Planning a road trip? Then you’ll need a road trip food list that includes healthy and satisfying meals and snacks!

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Road trips are such a fun way to see new sights and spend quality time with the family! But for my family, traveling is complicated a bit by my kids' food allergies.

We can’t just drop into any restaurant or convenience store and count on finding allergy friendly foods to eat. And, even if there are restaurants that can accommodate our allergies, it often feels more stressful to dine out than to prepare something ourselves.

With some up front planning, meal time stress on the road can be reduced greatly!

Here are my best tips for eating well on road trips:

Tip 1: Create a meal plan

When I'm planning a trip, I write down meal ideas for each day we'll be traveling. Usually we eat the same things for breakfast and lunch while dinner is a different meal everyday.

Consider your equipment

When making your plan, you'll want to consider what cooking tools you'll have available on your trip. Will you have a microwave? Refrigerator? Full kitchen?

I love bringing my Instant Pot on road trips because it's perfect for one pot meals. I can sauté and pressure cook all in one pot. Plus, it’s easy to pack, cook with, and clean up. I have even taken it camping!

Location

In addition to what equipment you can use, you’ll also want to think about where you’ll be at mealtime.

We usually had breakfast before leaving our hotel or cabin for the day so that was easy. Lunch was often on the road or hiking trail so meals had to be packable. And for dinner, we planned to be back at the cabin so we could cook a meal.

Here is what our allergy friendly meal plan during a recent road trip looked like:

Day 1

• Breakfast at home
• Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, and vegetables
• Dinner: Dine out (we knew we would be in a larger city that would have some options we’re comfortable with)

Day 2

• Breakfast: oatmeal packets, no-bake energy bites, fruit (clementines, bananas)
• Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, chips
• Dinner: Instant Pot pasta

Day 3

• Breakfast: Waffles (we made a full batch and used leftovers for sandwiches), fruit
• Lunch: Beef jerky and meat sticks, no bake energy bites, fruit, vegetables, chips
• Dinner: Taco bowls with taco meat and black beans, chips, lettuce, black olives, salsa

Day 4

• Breakfast: Allergy friendly, nut free protein bar, fruit
• Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, chips
• Dinner: Chicken breasts, baby red potatoes, and carrots in the Instant Pot

Tip 2: Pack road trip foods strategically

Cooking tools

Whether we’re camping or staying in a hotel or cabin, I have a plastic tote that is designated for cooking tools. Items I might pack in the tote include:

• Instant Pot
• Mini waffle maker
• Batter mixing bowl with cover
• Large spoon
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Can opener
• Dish scrubber and towel
• Dish soap
• Plastic utensils
• Paper plates and bowls
• A few zip lock bags in various sizes
• A couple of plastic containers for leftovers
• And a few shelf stable foods like:
  • Oatmeal packets
  • Potatoes
  • Small can of black olives (for the taco bowls)
  • Small jar of salsa (also for taco bowls)

If we know we won’t have access to electricity, we bring our small camp stove and supplies to light a fire. In this case, these hobo dinner foil pack meals would definitely be on our menu as would these banana boats for dessert!

Cold foods

When it comes to packing a cooler for a road trip, the main goal is, of course, is to make sure everything stays cold to prevent food-borne illness. 

If a food or beverage can be frozen ahead of time, that helps keep the food cool as well as the entire cooler. I do this with the meats that I’ll be using for our dinners.

For example, for the menu above, I prepared some of the meat ahead of time by following these steps:

1. I browned a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground turkey together with a chopped onion
2. I set aside half of the meat mixture to cool and added beans and taco seasoning to the other half.
3. When both were cool, I put them in quart or gallon-sized zip lock bags and put them in the freezer. This way, it stays cooler longer and helps keep the cooler...cooler! 🙂
4. I packed these in another gallon-sized zip lock to prevent water from the cooler from getting into the meat.

I also like to put things like lunch meat, veggies, and fruits in containers so they’re easy to pull out and create a little buffet on a picnic table or tailgate.

We like to use a separate smaller cooler for beverages to reduce clutter in the main cooler and prevent it from being opened as often.

Shelf-stable foods

I have a large canvas bag with lots of pockets that I load up with shelf-stable snacks, plastic utensils, some plates, paper towels, etc.

Allergy friendly foods that we often put in this bag include:

• Applesauce cups or pouches
• Sunflower butter cups
• Rice cakes or safe crackers
• Cereal
• Trail mix
• Granola bars/protein bars
• No bake energy bites
• Chips
• Popcorn

We usually keep this bag in the backseat with the kids so snacks are easy to access, although, this might not be the best plan with smaller kids!

