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! 

Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks by CampingForFoodies

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

Raw Veggie Wraps Recipe by CampingForFoodies features a blue camping plate set on a log outdoors in bright sunshine. It is filled with two raw vegan wraps that are cut in half and stacked on top of each other. The brown wheat tortillas are filled with green chopped spinach, sliced avocados and cucumbers, black beans, red tomatoes, bell peppers and onions, brown sunflower seeds and creamy hummus.

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

Fruit And Nut Peanut Butter Stuffed Tortilla Camping Recipe by CampingForFoodies features a whole wheat tortilla laying on a blue camping plate with peanut butter, banana slices, dried fruit, nuts and seeds layered on top and ready to be rolled up to be eaten with text over the image reading camping recipe.

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

Prosciutto Sandwich Recipe With Fresh Basil And Mozzarella by CampingForFoodies features a ciabatta bread roll sliced in half and filled with bright green fresh basil leaves, pinkish, red colored thinly sliced prosciutto meat, bright red tomato slices and white creamy slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. The sandwich is being served on a white plate in an outdoor setting on a sunny day.

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

BLT Wraps For Camping by CampingForFoodies features a blue camping plate with a wheat tortilla wrap cut in half and stuffed with a mixture of green chopped salad, crispy bacon pieces and chopped tomatoes tossed in mayonnaise.

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

Ham And Cheese Salad Stuffed Tortilla No-Cook Camp Recipe by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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!

Check out all of my amazing camping sandwich ideas. Including these awesome cold options:

  • Bacon Basil Tomato Ciabatta Sandwich
  • Chicken Parmesan Wraps
  • Pesto Tomato Wraps

Bacon And Cheese Quiche

Bacon And Cheese Quiche Dutch Oven Camp Recipe by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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.

This quiche is a great breakfast or lunch road trip food option because you can make it several days in advance of your trip, and, it does not require utensils to eat it. Slice it before packing and simply eat it like a piece of pizza. Oh, one more thing … you can make this quiche in any type of oven (home, RV, solar or camp Dutch oven) too!


Dutch Oven Coffee Cake

Camp Dutch Oven Coffee Cake Camping For Foodies .com

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.


Salads

Different types of salads are great to pack into disposable cups with lids. Just pop the top and eat when you get hungry. The best options are salads that actually taste better after the flavors have time to marry for a day or two.

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Marinated Corn Salad With Cucumbers And Tomatoes

Marinated Corn Salad With Cucumbers And Tomatoes by CampingForFoodies features a bowl filled with a bright colorful salad that includes bright yellow corn kernels, light green diced cucumbers, bright red cherry tomatoes that are sliced in half, chopped red bell peppers and bright green cilantro. The salad glistens from being marinated and tossed in a homemade balsamic vinegar dressing. The bowl’s pattern features retro camping scenes. A matching salad spoon set is placed in the salad and ready for serving.

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

Broccoli Sunshine Salad by CampingForFoodies features a bowl filled with a colorful salad with green broccoli, red onion, crispy brown bacon, sweet raisins and sunflower seeds all tossed in a simple homemade dressing ready to be served at the campsite.

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

Easy No Cook Healthy Southwest Camping Salad Recipe by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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

Greek Tomato And Feta Camping Pasta Salad by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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.


Recipes For The Best Road Trip Snacks

If you are willing to make a few homemade goodies before you travel, there are some fun options for yummy road trip snacks.

Rosemary Spiced Nuts

Rosemary Spiced Nuts Camping Snacks Recipe by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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

Mexican Spicy Nuts by CampingForFoodies features a white bowl filled with mixed nuts that have been tossed in Mexican spices and honey then roasted in a foil packet so they are shimmering in a slightly sticky glaze. The bowl is set on a table outside with green plants in the background on a sunny day.

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


Fresh Summer Fruit Tossed In Honey Mint Syrup

Fresh Summer Fruit Tossed in Honey Mint Syrup by CampingForFoodies is one of the Best Road Trip Food Ideas And Travel Snacks

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!


Prepared Healthy Road Trip Snacks

Not everything you eat while you travel for your camping trips needs to be big meals. In fact, healthy road trip snacks can be very satisfying and a great way to “graze” across the miles. The best road trip snacks are easy to eat without creating a mess and don’t require utensils. Here are some ideas our family likes:

  • Dried fruit and nut mix (without added sugar)
  • Fresh fruit (that is easy to eat and store)
    • Clementines
    • Apples
    • Bananas
    • Grapes
    • Peaches
    • Pears
    • Plums
    • Apricots
    • Strawberries
    • Blueberries
  • Fresh vegetables (that are easy to eat and store)
    • Baby carrots
    • Broccoli florets 
    • Cauliflower florets
    • Snap peas
    • Celery sticks
    • Cherry tomatoes
  • Mixed nuts
  • Popcorn
  • Pretzels
  • ​Chips made from sweet potatoes or kale (so much healthier than potato chips)
  • Granola bars
  • Trail mix made with healthy oats, cereal, fruit and healthy fats
  • Cheese (especially string cheese)
  • Crackers
  • Rice cakes with spreadable flavored cream cheese
  • Beef jerky
  • ​Roasted chickpeas
  • Greek yogurt with mixins’ like dark chocolate chips and fresh fruit
  • Olives
  • Cured meats like salami

How To Pack Food For A Road Trip

I recommend using the FILO method when packing your road trip food.

  • First
  • In
  • Last
  • Out

I bury the non-refrigerated food and snacks we will be eating later in the trip at the bottom of my reusable shopping bags. Then I work backwards so the food at the top of the bag is what we’ll be eating first.

Psst we’re compensated…see our disclosures.

For my refrigerated food items, I pack them in some sort of cooler with freeze packs so I don’t have to deal with melting ice. I try to carry minimal perishable items so I’m not messing with too much cold storage space. For this group I pack the sturdiest items at the bottom of the cooler and place the more delicate items on top. It’s a good idea to purchase a Collapsible Cooler Bag and a few reusable Freeze Packs for traveling.

You may even invest in an Electric Cooler Bag if you’ll be going really long distances and you have access to power inside your vehicle.

I also carry a few small plastic grocery bags to collect the trash as we drive. Then, it’s easy to dispose of it at our fuel stops.


Road Trip Food Supplies And Drinks

Road Trip Food Tip: Don’t forget the forks, knives and spoons if your road trip foods require utensils.

Depending on which road trip snacks and food you decide to take on your trip, you may need to pack a few supplies like these:


Car Games For Your Road Trip

Road trip food is not the only thing you may need to make it pleasant to drive along a highway … especially if you are on a route without much to see out the window! Check out our Road Trip Games To Play In The Car for ideas to keep the miles filled with fun and laughter.


FREE Printable Camping Trip Planner

Don’t hit the road before you plan your adventure.

Make your next trip stress-free with a little pre-planning. Get your copy of our FREE printable camping trip planner template!

Camping Trip Planner Template Free Printable by CampingForFoodies is a whimsical illustration of a cute old orange car towing a blue and white vintage camper trailer down a road in a landscape of green trees, light green grass and brown mountains with fluffy clouds in a blue sky; thumbnail images of multiple pages of a camping trip planner under the text that reads camping free trip planner.

What do you think?

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