Road Trip Lunch Tips!

When we take a road trip that 'eats' into lunch hour I always make sure to plan ahead.  I do not eat any kind of fast food; I haven’t had a burger and fries in over 30 years.  When it comes to lunch food on the road I eat the same way I eat at home.  Of course my husband doesn't get to eat fast food either but he is fine with that.

Right before we leave home I make our sandwiches but without any condiments so that the bread won’t get soggy.  We use a small cooler that pretty much only holds 2 sodas, the sandwiches, a small candy bar for my husband (he always enjoys a candy bar or cookie with his lunch) and a bottle of water for Ruby the lab.

We try to get off the highway and find a nice quiet spot for lunch along a country road.  But that isn't always possible.  There have been times when we just used an  out-of-the-way spot at a convenience store/gas station and have our sandwiches. 

Doing it this way works for us:

• We try to time the stop to coincide with a gas fill-up.  Two birds with one stone so to speak!
• We eat food that is better for us.
• We save money which is always a good thing.
• We save time and time is precious.

When we are making an 8-hour trip to our favorite vacation spot I also bring along an afternoon snack for my husband.  He does all the driving and around 2:00 PM he needs a little sugar rush!  It might be a few cookies or a couple of Hershey Kisses!

During that long trip we also usually have a larger cooler with us that holds some of the necessities for the week like butter, juice, cold cuts, etc.  There is always extra water and soda in there.  Of course, I try to keep my liquids to a minimum or we would have to take a few extra pit stops!

I don’t have to worry about lunch for the dog, she will eat a piece of crust from our sandwiches but she will not eat dog food on those 8-hour rides.  Sometimes she won’t even eat for a few hours when we get to our destination.  She will drink water however, lots of water.

So that is how we do lunch during short or long road trips!  Now if you will excuse me it’s time to wash out the cooler and get on the road!  We’re off to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee!

Photo: AbbyG