Tip 3: Bring a water bottle

Staying hydrated is just as important as being well-fed, especially if you’ll be doing activities outdoors like hiking. Having a water bottle for each traveler reduces the number of beverages you have to buy which helps reduce waste and saves you money.

Even though I’m not a huge fan of flavoring water all day long, my kids sometimes like adding an individual lemonade packet or another flavoring to their water bottle for a little variety. These are easy to pack and mix!

We often bring a gallon jug of water that we’ve frozen ahead of time which not only helps keep things cool but also becomes a very refreshing beverage as it melts! 🙂

Tip 4: Convenience store picks

When you’re on a road trip, you’re probably stopping at convenience stores frequently. It can be really tempting to grab a bag of chips, candy, and soda each time you stop. But, at the end of the day, all of that sugar and salt can make you feel pretty crummy. 

Sure, some of those treats have their place but there are some healthy options at convenience stores, too. Some of my favorite allergy friendly options include:

• Nuts and seeds - these provide protein, fiber, and healthy fats and are very satisfying. If you have allergies to nuts obviously you wouldn’t choose nuts but also be sure the seed options don’t have any cross-contact with nuts.
• Seed butters - Sunflower butter, watermelon seed butter, pumpkin seed butter - there are so many options these days! You can also make a jar of this nut free chocolate spread for a sweeter option.
• Fruit - Some convenience stores might only have bananas, oranges, and apples (if they have fruit at all) but I’m seeing more of them with fresh fruit cups. Dried fruit is also an option (again, be sure there’s no cross-contact with nuts) as well as fruit cups like applesauce.
• Vegetables - These are a little more difficult to find but some of the bigger convenience stores sometimes have mini bags of carrots or cups of fresh-cut vegetables.
• Meat sticks/jerky - While this would be considered more processed meat which means it’s salty, it does provide protein which can leave you feeling more satisfied than a bag of chips or animal crackers.
• Whole-grain crackers (gluten free if needed) - Look for items that have 2 or more grams of fiber per serving. Again, this is helpful for feeling full and satisfied.

Tip 5: Take notes for the next trip

One thing I always appreciate after a trip is having some notes written about what worked well, and what I wished I had done differently.  

I try to journal a little every day of our trip about what we did, and what we saw, and I might add a couple of notes about what/where we ate.

It doesn’t always happen but sometimes I will type up my meal and snack plan along with a list of groceries and cooking utensils and save it in a vacation folder. After the road trip, I can update it based on what worked well and what I would do differently.

Then, when I start planning for the next trip, I already have a meal plan, snack list, and list of kitchen tools I need to pack. This makes the next trip so much easier to plan for!

Road trip food list 

Breakfast Ideas

• Oatmeal packets
• Overnight oats
• No-bake energy bites
• Granola bars
• Protein bars
• Waffles
• Cereal
• Trail mix
• Fruit: apples, oranges, clementines, bananas, grapes, pre-cut melon, berries, applesauce cups/pouches, fruit cups, dried fruit
• Protein shakes (we like these from Orgain and they also have a kids version. Use code KRISTI30 for 30% off your first order)

Lunch Ideas

• Sandwiches with deli meats on “safe” bread, a bun, tortilla, or waffle
• Seed butter (like Sunbutter) on a rice cake or apple slices
• Fresh cut veggies with individual hummus cups or homemade hummus
• Homemade "lunchables" with cubes of deli meat, gluten free crackers, fruit, and veggie sticks.
• Pasta salad
• Preassembled salad jars
• Chicken salad (made with vegan mayo if needed)

Dinner Ideas

These dinner ideas are for limited kitchen equipment. If you have a full kitchen available, there are many more!

• Taco bowls (corn chips, taco meat with black beans, shredded lettuce, salsa, black olives, cheese (if safe)
• Instant Pot pasta
• Hobo dinners or other foil pack meal
• Precooked rotisserie chicken with instant potatoes or rice and a frozen vegetable
• Grilled burgers with foil pack potatoes and carrots
• Chicken breasts or thighs grilled and served with rice from a pouch and veggies

Snack ideas

• Applesauce cups or pouches
• Sunflower butter cups
• Rice cakes or safe crackers
• Cereal (we really enjoyed chocolate Cheerios on our last trip!)
• Cereal bars
• Trail mix
• Granola bars
• Protein bars
• No bake energy bites
• Nuts* or seeds
• Tuna or salmon pouches*
• Chips
• Popcorn
• Banana Bread Muffins
• Oatmeal applesauce cookies

*A top 9 allergen

Related recipes

Allergy free protein powder is an excellent way to add protein to meals and snacks but without the top 9 allergens. In this post, you'll learn why protein powder can be useful, how much to use, allergy free brands, and recipes to try.

