• Home
  • Start Here
    • About
    • Top 10 Posts
  • Train Hard
    • Printables
    • Videos
    • New Move Monday
    • Shed & Share
  • Eat Well
    • Food Tips & Tricks
    • Recipes
  • Live Free
    • Challenges
    • Mindset
    • Spiritual
  • Your Second New Year
  • “Living + Active” Challenge
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Services
    • Coaching
    • Speaking
    • Essential Oils

Clare Smith

Training Body & Soul

Car-Friendly “Clean” Snacks!

July 16, 2013

We are right in the middle of the summer which means many of you are going on vacation! And for many of us, vacation means car rides! Whether it’s a day trip to a museum a few hours away, or 12+ hours to the beach, logging time in the car can present it’s challenges especially in regards to eating. This doesn’t mean that you have to forgo all the hard work and discipline that you have had through the year in regards to your health though! Smart snacking is totally doable! It just takes a little planning!

Car-Friendly "Clean" Snacks : www.claresmith.me

Before I get into some clean snacks, I’d like to mention a few things:

– Decide your goals for vacation/trip.

Do you want to throw all caution to the wind? Would you like to keep your normal routine? Maybe mix it up with some indulgences and your normal? I’ve found that defining this goal at the beginning of vacation keeps me on track. It’s not for me to decide what you should do! Just remember that just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean that your calories are! Personally, I indulge a little bit but try to keep in line as much as possible.

– Try to get a workout (even if it’s a quick one) the morning before you leave in the car, or once you hit your destination.

All that sitting can take a toll on a body that’s used to moving! If you can’t get one in, then use your restroom stops to stretch, do some jumping jacks and push-ups, just to get the blood flowing! Plus, I just feel like it sets the tone for the trip!

– My general rule of thumb? When you can eat well, do it. When you can’t, do the best you can.

There will be times for both on vacation! (Generally more for eating terrible!)

♥♥♥

My family just took a trip to DC/Maryland, so here is a glimpse into what I packed!

Car-Friendly "Clean" Snacks : www.claresmith.me

First of all–get a travel cooler bag! I bought this cute one at the grocery store for $6.99 before we left town. There are smaller and bigger ones, so get what works for your family. I like these smaller bags as the coolers (which I’ve travelled with before) take up so much room and are never convenient to get into!

Included:

– Cut up mini cucumbers, red and yellow peppers, celery, strawberries, and frozen blueberries

– Hard Boiled Eggs

– Individual Cottage Cheese Packages

– Packages of sliced apples and grapes

– Cheese Sticks

I also had another bag (not pictured) filled with things that didn’t need to be kept cold:

– Granola or Protein Bars (homemade or bought)

– Packets of almond/nut butter

– Almonds

– Nut-thins (my favorite “cracker”)

Here are some other great options for vacation/travel friendly snacks that I’ve taken in the past:

– Protein powder in ziploc baggie with a “to-go” container of almond milk/water and shaker bottle

– Individual servings of hummus

– Homemade Trail/Snack Mix (Here is one to try!)

And of course–lots and lots of water! It’s easy to make up your calories with drinks on trips, so try and keep a water bottle with you at all times!

I have 2 kids, ages 6 and 4, so I have to keep them in mind too. They do eat some of what I do, but of course, want things like fruit snacks and graham crackers! I add a few things in especially for them as a treat for our trip!

Keep in mind the refrigeration once you hit your destination. I went a little overboard on what I packed and didn’t have the appropriate way to keep it cold so ended up throwing a lot away. 🙁 And in case you are wondering–YES–I do throw in some guilty pleasure driving snacks for trips! (Twizzlers..Peanut M&M’s, anyone??) I just have to take caution with these as I will end up binging on them due to car boredom!

P.S. Don’t forget to pack plastic silverware, a bag for disposing trash while in the car, and napkins/wet wipes!

I’d love to get some ideas from you all! What are some car-friendly “clean” snacks that you take with you, either on vacation or in every day life?! (All of the snacks above are actually my “every day” snacks!)

