Packed Lunches Vs Fast Food: Frugal Road Trip Meal Prep!
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- Packed lunches or fast food? Can we truly see the savings of packing our lunches versus buying fast food on a road trip? Join me as I meal prep & tackle the challenge of eating out on a budget while traveling.
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I’ve been packing lunches for road trips for the last 25 years. When we had kids, we always stopped at rest stops for lunch and run around time. It was great. Some of our favorite memories are from those lunches! Plus, it’s so much cheaper! Now that it’s just me and my husband, we like to have lunch and snacks along the way to save time and money. These were some great ideas. Thanks!
What a great idea, shaving the celery with the veggie peeler instead of by hand!
You can swing by Jimmy John’s and buy their “day old” bread and make your own Jimmy John’s subs for the road. I swear that’s what makes their sandwiches!
As a travel softball mom we do this kind of thing all the time. Our rules are packed or hotel breakfast (if its included) 1 meal packed and one meal out. Its not always lunch and not always dinner as it depends on the game schedule. ps a boxed charcuterie is a "snacklebox" and some people actually use a tackle box haha
I agree-the “baby” carrots taste different than whole carrots.
Because they do something to them.
I like the bags of carrot sticks that are rectangle cut. They are convenient and don't have the slime. They aren't always at my grocery store though
They wash and agitate them to make them that size, you’re probably tasting chemical residue
I used to eat them everyday in middle school
I hate how they turn chalky white in the fridge that’s the reason I don’t use it
Love the snack box. Maybe next time, put saran wrap over the ranch to prevent it from spilling :)
I always make snacks when my bf and I go on road trips because that’s how my family always saved money since there were 15 of us . My bf used to stop at fast food places or eat out but now he enjoys all my pre packed snacks and lunches and we have more time and money to do the things we want . We always have a roll of paper towel hanging on the back of the car seat and a box of wet wipes. And we each have a set of camping cutlery that’s always ready to go and a pill box seasoning set. Car camping is our thing. We can urban camp in our suv for a week comfortably with a small fridge.
15?! Dang, your parents must of had (is that the correct grammar lol) patience of saints!
Yes! I've been packing lunches and snacks for road trips my whole life! I hope your family appreciates all the work and efforts you put into this and how much you care about their health AND the fact you're saving money, you rock!!
I always have a stash of leftover takeout napkins in my glove box. If you stop for anything, they give you a whole handful when you only need one or two.
Great idea!
I was going to say that, too.
Yes! I also keep plastic silverware and straws. If my daughter wants a straw or silverware we will have it.
Besides having a stash of the napkins, I always take a roll of paper towels which can be used in a pinch and a bottle of windex.
Oh, one of the benefits of packing your own lunches and snacks, we like to pull over at rest area’s and stretch our legs, especially on long trips.
Thanks for the great ideas! We are about to leave on a 1 month, 3,000-mile road trip. We will be packing a cooler and stopping at state parks with picnic areas along the way. Some of our overnight stops have refrigeration while others do not.
Same! We have a 2 week road trip planned. I feel confident the first few days, but resupplying....not so sure.
Love this healthy and budget friendly ideas for the road, it's helpful for moms that are going to kids sports all the time too. I have loved all your amazing ideas your always sharing. Thank you 😊
When I make my snackle boxes for work or travel I use pieces of the press and seal wrap.. cover the entire open section like you’d find on frozen dinners. Press it to seal and lid it. Works wonderfully to keep olive juice, etc, from sneaking over into my cheese or nut sectors.
We make wrap pinwheels by spreading a laughing cow wedge onto a wrap and putting lunch meat, cheese, etc. then roll it up and slice an inch thick. They are easy to handle when driving.
I have a roll of paper towels in my car :) I also have a list on my phone labeled vacation. I put everything I’ll be packing on it (like napkins :) and check it off as I pack it. The next time we are going away I go through all the checked off items and uncheck the ones I plan to take on this trip. Then I don’t have to remember what to pack all over again.
