Adult Travel Snack Recipes

One of my biggest challenges in traveling is what to eat on the road. Truth is, my husband can ride all day without stopping for a bite. I, on the other hand, need to eat something every few hours. Consequently, I've learned the importance of taking along a few snacks.

Taking along a banana, orange, nuts or other treats is OK, but I like a little more variety. It reminds me of traveling as a kid. My parents (or sometimes my grandparents) would buy us something really special to take for lunch on the field trip. We'd think about that lunch all day, anxiously awaiting the appointed time to eat. As an adult, I want that same feeling when I travel. So here are a few good recipes I like. They may take a little more time to prepare, but they are worth it.

Dark Chocolate Bark

I'm a dark chocolate girl. Place milk, white and dark chocolate before me and I will always choose the dark. To me it has a more rich and decadent taste than the others. Before traveling, I put together my very own dark chocolate treats, or bark. If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, you can use white or milk chocolate instead.

What You'll Need:

12 oz. dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp of milk
1 tbsp of butter
parchment paper
small pan
spatula
Two, three or more of these ingredients: sunflower seeds, raisins, coconuts, sliced almonds, dried bananas, cranberries, bacon bits (I make my own bits with turkey bacon) and pumpkin seeds.

Preparation:

Place 3/4 of the 12 ounces of chips in a microwaveable dish. Pour in 2 tablespoons of your favorite milk. Some good options include almond or coconut milk for good flavor. Melt in the microwave. Remove from microwave and add butter and remainder of chips . Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Line pan with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate over paper and spread out evenly using a spatula. Sprinkle your chosen ingredients over chocolate. I typically make two or three varieties by mentally dividing my pan into threes. One row may be a mix of raisins and coconut, another bacon bits (my favorite), and another sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Break bark into pieces (will look like broken tree bark) and store in sandwich bags. Freeze for travel.

Simple Wraps

For a quick, healthy and more substantive snack, consider a simple wrap. These wraps will keep well and ensure that you get in your fruits and veggies for the day. They are also easy to store and eat.

Bacon, Turkey and Lettuce Wrap - Wrap a few pieces of cooked bacon with lettuce. Spread condiments on deli turkey meat (if desired) and cover lettuce with turkey. Hold with a toothpick if needed.

Turkey and Pickle Wrap - Roll a pickle spear in turkey meat. You can also add a slice of cheese, or a condiment such as cream cheese to this treat for added flavor.

Turkey, Cream Cheese and Cranberry Wrap - Spread cream cheese on deli turkey meat. Add dried cranberries and roll for a delicious wrap.

Apple and Cheese Wrap - Roll a slice of apple in your favorite cheese for another healthy and tasty treat.

Store your snacks in an insulated lunch bag or tote for easy, convenient and safe storage. Take with you several bottles of water along with flavor drops/crystals for a really fun meal.