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What is protein and why is it important?

Protein is made up of amino acids which help build and repair tissues, build muscle mass, and many other functions in the body. In short, protein keeps us going strong!

Getting enough daily protein may not be a challenge if you’re including a 2 to 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry, or fish, at one or two meals per day. 

But protein is important to have throughout the day, even in smaller amounts. Protein helps slow down the digestion of the rest of the meal making you feel more satisfied for longer after the meal. In other words, protein helps the meal stick with you longer.

How much protein do I need?

The amount of protein you need depends on your age, activity level, and a number of other factors. 

The Dietary Reference Intake for protein in the United States is  0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For someone weighing 150 lbs, that would be about 55 grams of protein.

For kids, protein needs vary based on age. 

• 1-3 years old: 13 grams
• 4-8 years old: 19 grams 
• 9-13 years old: 34 grams
• Girls 14-18 years old: 46 grams
• Boys 14-18 years old: 52 grams

For reference, a 3-ounce piece of meat, poultry, or fish has about 20 grams of protein.

If you'd like individualized recommendations for yourself or your child, I can help in my nutrition coaching program!

Benefits of protein powder

Many of the common food allergens are good sources of protein so it can sometimes seem difficult to find good alternatives.

Cow’s milk, for example, provides 8 grams of protein per cup. But many popular milk substitutes such as oat, almond, and coconut milk have only about 1 gram per 1 cup serving.

Adding protein powder to these milk substitutes can give a protein boost!

Protein powder is also very versatile! You can mix it into many different foods to add that extra protein. Oatmeal, dairy-free pudding, and yogurt, pancakes and waffles, muffins, granola bars, no-bake snack bites are just a few places where you can add protein powder.

Should I give my child protein powder?

Protein powder can help to add protein to meals where protein options are limited.

Breakfast is a meal that many people struggle to get in some protein, especially when managing multiple food allergies. Adding a little bit of protein powder to oatmeal or a smoothie can give your child a protein boost. 

With that said, I wouldn’t recommend adding protein powder all day long to your child’s food. If there is already a protein source in the meal (meat, poultry, fish, legumes, nuts/seeds, eggs, dairy products), then protein powder may not be necessary.

Which protein powder is best for me?

When I choose a protein powder, I consider the following things:

1. Is it safe? Of course, this is always an important question when you’re managing food allergies. Always check ingredients carefully every time you buy any food, including protein powder. You might also want to contact the manufacturer to ask about production practices to ensure there is no risk of cross-contact with other allergens. 

Protein powder options that are free of the top 9 allergens include:

• Rice protein
• Pea protein
• Hemp protein
• Pumpkin seed protein
• Sunflower seed protein

2. What are the ingredients? Protein powders often have “extras” added to them including vitamins, minerals, and sweeteners. I look for powders that have minimal ingredients. This is also an important consideration if you’re choosing the protein powder for children as their vitamin and mineral needs are less than that of an adult.

3. What does it taste like? When you’re buying, you won’t know what it tastes like so it comes down to trial and error. When shopping for protein powders, look for small sample-sized packets so you can try a little before committing to a large canister.

I like to buy unsweetened protein powder. This way, it has fewer ingredients and it’s more versatile. I can use an unsweetened protein powder in a sweet or savory dish without throwing off the flavor.

Allergy friendly protein powder brands

As I mentioned earlier, there are more and more plant-based protein powders ideal for those with dairy or egg allergies.

Unfortunately, many of these plant-based protein powders have advisory statements (“Manufactured in the same facility as tree nuts” for example). 

These are a few brands that don’t have advisory statements and are free of the top 9 allergens.

Nutribiotic Rice Protein powder

This one is unflavored and the only ingredient is brown rice protein. It also has no advisory statements so it’s a great option for those avoiding any of the top 9 allergens and it's also gluten free.

It has been my go-to protein powder for a while because my son would actually eat it without complaints! It’s easy to add to foods without ruining the flavor.