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Eat Well, Featured, Food Tips & Tricks Tagged With: clean, nutrition, recipe, snacks, tips 20 Comments

About Clare

Comments

  1. Angie says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:17 pm

    One of our favourite snacks to pack is (are?) Blueberry Hippy Muffins (http://twostepsonestep.blogspot.ca/2011/07/hippie-blueberry-muffins.html) I hope it is okay I shared the link?

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    One of my favorite snacks whether its for traveling or every day would have to be rice cakes, with almond butter, and banana slices on top. Yum!

    Reply
  3. jaime says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    I pack the above, but we also pack pretzels and jerky. I make energy bites (like nutrient dense raw cookie dough deliciousness). The girls and I will make trail mix. We will pack stuff to make wraps on the go (hummus, lunch meats, cut up lettuce in a baggie). I have also been known to bring along a couple of whole bananas, peel them in the car and make “banana sushi” (put peanut butter on whole wheat tortilla, roll a banana in it, and then slice like sushi). I also make them “mileage bracelets” since we drive for 13 hours. Every 25 miles they got a cheerio and every hundred miles either a fruity whole grain cereal or a sugar free Life Saver (depends on what year we are talking about!) We would string these bracelets before the trip and they put them on in the car. That way they would know when we were getting closer and we would not be asked “are we there yet?” Not in their younger years, but in their older years now (8,9) I pack toothpicks and let them create art with their grapes before they eat them. They make all kinds of neat shapes or animals. Keeps them busy and helps the snacks last longer. We also indulge in the licorice, but we get the rope kind and they also get to create designs with it while they snack. Lots of playing with food allowed in the car!

    Reply
  4. jaime says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Oh, and since I am a fitness momma also, we have always packed along a Frisbee, a jump rope, and a resistance band for a quick little “energy pump” while Daddy pumps gas. We just go off to a grassy area and do some quick “jump the river” with the rope, or “muscle builders” with the band, or toss the Frisbee or ball around if we have enough space. We also do “car-obics” every hour. I turn on some Tobymac or Britt Nicole and lead them in a silly seated aerobics “class” and they would get to take turns being the leader also. We would focus on arm raises, torso twists, isometric leg extensions, ankle circles, tushy squeezes, etc. Other times, we just turn up the music and have a dance party!!! (Buckled in, of course!)

    Reply
    • Angie 2 says

      July 17, 2013 at 1:23 pm

      Love these great, active family ideas Jaime! My guys really like Toby Mac and I love Britt Nicole and Mandisa. Can’t help but move to those artist’s tunes! Puts smiles on everyone’s faces too; more “happy hormones” means a more enjoyable trip. 😉

      Reply
    • Candice says

      July 18, 2013 at 9:58 am

      Jamie these are GREAT ideas.. Do you have a blog or You Tube channel? We love all of those artist also. :0)

      Reply
  5. Christy says

    July 16, 2013 at 11:56 pm

    Off subject question … I watched Dr.Oz the other talk about
    Feeling tired all the time, dr.oz had a lady dr. On the show
    Talking about yeast over growth in our body’s making us tired.
    They talk about spitting into a glass of water in the morning
    To see if you have this problem. Does anyone know what I
    Am talking about or has had this problem? I sure think I do.
    Any help would be great.

    Reply
    • Doris H. says

      July 10, 2014 at 8:17 am

      What you need to research is the Ultimate Candida Diet and the symptoms that cause Candida. The spit test is no very accurate but the symptom checker will blow your mind away. I have been on this diet(it’s a huge life change) and so far have lost 90 lbs and my energy level is huge!!!

