped me not just survive on the road, but thrive, by eating fresher, more whole, and more raw. [Fill up] on the handful of foods that you consider to be the healthiest on Earth. And redefine ‘meal’ to mean exactly that.” […]

Visit a vegan vacation and settlement destination in the USA: Bring it on down to Veganville! https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeganvilleSantaFeNM/

Hi Matt, I realize this post is quite old but I love your advice and attitude. I especially love how you said these limitations can be framed as a blessing. In addition to being vegan, I have recently discovered around 15 foods I now avoid due to allergies and intolerances. Because of this, most vegan websites are not very helpful for me anymore, as they often rely heavily on ingredients I avoid. I’ve learned how to eat well to manage my health at home with a kitchen, but preparing for travel was a new challenge and initially brought on a lot of anxiety. However, I have benefitted so much from reconsidering what I learned through culture to call food or meals, as you described. I eat what I know makes me feel good and does my body good when I feel like it, and my list of travel foods looks much like yours. The approach to food you take in this post is also very applicable to a lifestyle of mindful or intuitive eating, especially helpful for people with a history of a poor or disordered relationship with food. Thank you so much for your tips, and as I travel this weekend (and get brave enough for longer trips away from my kitchen), I will certainly benefit from them! Best, LAJK

Thankyou, you have been extremely helpful. I have been searching for a starting point as we are about to embark on a 3 months Australian adventure road trip. and being new to this whole plant based/vegan diet we have been talking about different food ideas.

That didn’t help me one bit. I don’t eat fruit, it is too sweet and I am trying to clear my candida. I don’t eat grains because of my leaky gut, or gluten. Cant just live on nuts and seeds. Here in England, Uk there aren’t any good wholefood shops, and when you do find one its all dried fruit in everything, or grains. Im soooo sick of humous butties every damn day; and I never want to see another falafel again. My diet is so depressing… all this for the animals. If only they knew the sacrifices I make. Sigh. My life is not worth living since Iwent vegan.

Thank you for this article. My boyfriend and I are tour managers and we’ve been dreading hitting the road again now that we’re plant based. We start work in two weeks, and are trying to plan ahead. This article was posted years ago, but the advice still stands. If you have any new advice or words of wisdom, it’s much appreciated. Excited to check out your books. Thank you!

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15 Easy Snacks To Survive Road Trips

Have you ever dealt with hunger growls during a lengthy drive? Hunger can quickly dampen the fun of a scenic route. But worry not, road trip snacking doesn’t mean resorting to oily, sugary options.

1. Almond Joy: The Nutty Travel Companion

Almonds, a road trip superstar, offer a satisfying crunch. Rich in protein and good fats, they keep energy levels stable. A handful can make a significant difference, as studies suggest they reduce hunger and calorie intake later in the day​​.

2. Greek Yogurt Parfaits: A Creamy Delight

Portable and customizable, Greek yogurt parfaits are a sweet treat. Layer it with fruits and granola for a fiber-rich snack. This combo balances blood sugar, crucial for avoiding those mid-trip slumps.

3. Popcorn: The Light Munch

Forget movie theaters; popcorn is a road trip hero. Low in calories, high in fiber, it’s perfect for mindless munching. A study shows whole grains like popcorn contribute to dietary fiber intake, essential for gut health​​.

4. Cheese Cubes: Dairy’s Best Kept Secret

Cheese cubes are not just for fancy platters. Packed with calcium and protein, they’re a savory option for hunger pangs. Opt for low-fat versions for a healthier twist.

5. Fruit Leather: Nature’s Candy Strip

Ditch the sugary snacks for fruit leather. It’s nature’s candy – sweet, chewy, and satisfying. Unlike processed snacks, it’s free from added sugars and preservatives, keeping your energy levels steady.

6. Trail Mix: The Ultimate Mix-and-Match

Trail mix, a medley of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, packs a nutritional punch. Tailor it to your preferences and dietary requirements. Moreover, it provides a well-rounded mix of proteins, fats, and carbs, ideal for long-lasting vitality.

7. Veggie Sticks and Hummus: Crunch Time

Veggie sticks paired with hummus are not only crunchy and flavorful but also a great source of vitamins and fiber. This snack is particularly effective in keeping you full and hydrated, thanks to the high water content in veggies.

8. Sip on Smoothies: Liquid Satisfaction

Smoothies? Yes, please! Blend fruits, veggies, and yogurt for a drinkable feast. They’re refreshing, hydrating, and brimming with nutrients. A great way to get your five-a-day without the hassle.

9. Oatmeal Cookies: A Healthier Crunch

Who can resist cookies? Opt for oatmeal ones. They’re fiber-rich and more nutritious than their sugary counterparts. Perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth responsibly.

10. Rice Cakes: Light and Airy

Rice cakes are a surprisingly versatile snack. Top them with avocado or nut butter. They’re light yet filling, making them ideal for snacking without feeling weighed down.

11. Beef Jerky: Savory Protein Kick

Beef jerky is a protein-rich, low-fat option. It’s perfect for curbing hunger without the bulk. Just watch the sodium content to keep things healthy.

12. Bananas: Nature’s Energy Bar

Bananas are nature’s answer to energy bars. Easy to carry and eat, they’re packed with essential vitamins and provide a quick energy boost.

13. Edamame: The Green Crunch

Edamame beans, seasoned with a pinch of salt, offer a delightful indulgence. These little green powerhouses are loaded with protein and fiber, making them a clever choice for a savory snack. What’s more, they add a fun element to snacking and help pass the time during those extended road journeys.

14. Sweet Potato Chips: The Better Chip

Baked sweet potato chips outshine the traditional variety. Loaded with vitamins A and C, they offer guilt-free satisfaction with their inherent sweetness. A crispy, health-conscious choice for chip enthusiasts.

15. Turkey and Cheese Roll-Ups: Protein-Packed Bites

Skip the bread; roll turkey and cheese together. These protein-packed bites are low-carb and filling. They’re convenient, mess-free, and deliver a flavor punch. Ideal for keeping hunger at bay while navigating the open road.

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