I’ve been stocking up on food since about May, around the time of graduation. Besides having the usual road trip snacks like trail mix and dried fruit, I’ve also got myself so much food that I’m wondering if it will all fit in the car! Normally, I wouldn’t even think to bring this much along, but since I will be traveling for over five weeks, I want to be prepared. When you’re a vegan with food allergies, gotta make sure there’s plenty to eat.
I’ve been keeping in mind that there will very most likely be long sections of the drive where nothing will be available for me. My main allergies are soy and peanut, and, well that could be the only option in some areas. This cooler alone holds:
- two dozen applesauce pouches
- four dozen fruit strips in various flavors
- 16 GoMacro oatmeal chocolate chip bars
- 18 Nature’s Bakery fig bars
- two 4-pack rice ramen
- a very large canister of old-fashioned oats
- dried blueberries and cranberries for the oats
- farro and quinoa lunch meal with artichoke and garlic
- three chili pouches with Beyond crumbles
- several pouches of beans and lentils
- two microwave rice pouches
- a dozen dried meals from Patagonia and Good to-Go
- a jar of cinnamon almond butter
But... this is only the food from the cooler! I’ve also got a huge bag full of veggie straws, cheeze pretzels, orange chips, toasted corn, rice cakes, garlic pretzels, Majool dates, and dried apricots.
Earlier this year, I wasn’t feeling well one day, and as I lay on the couch I scrolled through Instagram. As usual, there were 87 million ads, but the one for kencko stuck out to me, and before I knew it I was hitting "pay now". kencko makes powdered smoothie packs, with each individual flavor jammed with fruits and vegetables. Mix with water or milk, and there’s a beverage! I figured they’d work for road trip quick breakfast and that trying them out wouldn’t hurt. Whelp, now I’ve got a subscription and the boxes keep coming every month.
I also did a lot of hunting for a vegan powdered milk to bring, and I tasted a few before settling on Laird’s Aloho Oatmac. I’d had their coffee creamer before (which I also bought, but coffee is another post!) and I loved this one so much, I started a scubscription for this one too! But sadly they announced only a few weeks ago they were discontinuing the oatmac. Luckily, I have plenty in the beverage box. Besides the smoothies, I also plan to use the milk to make overnight oats, when I have a fridge available wherever I end up for the night.
This isn’t to say I won’t ever stop for food along the way. Just the opposite! I am so much looking forward to hitting diners and restaurants all over the drive; that’s part of the adventure. It’s just the anxiety in me that keeps reminding me of my restrictions.