When Mama was a teenager, her family never thought about stopping for fast food while they traveled; they always packed sandwiches in wax paper and wrapped their RC Colas in tin foil and stopped along the side of the road for a meal. What fun! Packing a picnic for a road trip seems like an activity of days gone by but who doesn’t love the idea of a long day relaxing in the sun and taking in the scenery?
Like any other meal, a roadside picnic should be healthy and delicious so don’t settle for sub-par snacks and sandwiches to munch on down the road. It’s terribly disappointing to answer the call of your grumbling tummy with a smushed peanut butter sandwich you pried out of a grocery sack from beneath the rock-hard granola bars and warm Cokes.

Start your roadside feast with a good picnic basket or cooler that will keep foods fresh and cool during your trip. Choose foods that are easy to eat and delicious at the same time. Think curried chicken salad instead of bologna and cheese. Pack “fixins” like tomatoes and lettuce in a separate container so sandwiches won’t become soggy. Have a bunch of mustard and mayo packets lying around? Pack those so you won’t have to worry about keeping bottled condiments refrigerated. For grab and go ease, prepare individual containers of sides and desserts for each person. Treat yourselves! Packing special surprises makes long trips more enjoyable so wrap up individual slices of Mama’s famous chocolate cake. It’ll help dissolve the invisible line down the middle of the backseat.

When you’re traveling long distances in the summertime, even car air conditioning can’t keep perishable foods cool enough to be safe. Invest in a good cooler and some frozen gel or ice packs. Altering your food choices is also a good idea; take a vinaigrette-based pasta salad instead of a mayonnaise-based one so food spoilage is never an issue. Keep more perishable foods closer to the cold source. Pack ice packs tightly around containers of chicken salad. Bread, cake and sodas can be packed in a separate bag if space is an issue.

When you hear your tummies grumbling, look for a park, rest area or other safe location to lunch in. Relax and enjoy the break. Stretch your legs and refresh yourself for the next leg of the journey. Be sure to clean up after yourself; pack some plastic grocery sacks to use as trash bags.

Have an adventure! Even the most mundane car ride can be fun and delicious with a little extra effort and forethought. Happy traveling!