Cooks 2025 | Feature

Rethink Your Road Trip Rations

Stay healthy, well-fed, and ready for your summer trip.

Ah, summer! Sunshine, warm temperatures, and increased leisure time attract drivers to the open road. According to travel website The Vacationer, in 2024, nearly 200 million Americans planned summer road trips — 75 percent of the nation’s population.

With so many travelers on the road, lines can get long at restaurants, grocery stores, cafés, and elsewhere. So we consulted road trip and travel experts to bring you top tips for staying healthy, well-fed, and ready for the road.

Eat at Your Own Risk
Eating well on the road comes with distinct challenges. Restaurant bills add up quickly, and securing good food that doesn’t cause upset stomachs, pleases all passengers’ palates, and keeps well in the car can get tricky. Messy foods should be avoided, and dietary restrictions can put a kibosh on the road trip fun.

Fortunately, taking care of your appetite on the road doesn’t have to be complicated, monotonous, or boring. And it doesn’t have to undermine your health and fitness goals. But you do have to plan and pack strategically for your specific needs, dietary restrictions, and travel itinerary, whether jet-setting between hotels, hitting a vacation home rental, or heading off-grid to camp.

Mess-Free, Entertaining Meals
Lara Ritchie, culinary director of Nothing to It! Culinary Center in South Reno, knows how to keep mouths and stomachs happy on the road, leaning toward foods that can be chilled in a cooler or stored at room temperature. She also recommends avoiding sauces and messy meals that would make your vehicle’s interior shudder.

“I’m a big fan of packing your own treats. You know what’s in it. You know what your family likes, or you like,” she says. “Cooking, for me, is all about control. It’s where you get to decide how much spice, how much salt, how much fat … all those things.”

She suggests such fun road trip snacks as flavored popcorn, healthier takes on Rice Krispie treats, dried fruit, nuts, slices of cheese, and fresh fruits and veggies. Pickled vegetables, meats, cheeses, and yellow split pea hummus (recipe below) with pretzels round out the perfectly packed cooler.

“[Go for] foods that won’t tank your energy,” she adds. “If you do something that’s super carb-loaded with lots of sugar, those things will give you an immediate hit and then make you sleepy. Instead, you want foods that will fuel you.”

Another go-to for Ritchie? Italian or French-style sandwiches loaded with fresh foods that pack a flavor punch. Think compact ingredients that deliver big flavors, such as Dijonnaise (Dijon mustard mixed with mayonnaise), salami, pepperoncini, onion relish, Brie, ham, and baguettes. Ritchie also suggests planning your travel routes carefully and always being on the lookout for exceptional cuisine, whether it’s your next great cup of coffee, an epic breakfast burrito, or drool-worthy street tacos.

Top Tips for Camping
As a former National Park Service naturalist/interpreter park ranger at Glacier (1986-89 and 2016) and Denali (1991) National Parks, Sparks resident Nancy Hoffman is well-versed in the fine art of camping cuisine.

With more than three decades’ experience backpacking in the Western United States, she notes, “There have been so many innovations in camping and glamping lately! Everything from solar panels to collapsible sinks. Even ready-to-eat or add-hot-water meals have gotten so much easier.”

These days, when Hoffman goes camping, she relies on a camper van and her friends’ camper, which has amenities such as a big freezer, an oven/range, and a plug-in microwave. But she suggests, depending on personal taste and comfort with experimentation, making some fun additions to your list of camping gear. These include a lightweight folding picnic table for places with limited seating and even a portable pizza oven for perfect pies on the go. And never leave home without your favorite bottle of hot sauce.

Road Trip to the Max
Reno resident and classical violinist Vanessa Nicole Porter is an inveterate road tripper who’s taken driving scenic routes to the next level. With Green Dot Journey, her blog/vlog, she explores and chronicles National Forest Scenic Byways (aka Green Dot Scenic Routes) and performs prescheduled violin concerts at homes on her travels. Through National Parks Compositions, she commissions composers to write music inspired by the national parks and then creates artistic videos performing each piece on location. She’s logged countless hours discovering and driving the most picturesque routes in the contiguous United States, and she offers tips shaped by her long hauls.

Porter swears by a combo car seat organizer/cooler (such as the one recommended below) for storing drinks and snacks, kept within easy reach. She organizes this cooler with care ahead of time, filling individual Ziploc bags with ingredients such as crackers, cheese slices, sliced cucumbers, and boiled and peeled eggs. By separating items into plastic bags, she keeps everything fresh and crisp, and she contains messes in the bags without taking her eyes off the road.

Porter also swears by inRoute, a hands-free app that allows travelers to map out perfect routes in advance, including the best places to dine and try local cuisine. And she carries water in the seat organizer cooler and the trunk of her vehicle. That way, she’s guaranteed to stay well-hydrated on the road.

Prioritizing Health on the Road
Maria Cristina Sheehan, certified health/fitness coach of Sheehan Health and Wellness LLC in Reno, is a strength and longevity coach who believes you can travel and stay healthy by planning strategically. Her pro tips include minimizing alcohol and maximizing hydration.

“Nothing can derail your wellness journey more than excess alcohol. Be intentional about when and how much you consume.” Of course, she adds, “All bets are off if you are going wine tasting.”

Sheehan recommends maximizing protein intake by packing a high-quality protein powder and a lightweight blender, if your accommodations don’t provide one. Add ice, nuts, and fruit slices for the perfect smoothie. She encourages travelers to minimize sugar intake by staying away from sweet treats. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with dark berries or fruit.

Another peril best avoided is allowing yourself to get too hungry on the road. “Hunger always wins out,” Sheehan says.

Instead, be intentional about fueling up to support solid, sustained energy. Finally, pack a few natural-ingredient energy bars for emergencies. (Don’t forget to read labels carefully.)

Plan Ahead and Have Fun
Great road trips require strategic planning, especially about what to pack and eat on the road. With hundreds of millions of people set to hit the road this summer, packing the right food can save you money, time, and long lines. Follow these tips, and hopefully you’ll have the makings of a satisfying vacation.

RESOURCES
These businesses and tools can help you prep for whatever journey awaits:

RECIPES

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ON-THE-GO SMOOTHIE

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Blend Time1 minute min

Total Time3 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

Author: Maria Cristina Sheehan, certified health/fitness coach of Sheehan Health and Wellness LLC in Reno

Ingredients

• 1 scoop low-sugar high-quality protein powder
• ¼ cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• ¼ cup raw unsalted almonds
• 1 cup water or milk
• A few ice cubes

Instructions

• Blend everything together and enjoy!

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YELLOW SPLIT PEA HUMMUS

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Blend/Assembly Time5 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings: 2.5 cups

Author: Lara Ritchie, culinary director, Nothing To It! Culinary Center in Reno

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 1 large clove garlic grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, place water and split peas and bring to a boil. Foam will rise to the surface; skim that off, then lower heat. Add bay leaf and turmeric, and continue to cook until peas are tender. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, place olive oil and sauté onion until soft and translucent. Next, add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
• Remove bay leaf and strain peas, reserving liquid. Add peas, lemon juice, salt, tahini, and white miso to a blender and purée until smooth. If needed, add some of the reserved liquid until desired texture is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper or more lemon juice. Can be served warm or cold.