Three nutritious snack ideas for your next road trip

With just a little forward planning, though, you’ll be filling up on these satisfying, one-handed treats and forgetting about petrol station pies in no time.

Slicing an apple into quarters or a carrot into sticks does require a little prep, which makes it seem immediately like too much work, but in truth it takes about 60 seconds and you end up with a snack that’ll pep you up when the highway view gets repetitive. The very act of biting and chewing stimulates your mind and helps to keep your mind active. If grab-and-go is more your style, you can’t go wrong with a bag of cold grapes.

There’s a reason trail mix is the go-to for refuelling when you’re away from the kitchen for a long time. A mix of fibre, sugar, fruit and nuts will keep you firing on all cylinders, no matter how long your journey is. Scoop it from your supermarket’s wholefood section, or mix and match your favourite custom combination. All you need to do is stir together one part each of raw seeds and dried fruit, and two parts raw nuts. Then you can add all the fun stuff – like dark chocolate, popcorn and pretzels – depending on what you’re craving.

Speaking of, you’re never not going to be in the mood for a handful of those last two. Natural, oil-free popcorn and crunchy pretzels are perfect if you’re driving solo and don’t have a spare pair of hands to help you coordinate on-road snacking.

All of the above requires forward planning, though. If you’re already buckled in and en route when the snackwave hits, don’t worry: your options aren’t diminished. Most convenience stores and petrol stations have a strong selection of protein, muesli or energy bars. The trick is sussing out the label and grabbing the bar with the fewest ingredients. Look for nuts, seeds and fruit to make sure you’re not going to fill up on sugar, fat or empty energy that’ll exhaust you down the road.

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