      Reply
  6. Faith @ Artistic31Mama says

    July 17, 2013 at 1:03 am

    This is such a great post with so many wonderful tips!! I love these suggestions. 🙂 We just came home from vacation Saturday. It wasn’t a super long drive (3 hours) but with four kids (2-7yrs) it was long enough haha On the way home we really didn’t eat much of anything. We try not to eat or drink in the car since we just got it about a month ago. We were going camping and I knew all that campfire food wasn’t going to be very healthy…especially with no way to refrigerate healthy food (We had a cabin but no kitchen or frig). I cooked up Quinoa (I made mexican Quinoa, tomato basil quinoa, curried quinoa, etc). I made one for each day so I could eat it for dinner, measured out everything and counted calories. I ended up forgetting them in our fridge! So I didn’t have any healthy food but my granola bars and apples with us. :-/ I stuck to my 10K training plans though and stayed active so I maintained my weight over vacation which was an accomplishment. 🙂 I’ll have to keep this post in mind if we ever go on a longer road trip. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Andrea says

    July 17, 2013 at 7:21 am

    When I head out the door I take a larger lunch cooler from Target (I think $14) and it is soft on the outside but keeps form and zips. Also, use those blue ice blocks to keep it cold. I use small containers for grilled chicken & salad, banana’s, apples, sliced cucumbers, granola or protein bars, salsa and the occasional Sunchips. Grapes in a ziplock, lowfat cheese sticks and brown rice triscuits are delicious too! Small containers of hummus for cucumber sticks. On the salad I use chopped veggies and sliced almonds or unsalted sunflower seeds. My water is either in my Camelbac (Target) or a 24 oz. Tervis Tumbler with lid (Buy at the actual Tervis store or Bed, Bath and Beyond, Lifetime guarantee) Love throwing in in a lemon or lime wedge or a cucumber slice. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Francie says

    July 17, 2013 at 8:34 am

    I LOVE these ideas from everyone! Not only are these great options for vacations but they are great ideas for school lunches, too! On a side note, do any of you have a recipe for healthy (low, butter, little to no sugar), granola bars? The recipe I have now has more butter and sugar than I care to use. Thank you so much…and I’d just like to had how very, very grateful I am to have found your blot, Claire! 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    • Francie says

      July 17, 2013 at 8:36 am

      Lol! *blog! (Auto correct strikes again! Ha!)

      Reply
  9. Angie 2 says

    July 17, 2013 at 12:38 pm

    The timing on this post couldn’t be more perfect! My BFF just asked me the other day for some on the go snack ideas or make and take recipes that she could tote along to long swim meets, soccer practice etc. Last weekend, she found herself having to buy her hungry daughter a plain white bagel and cream cheese just to get them through the morning until they could get home for lunch!

    I’m a newly certified Dr. Sears LEAN (Health and Wellness)Coach (hope that’s ok to mention) and I was able to share a few of our suggestions. Like many of you, we try to encourage lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and avoid items like fruit snacks and sugary, empty calorie drinks with artificial flavors or colors. It’s very common to see those options at your average sports practice or game. However, the last thing we want for already stressed on the go Moms, or those who are trying to relax on vacation, is for their kids to be all hyped up on sugars and artificial junk, especially when they are stuck for hours together in the car, or then having to deal with grouchy and irritable kiddos when they crash from those “foods” or sodas later! Ugh.

    As a Wellness Coach, I also encourage whole grains, rather than white sugar and white flour carbs, so no regular white rice cakes or pretzels. Brown rice or whole grain cakes with nut butter, and/or bananas is definitely delish. I really liked the brown rice Triscuts, but on closer inspection found that the ingredients listed “Torula Yeast” which is one of many sneaky ways that food manufacturers (even supposedly healthy brands) sneak in alternate form-or percentages-of MSG into their products. FDA loopholes make it possible. The average consumer just isn’t aware. I’ve started eating “Mama’s Gone Crackers” brand (gluten free too) which has a variety of flavors and includes nuts and seeds. I like those Nut Thins too.

    One of our LEAN snacks is very similar to Jaime’s “sushi”, but we spread a little nut butter on the whole wheat/grain tortilla, leave the banana whole, drizzle with a small amount of honey-or sprinkle flax or chia seeds for a less messy. less sweet option-and call it a banana burrito. Great for a power up before a workout, and kids love it.

