Fall Treats for the Road!

Ahhh….the call of the open road in Autumn with the trees changing and that crispness in the air ….. new sights, new smells, new sounds.

Is that new sound your stomach grumbling? It doesn’t seem to matter if you take a 30 minute road trip, or a 3 day road trip;

some things never change and one of those things is that people get hungry. What to reach for when the grumbling reaches decibel levels and you become tempted to chew on some roadside grass?

Try some of these ideas to calm the hangry monsters and keep your road trip right where it needs to be…. on track and fun.

How about this one for a unique and tasty Fall treat?

Baked apple slices…. core and then slice an apple into thin slices. Add slices to a bowl and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and/or sugar. Lay apple slices flat on a sprayed baking sheet and bake 2-3 hours at 200 degrees until chips are dry but still soft. Serve in the car with some peanut butter for dipping, if desired.

Another Fall goody: Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix.

In desired quantities, mix together dried cherries, dried apricots, raisins, almonds, pecan halves, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Sprinkle in some pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon chips (or leave out if trying to keep sugar content down) and you have a tasty, fun treat that is easily eaten in the car.

Here’s an easy one, home cooked popcorn.

Yep, on the stove like Mom used to make before the hot air popper debuted. Pour oil of choice into a medium sized pan just to cover bottom. Set on burner on medium heat. Once oil is hot (can be checked by flicking water into it), add popcorn kernels to cover pan’s bottom. Put a lid on it and start shaking the pan, holding it off the heat temporarily. The popcorn will soon start popping. Your job is to keep shaking the pan so the kernels don’t burn, yet providing enough heat to make them pop. May sound more complicated than it is…. try it! Add a little salt or grated cheese at the end, and you’ve got one delicious treat that can be easily passed around the car in little bowls or bags.

Enjoy it with ice water flavored with lemons or cucumber slices for a little zip.

Another winner in my house is pumpkin bread. Yes, this takes a little more think-ahead planning, but oh boy, is it worth it! Once cooled, you can slice it and pass it around the car on paper plates or stop at a rest stop and enjoy it at a picnic table. Find a favorite recipe – there are a lot out there.

My personal one includes traditional ingredients, but I will often “nutritionalize�? it further by adding some oatmeal or plain, Greek yogurt. My kids will literally eat a whole loaf in one sitting if I let them. A nice cold glass of milk hits the spot with this bread.

The other point is also not to wait too long in between snacks/meals. Prevent unhappy campers in the car by doling out goodies at least every 2 to 3 hours. Break up further boredom by stopping to take walks, do jumping jacks, have an impromptu game of tag.

Eat, move, laugh, repeat.

This is the good stuff….. Happy Fall!

About the Author:

Amy Horner, RD

Amy has 20 years experience working as a Registered Dietitian in varied fields of nutrition including women, infants and children, pregnancy/lactation/postpartum, pediatric nutrition, picky eating, failure to thrive.

She has 3 children of her own and spends her free time cooking, spending time with her family and enjoying the outdoors.