The top petrol station snacks
We’ve been doing a good amount of long distance driving these last few weeks and not been home much, so our usual meal prep has been less than feasible. As such, we've had to rely on “road snacks” from the petrol station a good amount. It would be easy to throw in the towel and just grab a slice of convenient garbage pizza or a rotating hot tube of gross (aka hot dog), but in reality, we don’t have to. We can very confidently cobble together a nutritious meal (or snack) from the petrol station that fills us up, meets our nutritional needs, is convenient to consume, and doesn't give us gut rot 10 miles from now.
These are our top 10 go to road snacks;
1. Jerky
Turkey jerky is high protein and lower fat and total calories, but some can be pretty dry. No matter the jerky, this meaty snack is high in protein, takes thought to eat, and is available everywhere, at every petrol station (in the US at least). Pro tip; If you are traveling with a dog, this doubles as a high value snack for them too.
2. Protein bar
Quest bars are ubiquitous now and you can find a variety of flavors at most every petrol station. I like to balance out the salty jerky with a sweeter quest bar. Pro tip; the synthetic sugars in protein bars that make them tasty but keep the calories low don’t agree with everyone. Make sure that you know you tolerate the bar you’re about to devour before you drive 50 miles into the upstate wilderness sans bathroom stop.
3. Protein shake
I still don’t know how FairLife/Core Power is fitting 42g of protein into a 14oz bottle and making it taste like cake, but they are and they are genius for doing so. This is a no brainer. Pro tip; if you are in a rush, liquid cals are a great choice. Just chug and go. If you are hungry, liquid calories can pass you by and leave you feeling hungry still and eating more total cals than you planned. Consider whether you are looking for quick or satisfying and choose accordingly.
4. Carrots and hummus
Carrots are crunchy sweet water. What's not to like? They also double as edible cutlery for things like hummus which is tasty, filling, nutritious and comes in a few flavors. They also come with a predetermined portion size which is easy to count if that's what you are doing. Pro tip; eat this before you start driving again lest you dribble hummus on yourself or find a dropped carrot down the side of the seat 2 months from now.
5. Bananas
Bananas just taste better than apples. I won’t have a bad word said against bananas. Jokes aside, bananas are more reliably in good shape from a petrol station and there quality can be identified from the outside unlike apples which in my experience often turn out to be mealy and bruised as if they have been given a quick kick around the carpark before making it to the display case.
6. Hard boiled eggs
This is a controversial one for many. But hard boiled eggs are basically the perfect snack. With about 80 cals and 6-7g of protein per serving, this is a staple of most road trip for us. That said, hard boiled eggs from a petrol station sound like a dare a teenage boy would make up. I can assure you that they aren’t what they sound like and taste, well, like hard boiled eggs. Pro tip 1; the eggs are lightly brined to keep them fresh, so be sure to drain the water off before you spill it in your lap. Pro tip 2; grab a salt and pepper pack (better yet grab a few and keep them in the car) as this really elevates the eggs from road side eggs to road side eggs that taste better.
7. Greek yogurt
Shelf stable, high in protein, low in calories, multiple flavor options, and most of them come with a spoon built in. Pro tip; we keep a camping spork in the car in case we forget a spoon. I have however been known to (carefully) eat a yogurt with a pen knife though.
8. String cheese/meat combo
Shout out to the petrol stations on the Mass Pike for having the bougie snacks. None-rubbery string cheese wrapped in parma ham, prosciutto, and pepperoni. This with a couple of soft boiled eggs and greek yogurt is basically a convenient deconstruction of an Amalfi coast feast. Pro tip; if you buy the pepperoni version, buy some chewing gum/breath mints too and thank me later.
9. Seltzer/Diet drinks
Nothing gripes me more than being told to stand up by my apple watch when I am driving. “I am sitting!!! What do you want me to do?!” Well I can probably skip the 300 cal bottle of sprite for a start. The taste boffins have done a brilliant job in making bubbly water taste great without any calories in tow. If you are conscious of your daily energy intake and then have to spend 5-7 of your waking hours trapped in a stationary (seated) position, calorie free drinks are a great way to modify your energy intake without forgoing preferences. Pro tip; just keep a box of seltzer in your car and then take the free ice from the drink machine. You’ll save some cash, another plastic bottle, and it'll feel more like a drink you made rather than were forced to choose.
10. Popcorn
I’m including popcorn for Jen and Molly since I don’t really enjoy it. Popcorn is a filling snack that is mostly air. It takes some chewing which is good for many things including your digestion, feeling like you’ve actually eaten something, and making it last longer. It’s reasonably priced, you can find it everywhere, and can be nutritious. Pro tip; be mindful of your flavor choices. Caramel corn is not what I am talking about here, since that is basically a bag of crunchy, moreish sugar chunks. The lightly dusted salt/cheddar flavors are more inline with my recommendations here. Pro tip 2; Molly loves popcorn and seeing her chomp pieces happily in the rear view mirror will break up the monotony of driving for a few mins.
You can easily build a nutritious combo of snack foods into a meal or grab something to hold you over until a more significant meal, all while staying in line with nutrition preferences and needs.
Let me know if you have any others you think should make this list, or if you have strong feelings about brined hard boiled motorway eggs.
If you are interested in learning more about the fundamentals of nutrition and how you can make simple tweaks to get better results for your efforts, be sure to download my FREE NUTRITION EBOOK HERE.