    Other ideas are frozen grapes, very refreshing, OR slice red grapes in half, mix with 8 ounces of Greek yogurt and 1-2 cans of chunk chicken or freshly shredded chicken (left over roasted is great) and sliced almonds. Roll into large romaine lettuce leaves, or fill a whole grain pita, for a healthy on the go snack or lunch. Also, you can add a couple of TSPs of Orange or Apple Cranberry or other 100% juice concentrate to plain or vanilla honey Greek yogurt and use that as a fruit dip; strawberries, apples and cut up melon work great. Just keep those wipes handy! (Toothpicks or plastic forks keep hands cleaner too.)

    Of course, those mini bell peppers, cukes, baby carrots and celery go great with the protein filled hummus. Unsalted almonds or other nuts are a great source of protein as well,and good fats. Personally, I’m sensitive to the nitrates in most lunch meats, so I try to pack other forms of protein. I found packaged dried chickpeas with sea salt recently, reminded me of cornnuts, but much healthier. Edamame is great too, as are those Quinoa salads. My teen athletes like jerky, but for every day, I find most packaged jerky to be too high in sodium and other ingredients I don’t want. Clare, I liked your idea of toting along hard boiled eggs, how easy is that! If the kids balk at plain cottage cheese, adding a little unsweetened applesauce or diced peaches or pineapple helps.

    Many summers my family has pulled out our dehydrator and made our own dried fruits/fruit chips and fruit leather. Throw into ready to go small ziplocs, or mix with nuts for homemade trail mix. Dried fruits are handy, but some packaged brands can be high in sugars. A fellow coach told me that her Costco just started carrying some banana chips that don’t have added sugars.

    That same fellow Coach, who has two young children, shared one of her family’s favorite on the go snack with me:

    “I will put some medjool dates and walnuts/pecans/almonds in a food processor and then roll them into balls and then roll the balls in shredded coconut. They are super easy to make and great to tote around on the go for kids (or adults!) I’ve also added spices and shredded carrots to make them taste similar to carrot cake. So yummy!”

    I agree with Francie, most packaged, and some homemade, granola bars (except Lara bars) have much more added sugars than I’d like, so I’m anxious to try yours. I’m with you ladies however on having a few guilty pleasures like Red Vines or Peanut M& M’s, it’s vacation after all! 🙂 If we’re traveling down the (west)coast I can’t resist salt water taffy! My newest addiction though is Brookharts’ chocolate covered Acai berries or Pomegranate-mmmm. Warning, it’s way too easy to eat more than one portion at a time!

    Reply
    • Angie 2 says

      July 17, 2013 at 1:26 pm

      Whoops, that should read TBS, not Tsp, for the juice concentrate. Fingers got ahead of my brain! lol

      Reply
  10. Diane says

    July 18, 2013 at 11:23 pm

    We like apple wedges and nut butter. Many great ideas here.

    Reply
  11. Lesa Marie says

    July 10, 2014 at 7:49 am

    Bananas are our favorite. Peanut butter and bread or crackers. Cinnamon almonds and other nuts. ivlive celery which also goes well with peanutbutter. Water…water…water.

    Reply
    • Lesa Marie says

      July 10, 2014 at 7:50 am

      *I love celery. .. fat thumbs on phone. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Cord says

    July 14, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    When we take trips to Colorado during Christmas to ski, I like to pack spicy pretzels (good because the “heat” on them keeps you from eating too much) and cuties. Its nice to pack the cuties in ziplock bags so you can put the peal in it when your done.