I agree 100% on the baby carrot thing.
I loved those containers. Great meal and snack ideas.
Those containers are awesome!
I'm your new fan! The next time you and your family come to Vegas, let's meet up at an eatery or grocery shopping or anywhere. I'm feeling what you've been saying about how pricey food is outside. I need to cry together with you.😂
Thank you for all of your fantastic videos!! It is really encourages me to make/assemble things at home instead of going out!! 😃. Safe travels and can’t wait for your next video!! 🤗♥️
I just did this. The hotel I was staying at had a great breakfast. I brought sandwiches, chips, and other snacks for late night munchies. I typically ate a late lunch/early dinner for my one meal out and lunch is typically cheaper. And the foodie in me wanted to try some of the local foods as part of my vacation, but eating only one meal gave me that fix on a budget. I also don’t eat a lot of sandwiches so that was kind of a treat too.
Mr toodles!! Love seeing him. I always pack snacks for travel, but i love your containers.
I like staying at places that offer free breakfast but often they don't start the free breakfast until 7am or 8am, and I usually want to be on the road by then on long drives.
When we travel and have Airbnb so we can cook and prep ! But we stay in Vegas all the time and never once did I have a refrig to use even for leftovers ! Good luck ! Glenda
Great video Kimmy!!! We are doing a couple of road trips next month. Will definitely be doing this and buying those containers.
The grazing boards are a great idea. My husband and I usually pack lunch meats, bread, and a big batch of egg salad and a loaf of bread.
Safe travels and have fun in Vegas
Personally, I do both of what you do. I prepare snacks but we also always budget money to purchase food on the road. It’s part of our road trip experience. I also take extra trash bags, paper towel roll, toilet tissue roll, Clorox wipes, hand wipes/babywipes, zip lock bags, and we each take jackets, even in the summer because you never know. My family and friends all like to say that I am one of the most prepared person in life. 😂
Hello Kimmy! That was great packing for your road trip 👍🏻. It reminded me of you packing for the Bear Lake trips when the kids were little ☺️. Safe travels. 😊🕊️🚗
I can taste that chlorine in bag salads too now.
I could not have loved this video more! So fun to see what you packed and hear your tips. More like this please!
Great ideas that I didn't know I needed until I watched it. I also got some great ideas from yhe vomments. Thank you so much for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Basically the same thing you do. But I include little smokies, almonds and dark chocolate and/or dried cranberries.
This is excellent! I’m inspired for my upcoming beach day trips this summer☀️🌊👙🏖️😊
PB is good on celery and top with raisins! A former classmate called this "Ants on a log"
I love your meal prepping.
I have been searching high and low for containers like that! Thanks for all the ideas!
You did an amazing 🤩 job. Such good organizational skills. Love your channel.
Love 💕 and Hugs. 💙💙💙
Thank you so much 🤗
My family is going to love me on the next round trip.Thank you!!!!!!
I wonder if you could take the little compartment that you poured the ranch dressing in and secure with press and seal and then slide it back in the box and cover it that might prevent accidents?
I drive from Oklahoma to Calif every year, I always bring stuff to make sandwich, snacks and drinks. But one thing I still stop and buy is drumstick at chester chickens.
Does anyone know where she bought the raspberry jalapeño jam? I NEED to try that lol
I like to make spiral sandwiches because they are easy to pop in your mouth while driving. We always enjoy (weather permitting), to pull over in a rest park and have a picnic. I started making up these packs when I saw the Protein Boxes from Starbucks - I used them as a template.
We are going to Utah this summer. I'm planning on doing something like this. Great idea. I love mini carrots.
I put a container in my car that always has a few paper plates, napkins, plastic silverware and a bottle opener. Then if we stop I usually have what we need. When we stay in a hotel I add bowls that can go in the microwave for leftovers and I usually try to take a can opener.
Great tip! Thank you!
