Some thoughts about road trip food...

One of our shocking holiday food experiences - I had to take Adam to San Julian this week just to restore balance to the universe! 

While I was on holiday over December, I had the expressed intention of switching off from food. I asked Adam to try, as far as possible, to keep me out of the kitchen and to stop me from seeking out every foodie spot or interesting restaurant on our journey. I think, for a foodie, I did pretty well – except that I don’t think I can eat another Greek salad for at least the next year.

I did have quite a few thoughts along the way, though, of how to make eating well (and vegetarian for Adam) on future road trips easier. For starters – padkos!

Padkos – (the food you take with you on a road trip) seems to be a thing of the past. I remember my mom packing large tupperwares of sandwiches on whole grain bread filled with egg mayo and watercress or hummus and marinated sundried tomato, carrot sticks, fresh fruit and flasks with hot coffee and tea. If we were lucky she would pack travel sized coke cans half of which she left in the freezer over night so they were cold for the second half of the trip. We would pull over at road side picnic areas and sit together enjoying the view, fresh air and stretching our legs.

These road side picnic places are all but deserted now and everyone stops at the petrol station convenience shops and restaurants. Burgers, pies, hot chips, chocolates, sweets and fizzy drinks. I am the last person to turn down good junk food, but when you are sitting in a cramped car for hours on end, junk food really does make you feel sluggish and queasy.

On the way back home from our holiday I was wise enough to plan ahead this time. I found a Woollies along the way and bought fresh avos, rye bread, pre-packed carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. I also packed a tupperware with a leftover salad, which Adam had prepared extra of, the night before. I had take away cutlery, salt and pepper and a cooler box to keep it all cool.

We stopped off at a thatched road side picnic stop along the N2 past Riversdale somewhere and enjoyed a spectacular view over rolling fields and the fresh country air. We swore never to rely on Steers and Wimpy for road side food again!

I think I may spend a bit more time on the topic of eating well while travelling (as the extra kilos are still fresh on my hips). I am sure I can come up with a fun enjoyable solution here.

PS – Adam’s parents used to put raw breakfast goodies into a foil container and put that in the engine of the car. When they stopped a few hours later they had a piping hot meal! Now that sounds like a fun a experiment for me to try!