    Reply
  13. my blog says

    November 6, 2016 at 6:50 am

    Surprisingly individual pleasant website. Enormous info readily available on few gos to

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube

looking for something?

post archives

Instagram

Let your complicated, challenging, nuanced situati Let your complicated, challenging, nuanced situation(s) be what forms you. Let it build you into the person God is bringing you to be. It’s not the ability to live life unscathed and perfect that creates a beautiful soul. It’s the ability to feel the heat and pain and come out more tender, authentic, and loving that makes you a person who is set apart for use. A person like this is refreshing and that person absolutely is you. #abeautifulpurpose

(Quote not my own)
I’ll keep this short because I want you to read I’ll keep this short because I want you to read the poem. We can bring our burdens many places nowadays- friends, Instagram, Facebook, text, to gym, to work, to sleep.. you get the point. But let’s make sure we bring our burdens first to Jesus. After the week.. month.. year.. many of us are having, there’s no better time to do this than now. #sweetunfailingrefuge

(I found this tucked in an old book at my family’s 100 year old farmhouse that we were selling this summer 🤍)
•My house was a mess with everyone being home to •My house was a mess with everyone being home today
• I only had ingredients for one batch of soup
• I don’t drink alcohol on Mondays
• Hubs had the sink totally apart in the middle of a project
• The kids were in and out of our deep conversation

Sometimes the quick stop to say hello turns into a therapy session with dinner and wine. Everything was stacked against me – so I thought- but the mayhem is often beauty and normalcy to the person’s life who is spinning. Sometimes “the plan” goes off track... but it’s not off track in God’s eyes.

Living life knowing that the minutes of your day are not yours but for God to use to encourage and be there for people who are hurting changes everything. It changes who you marry. It changes how you spend your money. It changes what you do with your time. Dinner portions may not be what you planned but God always finds enough to fill those who come to His table to be loved on and heard.

If I know one thing – it’s this. People are hurting right now. Some things are private and some are public. What would it look like if our homes became safe places for people to land? For our hearts to enter in the pain? For our embrace to provide the temporary relief needed? We can be people who talk about bringing the kingdom here on earth or we can be people who do what we can with the little we have to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 🤍
I’ve been on a “physical” comeback over the I’ve been on a “physical” comeback over the past few weeks. Between an insane December, Covid recovery, Ohio winters, and the mere fact I don’t have the bounce back that I used to (#thisis40) it’s been a slow go for me to get to feeling where I feel best physically. It’s been discouraging to say the least and I feel like I just turned a corner last week. 

While a lot truly was physical exhaustion, it was more of a mind game I was playing. I had to be my own #hypeman and tell myself to keep chipping away at the goal. I had to tell myself that the only way to the end was through it…no shortcuts. Just time and steady work. I often dismissed the small wins I had because I hadn’t hit the finish line. Well that thinking wasn’t helping me and one day had the “aha”that while I wasn’t yet at the goal, I was BETTER.

Each of us have something in our lives where it’s not what we want. We are on the path to achievement but it sure ain’t there yet. It can be with some of the obvious things such a health or financial goals but I see this often with people regarding relationships. The marriage, friendship, child or community in which we live falls just short of “perfection” and so we just settle instead of putting in consistent, hopeful work, which allows room for the Holy Spirit to work. 

I just want to encourage you to keep chipping away because while things may not be what you want, they can be better. In fact the way we reach what we want is not by snapping our fingers and it magically appearing but by a process or journey which involves ups and downs, straight stretches of boredom, and then finally a renewed energy as you see the end in sight.

What have you given up on achieving because it hasn’t come to fruition in the time you wanted? Remember… things can be BETTER. And that counts for something. 🤍
I was recently telling someone my journey or where I was recently telling someone my journey or where I am today in regards to what I do for a living... the crazy road I’ve travelled over the last 10 years to get me here. It’s changed a lot and if you’ve been here online with me, you have seen it! If you would have asked 18 year old Clare what she saw herself filling her days with at 40 years old, it would be about 5% of what I’m doing. Goodness...none of this was even around when I was 18!

I look back and see all the twists and turns. All these tiny moments and conversations. Many open and closed doors. Things that I thought were just random or not a big deal, but in hindsight, they were a huge deal. I appear to be a very type a “has her stuff together and a plan” type girl but the truth is, I am (was) taking everything day by day.

All I know is that everything I stepped into prepared me for the next thing. Many times I didn’t even know it! But I look back often and am like, “ohhh, God, I see what ya did there!” 