When we travel from Michigan to California I make 8 to 10 sandwiches cause my husband and I are on the road for five days. I also pack chips, apples, boiled eggs, crackers, cheese and little muffins and or cookies. I fill my large lock n lock containers with water to make ice blocks so I don’t have to worry about food getting wet in my cooler and I put the wrapped sandwiches in large lack n lock containers to keep them fresh. I freeze the plastic water bottles so we have additional ice in the cooler. We can use them to fill our insulated water cups each day or drink directly from the plastic bottles. We eat a little in the morning at the free breakfasts at the hotel and then our food from home for lunch and snacks so we only have to buy one meal per day on the road.
Thank you 😊
Thanks for watching!
Loved this! I would love to see how you prepared a "SnackleBox" for going on an airplane
Snacks in your carryon will work but they don’t allow bottled water or other drinks. They force you to throw them away. I prefer the train! I can’t fly anymore anyway.
I grew up with a frugal mom and we did a lot of these all the time
Thank God for acrylic nails 💅😂 On the subject of eating out.. not to mention how expensive but the quality at least in our area lately hasn’t been good at all😕 You can make AMAZING food at home! 👏🏼
Great idea to add the submarine sauce to the sandwich. Makes it a little more interesting. We pack road trip foods as well. Although, I think you forgot the chocolate. 😊
Great content. Where’d you get the clear plastic bins and the opaque one with the handle? Ty. Safe travels. 🫶🏻
Those little containers look amazing! We just finished a road trip and I’m thinking about grabbing some for our next one!
We have super crunchy peanut butter it’s good with apples and bananas
Thank you for the great ideas! The Gluten free mint Oreos are fantastic! If you haven't tried them yet you should. Have a great week! God bless you!
Good for you Kim. Excellent idea. I find when I purposely fix meals for a trip I am rarely hungry as opposed to when I don't. I always want to stop and get fast food which at times can be very disappointing as food just don't taste the same.
I enjoyed watching this so much ❤
I’m so glad Kim!
I always pack our own food when we travel by car for a weekend. I have a travel bag that holds plastic cutlery and reusable dishes and cups, a cutting board, knife and small containers for condiments. We bring our own dish cloths and dish towels if we do not have room with a kitchenette. I have a separate cooler that contains a small portion of milk and coffee cream, and anything else that needs to be kept cool. If we are travelling by plane, it's usually an early morning flight and we stay in a hotel room with a microwave and mini fridge. I make an egg/bacon/English muffin sandwich at home the night before and we heat in the microwave in the morning.
I travel for work a few times a year. I am lucky to stay in a timeshare with a full kitchen. I plan my meals(most of them) and head to the grocery store(I also check my app for the weekly sales!!). Honestly eating out becomes disappointing. The cost and quality are both less now. I save a ton with little effort! Happy travels:)
I like how your using the yellow utility knife for cutting carrots.
Yes, I like organic carrots! Only because flavor is a little sweeter!!!
My family had driven all over USA. Last summer we drove from Texas to Florida to Nashville, home. Then Texas to Ft Collin’s, CO to Northern California then back to Texas. They know the rules. We stay in hotels with free breakfast, you better eat up, we are not stopping for food. We bring. A loaf of bread, PP&J, ham/turkey summer sausage and crackers and cheese. Along with other travel snacks. We get where we are staying the night and we ask locals where to eat out. We can’t choose a chain restaurant. It makes for an extra special adventure.
I LOVE almond butter, walnut, cashew and pecan. And of course organic only. Nice packed snacks…. 👍
Fast Food is so poluted, ugh, and so much more expensive than it used to be.. You made fresh food. Your snacks are handpicked for your family, many very clean eating as well. Besides the cost, and all the stopping, waiting in lines, you have taken care of all the pit falls of a car trip. I could see how much both of you were enjoying that veggie tray. I love those, and eating crunchy fresh veggies while driving is a fun picnic in the car. Great planning Video guys.
love those containers. lol i love the italian night club from JJs
For dressibg or dip invest in the plastic cups with lids. Fewer messes along the way.
