In a few days we will be leaving on a quick trip to points North (eeek!). Whenever planning a road trip, my mind immediately focuses on food. And I’m claiming that as a good thing, because the more forethought you put into food, the less you settle for junk, right?
I’m also in that season (pregnant with my 5th) that I’m hungry all. the. time. Must have food. Must have it now. Must have a plan.
What makes a healthy snack?
If we just snack on a piece of fruit, we’ll get a quick spurt of energy, but then it drops just as fast as our bodies dump all the extra sugar in an attempt to regulate blood sugar levels. Not only does this leave us worse off than before the snack, but the up-down, up-down blood sugar bungee jump has negative long term effects on our entire bodies.
What’s the solution? A snack that delivers some good protein and fat to provide our bodies with steady, long-lasting energy. If it’s naturally sweet, too, that’s a bonus!
Here’s my list of healthy snacks for our road trip–or anytime!
- Cheese sticks. Quick and tidy, protein-based, and everyone loves them. I try to find the whole milk mozzarella–you want full fat, trust me.
- Apples and nutbutter. The nutbutter balances out the sugar in the apples. This might be too messy for the kids in the car, but that won’t stop mama from indulging in the front seat.
- Individual yogurt cups. Make your own yogurt, then package it in small jam jars with a spoon of maple syrup, jam, or some fresh fruit.
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins. A meal in your hand. Again–a bit messy for the car, but hey–so are cheerios. And, unlike cheerios, these muffins are full of good fats, proteins, and great flavor! Plus, they’re soaked to aid digestion!
- Blender Energy Bars. The ultimate snack–compact, nutrient dense, craveable. Find my favorite recipe below.
Blender Energy Bars
Lindsey originally introduced me to this protein bar that doesn’t call for any wacky protein supplements. I adjusted the recipe to give even more room for using whatever is in your pantry.
I use a high powered blender to mix up my dough. If you don’t have a high power blender, try halving the recipe in a regular blender or food processor.
While my butter was melting, I ground up the flax seed…
Then I added the rest of the dry ingredients–almonds, peanut butter, coconut, and dried cranberries…
With the addition of butter, vanilla, and some maple syrup, the blendtec works the mixture from chunks…
…to a nice paste, in 14 seconds flat! This thing will blend anything!
And I love how easy it is to clean the Blendtec container. No crumb left behind!
I pressed it into a pan, and put it in the fridge to cool.
A while later, I had the kids help me cut and wrap them individually. They do best stored in the fridge (the bars, not the kids!) to keep them hard, so we’ll store these in the cooler with the yogurt and kombucha I’ll pack, too.
Here’s the full recipe:
Blender Energy Bars
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
3.5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Trina Holden
- Total Time: 10 mins
Description
A nutrient-dense snack bar, with a great balance of fats, proteins.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2–3 teaspoons vanilla extract1/4 cup flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 2 cups nuts of your choice (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, prunes or dates)
- 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil or butter on low heat. Stir in honey or syrup and vanilla. Set aside.
- Place flax, chia, or pumpkin seeds in blender first and grind until fine.
- Add the nuts, dried fruit, and coconut to the blender and pulse for 10 seconds to combine.
- Pour melted liquid into blender and pulse until ingredients form a chunky paste.
- Press mixture into an 8x8in. pan and put in fridge for 30 min. to harden.
- Cut into 12 squaers and wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Store in fridge to keep firm.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Snacks
I’m in love with my Blendtech! I use a high powered blender multiple times each day in my kitchen–there’s nothing it can’t do! I’m sharing another yummy recipe over on the Blendtech Blog today–check out our favorite Savory Blender Crepes recipe.
Hmm. I bet crepes would be a healthy snack for the trip too–rolled up with peanut butter!
Got healthy snack ideas to add to my list? Remember: must contain fat and protein! 😉