My encouragement to you is this- no matter what age you are- trust the path you are on. Let peace be your guide... not some assumed plan an “expert” or author told you. Sure- be wise with your time. Put in the work with diligence wherever your feet may have you, but be open to the nudges of where to go.

Maybe I’m crazy but living a life of faith in God is one of the most exciting and fulfilling things. I don’t know what He has for me in 5 years let alone 1...and for whatever reason, that thought alone gets me up and helps me live with a holy anticipation. I trust Him.  I live less with resistance to the unexpected now. God is indeed preparing you for what he has prepared for you. What a loving Father!
We all know this but it’s so easy to forget. Rem We all know this but it’s so easy to forget. Remember that seeds are buried and “in the dark” before anything springs forth. Our journeys in life can often feel like that. Do the daily work. Tend your “heart garden.” Time is on your side. And when it’s time...it’s time. 🤍

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬
A few years ago I was the speaker for a women’s A few years ago I was the speaker for a women’s retreat in the Chicago area. I just finished a session & a lady ran up to me asking if she could ask me a few questions. She was early 50’s, striking in appearance… fit & confident. She started telling me that she resonated with my health/fitness message & wanted some encouragement on starting “this late in life”, but as we continued talking, her demeanor changed & tears started to fill her eyes.

She told me that was she was struggling with something that had been weighing on her since she was 18…the decision to have an abortion. The tears were streaming down her face, the clear guilt she carried from it weighing heavy on every part of her beautiful stature. Not many knew about it. Her current husband did not…many friends did not. She felt it was keeping her from this life she saw that was just within reach. The more she sat in silence, the heavier the chains felt. She needed to speak and I watched the tears fall like visible chains.

We chatted a little longer, prayed & hugged, & as I walked away I couldn’t help but think of many women I’ve encountered with this same story but I would’ve never known. Walking through life seemingly fine, yet carrying a deep wound inside, questioning every bit of her worth and ability to make a difference. Heartbreaking. 

If you relate to that woman, I want you to know that you are loved & seen. Your past, as hard as it has been, has formed & shaped you into the woman you are today, & a woman that God greatly desires to use. He wants your broken, fragile heart. He will bind it up and heal it. He will walk with you in the shadows. He will lead you beside still and soul-quenching waters. There may be many words you can attach to your situation but there is one more powerful than all that I want you to keep remembering…RESTORATION. Jesus is renewing and reviving something within you that will bring light to yourself & others.

For the rest of us who may not have this as a part of our story, let’s remember that we are walking amongst those who have & that we are to be healing arms, not ones of judgement & legalism...but ones of compassion & grace. 🤍 DM me if you need prayer!
This came up on my Facebook memories and I just fe This came up on my Facebook memories and I just feel it’s always applicable! There is always something in our lives that if we could just “get our hands on” would work to our favor. We dream about what it would be like if we got that thing/person etc. We think about the 2 tweaks that need to happen for it to occur. We pray about it. Perhaps obsess over it.. sound familiar?

But we also start to resent our current lives. We stop living in what God has fully given us. We live everywhere but the here and now and alongside that dream of yours comes a side dish of anxiety and sadness. So then we get our hands in it, perhaps without God’s “OK” and then we see a mess unfold. We’ve all been there. If only we had waited. 

This is the grind of living in reality. We are pulled from living what is before us into living into a dream we have deep within. Here’s the cool thing. We don’t have to choose.. reality or dream. It’s not an either/or but both/and. We can live fully here while also giving energy to our hopes. The difference is how tightly we hold into those things and how much they get elevated in our hearts.

If you are here this morning I just want to encourage you that you aren’t alone! I truly believe with everything I am, that God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I believe in His sovereign timing. I believe that the work He started in you (and everyone else in your life) will be completed. (Phil1:6) Keep praying, stay faithful to where you are now, walk in the “peace path” and hold onto Jesus. He will lead you. 🙏🏻
Follow on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube

© 2021 · Clare Smith · Design by Heart & Arrow

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.