Such helpful tips! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️ I also love taking veggies and dip (usually a spicy dip of some sort), which I always pack in a separate container. I’m allergic to peanuts so no PB here, but we sometimes have almond butter. My husband loves little charcuterie trays with smoked sausage, cheese cubes and some fruit 🍇 God bless you! ❤️
I keep a roll of cheap paper towels in my car. They make great napkins as well as use for spills.
What a great video! My family does a lot of road trips and this is very helpful. Thank you!
I’m glad it was helpful. We’re going on another road trip soon with the kids. I’ll be sharing again some more helpful tips. 👍🏻
Loved this video I need too prep more love the box containers you had for your grazing board I need them lol xx
I’m new to your channel, and I love this episode! Those food carriers are really neat! You’re so right about trying to save money. I feel the same way about those baby carrots. I’m like, what’s with the slime???🤢 My hubby isn’t a believer in yummy fresh veggies, but all these tips could be for me! When I worked in the school system, the local farm co-op brought out foods for the kids to try. I tried Star fruit, learned how to eat a kumquat, and the biggest shock were these pale carrots that were delish. Turned out they weren’t carrots but sliced raw sweet potatoes! Oh my word! So good. Love your ideas and also the great comments! 🙌🏻🤩
This is nothing new. As a child, then adult with kids we took a pack up and drinks absolutely everywhere...still do. Everywhere is too pricey to buy food! 🇬🇧
We have no leak bento boxes for our kids for school. So we make our own lunches and snack boxes for our kids on long trips. So we do not have to worry souse sauces in our bento boxes.
When I'm on a road trip I try to take everything for home. The only thing i buy on the road is coffee to fill my cup. What i take with it depends kind where i'm going. I usually take a wrap or a sandwich, trailmix, chips, fruit & veggies and other things i crave for to snack on the road. Greetz from the 🇳🇱🇳🇱
Loved the ideas. Will keep all of these meals in mind
Thank you for your videos. They really help me on days in am in a funk. ❤
I'm so glad!
I absolutely love this idea !
I agree fast food prices are ridiculous, we definitely don’t eat out as much as we used to as a family . (Which is probably a good thing lol 😅)
But I love this I need to start making these for the kids instead of spending extra money on lunchables and snack packs I can make myself at home 👍🏼
Really needed this today! ❤❤❤
I'm so glad it was helpful Terri! Are you biking today?
No, we just got home yesterday from Kansas City. Church & fellowship today.
I do the packing food thing, food allergies never have given a thought to money savings now I will when shopping for future trips to prepare a head and save money 💯👍
I love these boxes can you only put snacks in them? What about hot food? This would be amazing for meal prep
Ive been eating thick cut bacon all my life, then I tried thin cut bacon and it just melts in your mouth.. so good. I wont go back.. just fyi you should try it.
I agree. I like both
Have you ever looked into the saratoga jack? I love mine. ITs great for tailgating, road trips whatever. ITs a thermal cooker, so as long as you have a single burner camp stove, you just bring whatever it is to a boil in it, and then close the lid, and it uses the thermal heat like a slow cooker to finish cooking the food. So you can make it in the morning and then at lunch or dinner you can pop it open and have hot food. ITs great for while traveling because then you just get food at the grocery store or bring it and then just make your food on the road instead of buying it.
I agree on the fake nails! It has saved me numerous time! Hahahahah
I do great on the trip there. Starting out from home. What about the return trip, though??
When you grab the mustard , grab 3 or 4 and grab other type of packets and napkins. I don't mean take a lot just a few. Don't forget to fill your drink cups up with ice lol. ❤❤❤❤❤
Great video! Thanks for sharing!!
Baby carrots are a dollar a pound and regular carrots are a dollar a pound. But with regular carrots the scrapes are not being eaten but the whole baby carrot is eaten. Personally I prefer real carrots, but baby carrots are more bang for your buck
On the tomatoes, you can also oven dry them.