For 2 tablespoons of this powder, you’ll get 12 grams of protein and 60 calories.

Orgain natural unsweetened plant-based protein powder

Made with Orgain’s organic protein blend which includes pea protein, brown rice protein, and chia seeds, this option isn’t good for those with legume allergies but it is free of the top 9 allergens and is gluten free.

Please note: Orgain protein powders are made in facilities that process peanuts and dairy. I asked Orgain about their practices to prevent cross-contact and received this response:

Safety and quality is of utmost importance at Orgain. Our facilities follow a stringent Allergen Control Plan and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to minimize the risk of cross contamination. These procedures include: scheduling products with allergens at the end of the production cycle, segregation of all allergen ingredients from non-allergen ingredients, and scrupulous sanitation practices followed by inspection and testing to ensure no allergenic material is left on the equipment that could contaminate the next batch.

Please review our Help Center articles regarding allergens and our manufacturing practices.

Orgain, March 2021

Varieties include chocolate, vanilla, and natural unsweetened. I prefer the natural unsweetened because, again, it’s versatile. My son can detect it when mixed into foods but it’s not a turnoff for him and that’s good enough for me!

Ingredients include pea protein, brown rice protein, chia seeds, and Orgain’s organic creamer base (acacia gum, high oleic sunflower oil, rice dextrin, rice bran extract, and rosemary extract), natural flavors acacia gum, guar gum, and xanthan gum. So it has more ingredients than the Nutribiotic brand but is still pretty clean.

Two scoops (¼ cup) of this protein powder provide 140 calories, 21 grams of protein as well as 4.5 grams of fat (0.5 grams saturated fat), and 7 grams of carbohydrates including 4 grams of fiber. It also has 35 milligrams of calcium and 6 milligrams of iron.

Hemp Yeah!

Like Nutribiotic, Hemp Yeah! protein powders contain just one or two ingredients depending on the variety you choose. It is hemp-based so it's free of the top 9 allergens and certified gluten free.

I haven't had a chance to sample this one but the Max Protein variety contains just two ingredients (hemp protein and oregano extract) and one serving (¼ cup) contains 140 calories, 20 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.

OWYN (Only What You Need)

This company makes ready-to-drink shakes as well as protein powder. There isn't an unflavored/unsweetened variety; flavors include vanilla or chocolate.

The protein is sourced from pea protein, pumpkin protein, and chia seeds and the powders also contain OWYN's superfoods and greens blend (broccoli, kale, and spinach). It is flavored with cane sugar, monk fruit extract, and natural flavors.

These protein powders are certified gluten free and free of the top 8 allergens. One serving (2 scoops) provides 140 calories and 20 grams of fiber.

Recipes that use protein powder

I have several recipes that incorporate protein powder for a protein boost. Also, be sure to check out my nut-free protein bar post for convenient snacks when you're on the go!

Cross contact is an important risk to be aware of when you have food allergies or Celiac disease. In this guide, we’ll dive into what cross-contact is, where it can happen, and how to prevent it so you stay healthy and safe.

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What is Cross-Contact?

I see the terms cross-contamination and cross-contact used interchangeably a lot. While they both generally mean the same thing, there is an important distinction between the two.

First, let’s talk about cross-contamination. This happens when you transfer bacteria from one food to another. It can happen at any time during food production and can cause food-borne illness (aka food poisoning).

To prevent this, you must keep foods that are raw or not washed away from prepared, ready-to-eat foods.

For example, if you put a piece of raw meat on a cutting board and then use the same cutting board to chop up raw veggies for your salad, you have introduced potentially harmful bacteria to your salad. This is cross-contamination.

Now, when you cook that meat to a certain temperature the bacteria would be killed and it would be safe to eat. 

So, what is cross-contact? This happens when foods come into contact with each other and their proteins mix. When this happens, each food contains a little bit of protein from the other.

Even the tiniest amount of a food allergen can cause a reaction. Cooking the food doesn't remove the allergen.

This is the key difference between cross-contamination and cross-contact.

In the food allergy world, we use the term cross-contact when referring to allergens because, again, cooking foods with allergens does not remove the allergens. 

When you have food allergies, it doesn’t really matter what you call it as long as whoever is preparing the food understands that important point.

Tips for preventing cross-contact while preparing food

Wash all utensils with soap and water before and after handling food allergen(s).  This includes pots, pans, knives, stirring spoons, cutting boards, etc. Many people may think it is good enough to just "wipe off" utensils.  Unfortunately, this is a very common mistake.  If you're trying to explain it to someone and they're not getting it, use the raw meat analogy.

