12 Tips for Road Trips : Eating 80/10/10 On The Road | FoodnSport: Home of The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham | Vegan Raw Food Health and Fitness, 80/10/10 Diet Videos by Dr. Douglas Graham

Going on a road trip? Here are some tips on how to do it 80/10/10 Style.

Car trips are

easy.
Pack your food and go.
Pack plenty, because …
even when just sitting in a car all day, everyone eats.

Stocking Up

When car camping or on a long road trip I like to take advantage of the car for storage and ripening of food. That way I can stock up on food if I don’t feel I’ll have enough time or access to stop at other sources of food later on. If I’m camping, it allows me to skip using a cooler or other ways to keep raccoons and other large critters out of the food at a campsite.

Ripening can be controlled by moving the food between the trunk and passenger compartments while parked and driving. The warmer the area, the quicker it ripens and vice versa. Generally this means when parked during the day the passenger compartment ripens fruit faster than the trunk, and the reverse is true when driving as we often like to keep ourselves cool while in the car. Occassionally placing fruit on the dashboard or the back window if there is a ledge for it can ripen fruit faster than in a trunk, depending on the weather. Keep it safe and only use the dashboard if there is enough of a lip to keep things from rolling around which could possibly interfere with driving.

Finding ripe enough bananas and mango in stores while traveling has been a hit and miss experience for me, so this has allowed me to purchase these and other fruits to ripen for later in my trip.

— Janie Gardener

1. The Coolness Factor

Choose foods that don’t require refrigeration, unless you plan to travel with a cooler, which is more trouble than I care to bother with.

2. Keep It Clean

Foods that are easy to eat, or perhaps better said, clean to eat, are always preferable to traditionally messy foods. Grapes, oranges, bananas, and apples are easy, quick and clean.

Mangoes, melons, and other foods that might create a mess in your car are best saved for rest area stops.

3. Restock As Needed

The beauty of car travel is that you can stop and restock your stores as needed, all along the way.

4. Munchies

When traveling, I bring plenty of fresh vegetables, as I enjoy eating but don’t wish to get fat as a result. Cucumbers, celery, and lettuce travel really well, and are readily available in grocery stores.

5. Sources

Delightful produce stands can be found seasonally when traveling rural areas. Health food store chains like Whole Foods can be found in urban areas as well. CostCo members can often find quality organic produce along the way. WalMart and Safeways are everywhere, and are great sources for fresh food when driving the highways.

6. Sticky Situations

I prefer foods that don’t require any prep at all, and preferably no clean up either. Still, I keep some wipes in the car, to clean my hands, and take care of any unexpected spills.

7. The Spice of Life

Seasonal and regional special treats make travel all the more interesting.

On a trip up the east coast in spring you could encounter late Florida citrus, early Georgia peaches, sweet corn in the Carolinas, and fresh strawberries in the mid-Atlantic states, making variety the spice of life on the road.

8. Guide to the Galaxy

Douglas Adams’s rule of thumb is to always travel with a towel. Mine is to always travel with a spoon. A knife can come in handy too. And always, a garbage bag.

9. Bite-Sized Goodness

Essentially, you can eat on the road much like you do at home, just a bit more simply. If you want tomatoes, purchase cherry or other bite-size varieties, rather than squirting juice throughout the car.

10. Keep It Simple

I don’t bother with foods that require bowls, plates, prep, dressings and the like in the car, but can enjoy those foods at the end of the day if so motivated. I enjoy the simplicity of eating on the road, and get into the mindset of camping.