Travel Food Recipes: Snacks & Make-Ahead Meals For Road Trips

Not all camping food is consumed at the campsite! These delicious travel food recipes include simple snacks and make-ahead meals that will keep you happily driving as you cruise down the highway to your next camping adventure.

You’ll never have to eat from fast food restaurants or those not-so-appetizing gas station “food” counters out of desperation again! 

Make-Ahead Meals For A Road Trip

If our camping destination is only a few hours from home, I am all about packing healthy road trip snacks, but, if we are going to be driving for the better part of a day, or even multiple days, I make sure we have the best road trip food possible so we are not ravenous by the time we arrive at our campsite. Here are some of my favorite main course road trip meals.

Wraps and sandwiches

Hand-held foods are my favorite dinner ideas because they are so easy to eat in the car.

Raw Veggie Wraps Recipe

These wraps are filled with veggies and are vegan-friendly. I like using a few slices of red onion, cucumber, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, black beans and red bell peppers but any combination will work. I use hummus for the “glue” and the tasty flavor. Sunflower seeds add an extra crunch. You can swap out any of the ingredients and even add a few slices of deli meat, turkey is a great choice, if you need a more substantial meal.

Fruit And Nut Peanut Butter Stuffed Tortilla

This fruit and nut wrap is so easy you can make it while cruising down the highway! And, it is packed with protein and makes a super healthy breakfast, lunch, snack or dessert! You can substitute almond butter or any other nut butter if someone in your vehicle is allergic to peanuts. Check out all of our no cook camping meals.

Prosciutto Sandwich Recipe With Fresh Basil & Mozzarella

It is easy to pack (and eat) a lunchmeat sandwich BUT making a more substantial sandwich with slightly gourmet ingredients turns this road trip food item into a meal! The prosciutto has a nice savory flavor, the mozzarella has a luscious creamy texture and the basil adds notes of freshness. A simple homemade dressing is made with extra-virgin olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.

BLT Camping Wraps

When we cook bacon for breakfast we make extra slices so it’s ready for other meals. You can get all your prep work done assembling, then, wrap tightly in a plastic wrap and store in a refrigerator or cooler for eating during your travels. I recommend eating this meal within about 12 hours of making it otherwise the tortilla may get soggy.

Ham And Cheese Salad Stuffed Tortillas

Wraps are one of my favorite road trip food ideas because they are so easy to eat in a vehicle! The key to making them a neat little package (that is easily eaten with one hand) is to NOT OVER-STUFF them and wrap them tightly, then, snugly wrap them in plastic food wrap and put them in the refrigerator for a bit as they “set” in shape.

I like stuffing salads into a tortilla for road trip meals. Tuna salad and chicken salad are also great options, just make sure you add some nice leafy greens too. Even the kids will love eating salad that way!

Bacon And Cheese Quiche

If your day begins really early, you may want some travel breakfast ideas for your drive. My family loves eggs for breakfast but they need to be served warm (unless they are just simple hard-boiled eggs.) I love make-ahead recipes that can be easily transported and served at room temperature.

Dutch Oven Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is a sweet treat for road trips. It makes a perfect breakfast with a nice warm cup of coffee or cold glass of milk but it is also a yummy dessert snack. Instead of bringing muffins, cookies and candy, I only pack one sweet treat that satisfies the tastes of everyone in the car. I serve the healthy snacks first then save the not-so-healthy alternative for later in the journey.

Marinated Corn Salad With Cucumbers And Tomatoes

This salad is the perfect vegan option that can be served as a side or main. If you want to add a little protein, toss in some tofu, cooked chicken or shrimp.

Broccoli Sunshine Salad

My entire family loves this salad. It’s a little salty and a little sweet. The broccoli and bacon are the stars of the show. Raisins add a slight sweetness and sunflower seeds add a savory crunch.

Easy No Cook Healthy Southwest Camping Salad

I absolutely love my Southwest Camping Salad Recipe because it is sooooooo versatile! It is served cold, and can be served as a side salad, or, add a little cubed grilled chicken and it becomes a refreshing main dish that you can eat with a fork or stuff in a tortilla to make a hearty wrap! The cumin and cayenne pepper spices give it a little kick. The combination of protein and fiber make it a satisfying road trip food option.

Greek Tomato And Feta Pasta Salad

Pasta salads make the best road trip food because you can make them a few days in advance and just pack them when you are ready to begin travelling. This particular salad should be served cold but because it has a vinegar and oil based dressing and uses no meat, it is not as temperature sensitive as mayo-based dressings.

Rosemary Spiced Nuts

Mixed nuts are good road trip snacks and readily available in their original form but if you want to take this roadtrip food to the next level, try these rosemary spiced nuts that are a tad spicy and a touch sweet.

Mexican Spicy Nuts

If you like a little extra heat, try these easy spiced mixed nuts.

Fresh Summer Fruit Tossed In Honey Mint Syrup

So many road trips happen during the summer months and seasonal fresh fruit always makes great road trip snack ideas. If you have a small cooler, you can cut your favorite fruit for a refreshing treat. This recipe is packed with flavor that is over-the-top and the secret is the syrup!