Have fun and Thank you for Sharing ❤❤
Love this video. Gave me lots of tips. And I agree about the carrots. 😃
Glad you enjoyed!
Good ideas👍 I would've put plastic wrap around the dip?
Great idea! I’ll do that next time for sure!
instead of pouring your vegie dip mix in the bowl of veggies i heard you say you took the whole bottle with you also. so take some of those little disposable bowls with you and fill them up when you eat . they sit great in a cup holder or you can hold in your hand and dip your veggies in them, then there is no mess of spilling your sauce all over your big bowl of veggies. or another option is pour some of the dipping sauce in several a snack zip lock bags then put in your bowl of veggies and when ready just open bag and dip food in it.
I bring a roll of paper towels (select a size) then use that as napkins too. And kitchen trash bag.
With 5 kids they can make messes 😅
I bring my crockpot. Then dinner is cooking in hotel while we are out and about.
Can I get the link for the goodie bag please? Ty!
loving it what a great idea. i will try that with my cucumber, sometimes we get the mini cucumbers. xxx
What an awesome video! Thank you so much!
Baby carrots are regular carrots cut to a smaller size and then washed with dilute chlorine bleach solution.
I never buy those. I'll take the time to cut them myself.
Buying and cutting up your own vegetables is so much cheaper where I live (Melbourne, Australia). Carrots for instance at my local big chain supermarket are only $2.85 per kg (2.2 pounds), whereas the baby carrots are $14.00 per kg. It's such a massive price difference. Any pre-cut or pre-packaged fruits & vegetables are always so much more expensive.
When I do long car trips I take 2 large cups and fill them with ice (for free) at the gas station then go out to my car and dump them into gallon freezer bags to keep my cooler actually cold. When they melt you can just dump them out but I often pour the ice cold water into my cups to drink. (You can also just refill cups with water for free, but if you don’t bring your own cup you have to pay for a disposable one, which I dislike) on a 3 day drive I save about 15$ on ice and by bringing a reusable cup I’d say you save about 3$ a day , so about 10$ on styrofoam cups.
I typically bring sandwich material since I don’t mind eating the same thing for a few days, but I don’t make them in advance so the sandwiches don’t get soggy. I keep my lunch meats and cheeses in a small-medium cooler (see above for ice to keep cold) and use mayo packets from the gas station. I also pack chips to vary the sandwiches. And one handed foods that do well in travel like apples or pears. I will also pack berries (that have been prepped) in containers that will fit in my cup holders for one handed eating.
I have packed veggies and dips before but I keep a large container of veggies in my cooler that I portion into a container that sits snugly in the little sunglasses holder cubby thing on my dashboard, and I put a small dip container in the main dish and I refill it as needed rather than having a large dip container that is separate from my snack. This isn’t my “grab while driving” snack though. I need to be stopped to get the veggies into the container to make it easily reachable to snack on while driving since the container I like for that little cubby doesn’t have a lid anymore
Smart. We were on the road yesterday and were stuck out way longer than we expected and had to stop out for food. What a mistake. The costs were SO high and the portions so small. The service was horrible. We won’t be doing that again anytime soon. I was KICKING myself. My lunch was tiny and sloppily thrown together and I was still a little hungry afterwards and it cost 16.00!
Plus you control what goes into your food especially when you have allergies and health issues that puts on a specific diet to control said health issues. For me I am a type 2 diabetic because of insulin resistance and because of some organ damage. Use to be hypoglycemic like my mother still can have those episodes though. Plus I am having heart issues now which effect my blood pressure. And some of my food allergies can cause my blood pressure to sky rocket. Plus I also suffer from anemia. And what I eat along with as supplements help with that. As ND and some food can also I aggravate my arthritis which is partly related to injuries I suffered as a kid.
Since you were bringing the ranch dressing anyway lol....but next if you do put into dish , then slip dish in a baggy lol
Great tip
I always buy carrots the same way for my stew or chicken soup
Yep, shoulda put cling film over the ranch! 😂