Wash all surfaces where foods containing food allergen(s) were prepared with soap and water. This one goes right along with the utensils. Again, treat the allergen(s) the way you would raw foods to avoid cross-contamination.

Wash hands often. You really can't go wrong with good handwashing habits!

Be mindful of shared containers

Shared containers of food are one example of where cross-contact happens at home. This is especially challenging for people avoiding gluten/wheat. 

Think about how you normally would make a peanut butter (or sunflower butter) and jelly sandwich. You get out your bread, then you take your knife to the jar of peanut butter, spread it on the bread, and then dip the knife into the jelly jar, then spread it on the sandwich. 

Oops....that jelly is now the victim of cross-contact which puts you at risk if you're following a strict wheat/gluten free diet.

If you’re a family that has one person who is allergic to a food but the rest of you eat it, you will want to have strategies in place to avoid this.

One thing I do is only use spoons in jars instead of knives. Yes, you can use a spoon to spread things on bread but using a spoon is a reminder to me that I’m taking what I need and not dipping it back into the jar. If I must get more, I need to get another spoon.

Another shared container that might be contaminated with wheat is sugar containers when baking with wheat flour.

Many people measure out flour first and then use the same measuring cups to measure out sugar. This introduces wheat into the sugar and anything you bake with it (using gluten free flour or not) will potentially contain wheat.

These are just a few examples of cross-contact in shared containers. Take some time to think about your allergens and kitchen processes where cross-contact might occur. Then create systems to prevent it.

Cross-contact when dining out

Dining out is one of the most challenging parts of eating with food allergies because we don’t have control over what is going on in the kitchen.

My son who is allergic to wheat, barley, dairy, eggs, and peanuts loves a certain Mexican restaurant where almost everything is safe for him. The only thing he can’t have there are flour tortillas, cheese, and sour cream. It’s a place where he can get a healthy, well-balanced meal and he really enjoys it!

But just because most of the ingredients are safe doesn’t mean he can always get a safe meal there. As workers put together each order, shredded cheese creeps into other containers making those safe ingredients unsafe.

So what can you do? 

Communicate clearly about your allergens. This can be hard but the more you do it, the easier it will be. Many restaurant staff members really care and want to make sure you have a safe meal.

Ask workers if they can change their gloves. Don't worry if it feels high maintenance. Your safety is important and you're worth the trouble!

Ask if there are certain ingredients available from a fresh container that hasn’t been contaminated. Sometimes restaurants will have portioned out ingredients for takeout orders or for people with food allergies. You’ll never know if you don’t ask! And asking might help plant the seed that doing that would be helpful for future diners with allergies.

Go to the dining out with food allergies post for more tips.

Cross-contact during gatherings

Whether it’s a family gathering, a company party, or gathering with friends there is one thing that is almost certain: there will be food!

Now, there are lots of things to consider when it comes to gatherings. We’ll just focus on preventing cross-contact during a buffet-style meal.

In this type of meal, each person goes through the line and dishes up their own food. The risk of cross-contact can be high, even when being very aware.

For example, when serving some type of meat on a bun such as pulled pork or a sloppy joe, it is very difficult not to touch the bun with the tongs or spoon. That utensil then goes back into the meat causing cross-contact.

You can do some things to reduce the risk whether you’re hosting or attending a buffet-style gathering:

1. Allow those with food allergies to dish up first. When we get together with my family, my kids always go through the line first. We encourage them to take a generous portion so they don’t have to go back through the line after everyone else has dished up.
2. Set aside some of the dishes that might come into contact with allergens (such as meat that will go on a bun). Keep that separate from other foods.
3. Set up the serving area to keep “safe” foods separate from foods that contain allergens. For example, if someone has a shellfish allergy, move the shrimp cocktail to a separate table or area on the buffet line. If you are having tacos and someone has a dairy allergy, move the cheese and sour cream to a separate area.
4. Have separate utensils for everything!
5. Teach little ones to use utensils or ask for help in dishing up rather than using their fingers.

Even with all of the strategies in place, cross-contact happens. The important thing is that you don’t take the risk of eating the food that has come into contact with your allergen(s). 

For this reason, try to have a backup plan. Pack a meal in case there isn’t safe food available. This isn’t ideal but it’s better than watching everyone else eat while you’re starving!

For more about label reading and cross-contact, visit the common food allergies page.