I well remember being a new bride and looking forward to taking charge of meal planning for our little home. Although James took good care of himself (by most bachelor standards), food preparation and planning were not his forte and he was grateful to hand most of those tasks over to me. I eagerly planned yummy snacks for him during the day and loved the satisfaction of his enjoyment of my cooking.

As a photographer’s wife, I know that food is often on the bottom of the photographer’s checklist, especially when going out into the field. I loved making sure he was hydrated and fed, especially on long, busy, exhausting days of wedding photography. I also learned that the life of a photographer is often on the go, and things like coolers and ice packs and disposable plates are highly valuable.

I also learned that landscape photography is almost synonymous with hiking and the great outdoors. While there are plenty of scenic spots a country roadside can afford, there are many, many shots found deep within the woods, a mile up the mountain, or a decent distance down a hiking trail. For more involved excursions, a tent and a nice flat camping area are in order, allowing for easy access to stunning scenic shots in the early morning hours and eliminating the need for extra travel time.

As we launched into married life, I felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar scenario of meal planning for multiple day trips that were not accompanied by a large kitchen fridge. And snacks for the trail . . . what did one eat without just buying lots of crackers and chips and pretzels?

Finding easy, simple, and nutritious food options is something I am still exploring and experimenting with, but here are some foods and snacks that I have found helpful for our little family along the way.

1. Apples and Peanut Butter

Apples are one of the longest lasting fruits that are truly road worthy and nutritious! They can travel for days without spoiling and are a fresh and energizing snack on the trail. We love pairing apples with peanut butter for a yummy extra boost of protein. I make sure to keep a jar of peanut butter in our snack supply box every time we go on a trip. Apples also make a fun snack for little toddlers . . . I laugh to see just how many pictures there are of Mordecai with a small, round apple in his hands. 🙂 Dry them, and they are prefect for the long, overnight backpacking trips too (minus the peanut butter).

2. Popcorn

We make our own popcorn by the bagful. It makes a light, salty treat on the road and is overall more nutritious than chips and pretzels. Popcorn runs in Staddon blood anyhow. I can’t count how many times Dad Staddon would lean back in his chair at the kitchen table and ask with a twinkle in his eye, “Who would like some popcorn?” And based on Mordecai’s excitement when we now ask that question, I think Grandpa Staddon’s love for popcorn lives on.

3. Cheese

Block cheese is a go to snack for us! It doesn’t need a huge amount of refrigeration, so storing it in our cooler worked well. We especially enjoyed eating our cheese with crackers and a slice of sausage. It’s a good source of protein and is just plain yummy.

4. G.O.R.P

I think I was 6 years old when my oldest brother taught us to make this snack. It’s easy to throw together and is comprised of three simple ingredients: peanuts, raisins and, in our version, M&M’s. Just raisins and peanuts together is delicious too (hence the name, Good Old Raisins and Peanuts). The sweet and salty combo is especially rejuvenating on our hikes when we are using up lots of energy, and of course, makes a fantastic road trip snack.

5. Cabbage

When it’s in season, cabbage heads can be bought fairly cheaply by the pound. It’s a crunchy, juicy, enduring road trip substitute for quickly-wilting salad. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable which is highly nutritious and does not require refrigeration. We peel off the outer layer and discard it, but then after that, we peel and munch to our hearts content.

When I first married into the Staddon family, eating raw cabbage (and enjoying it!) was unheard of for me and I was shocked to see my manly brothers-in-law cheerfully chomping it down by the handfuls around the supper table. Needless to say, I learned to eat raw cabbage and now I’m the odd one who shocks my siblings as I snack away.

6. Cucumber

This is a juicy, crunchy vegetable that hits the spot for a cool and refreshing snack. It is not quite as durable so we make sure to eat them up in a couple of days. Cucumber is delicious with sausage and cheese on a cracker. One year, we lived on mini cucumber “sandwiches” during the busy summer convention season.

7. Granola

One of our go-to breakfasts is a bowl of homemade granola with dried milk. Just add water! Peanuts and chia seeds provide some protein while the oats give the fiber and carbs to kick off the day. It travels well and when we have access to refrigerators, we buy some yogurt and fresh fruit and enjoy parfaits.

8. Soaked Oats

I had to throw this one in here!

I had never even heard of soaked oats until our honeymoon. Imagine my shock when James talked fondly of pouring water over oats, letting them sit for a while, and then drizzling the concoction with honey. I couldn’t imagine a more bland invention! But, soaked oats go back in Staddon history as a normal, enjoyable breakfast menu option. Since both oats and water travel well, it is an easy road trip plan . . . simply the taste must be acquired.

Our trip to Arizona was a menu planning challenge for me since we flew there and back. With limited luggage space, I couldn’t tote along my usual boxes and bags of menu ingredients and snack options. Whatever we bought there we had to eat, or fit in the suitcases somehow coming back. With hardly any cooler space and a very hot desert sun to contend with, we kept our camping food menu down to canned and dried goods that, once opened, could be consumed within a meal or two.

Since I was 6 months pregnant at the time, eating protein was a high priority for me. We had purchased little cartons of chocolate protein shakes for a quick and easy boost during the busy convention days and exhilarating camping experience that followed.

And this is how I invented the chocolate protein shake version of soaked oats. 🙂

I would not say it is entirely recommended, but it was edible and it was a hearty breakfast that certainly filled us up.

Finding budget-friendly and travel-friendly food options becomes less daunting as we “live and learn” and we certainly have built up a stockpile of memories along the way! I will always think of the red rocks of Arizona with the taste of cheese and chocolate oats in my mouth. 🙂