Breakfast Burritos

You can make these ahead and keep refrigerated or frozen for a quick warm up and go meal on a busy day. Typically I use 1 pack of 8-10 burrito shells with 1 dozen eggs, 1lb of ground pork, and sprinkle cheese on as I roll them up in a burrito shell.

Muffins

My kiddos love the chocolate oversize muffins from the store with a cup of milk for an easy grab and go breakfast. We put the milk in a thermos to keep it cold and they can sip on it as we drive.

Cereal & Milk

I have one kiddo that prefers dry cereal, and two that prefer a bowl of cereal in milk. However you like your cereal, it can be a great option for a fast breakfast or snack on the go.

Oatmeal

When we make oatmeal, usually make a little extra so that it’s easy to warm up for a quick breakfast on a travel day. If you’re not a fan of warmed up oatmeal, you can always make it the morning of.

Homemade Granola Bars

*This is a Family Favorite*

They can be a little crumbly, but we have some storage containers that are easy to eat over and contain the crumbs. They can be a hearty snack or a fast breakfast. They also freeze well, so we usually make a whole 9x13 pan and freeze half of them in a ziplock bag to pull out for later. 

Whether you are a peanut butter and jelly kind of person or prefer meat and cheese, sandwiches can be a great go-to and require little prep work to either make ahead or enjoy at a stop.

Sometimes we make the sandwiches ahead so we can drive without stopping. Other times we stop to for fuel or a bathroom break and make sandwiches while the other person is refueling. Of course, my kids love a dessert of something like cosmic brownies, or similar for a nice treat to accompany their sandwich. I rarely say no to a chocolate treat for a travel day!

My clan prefers only a couple of different types of chips so we typically grab a big bag and then portion them out as needed as we drive. Other families prefer to have the pre-portion bags so everyone can pick their favorite and add it to the lunch bag.

Applesauce pouches 

Apples

Bananas

Oranges 

Melon (we usually do cantaloupe or honeydew cut in pieces)

My kiddos prefer cut apples for a quick snack in the car. We cut up about 1-2 per person depending on how long the travel day is so the kiddos (and myself) can enjoy munching on them as the day progresses. 

This idea has been trending for a while.

Add cheese slices (or cheese sticks), meat, crackers, and snacks of your choice and put it in a container to grab out and munch on as you drive. It’s great to prep ahead and grab and go or enjoy for a fast dinner when you arrive at your camping spot. My clan enjoys pepperoni, salami, cheese sticks, and crackers or chips. When we do this, we don’t have to stop and can eat on the go.

My kiddos particularly enjoy cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, and bell peppers (mini ones are my favorite!) Having a container of these prepped helps with the mid-day munchies. I am the only one that enjoys hummus and guacamole so usually I have individual serving sizes of those.l for me to enjoy with the veggies.

Pasta, Sauce, & Frozen Meatballs

This is a quick meal that can be done in roughly 15 minutes from start to finish. It takes zero prep and my kids love pasta, so it’s usually a win for my clan. If you want some veggies, we usually keep some frozen veggies on hand so we can warm them up quickly.

Tacos!

My kids are growing pretty quickly, so I typically make an extra two pounds of ground beef when I am cooking. This allows me to put it in the freezer whether I season it or not. Leaving it unseasoned allows me to have options for what I might do with it in the future. Our family typical goes through 2 pounds of meat in a meal so I like to keep at least 2 pounds of cooked, frozen ground beef on hand. This makes for a great grab and go option for a travel day or a day I absolutely didn’t have a meal in mind. (It happens to all of us!)

My kiddos don’t need a lot for tacos. They really just like the meat and cheese in a soft burrito rolled up, so we keep it pretty simple. If I want to add in some beans, I usually have at least a can in the pantry and it warms up pretty quickly. If you’re a rice person, it’s easy to make ahead and preheat when you arrive at your destination.

Jiffy Burgers

This is simply ground beef, seasoned with your preference of seasoned salt or other mixed seasoning. We eat it on two slices of bread with ketchup, mustard, and pickles just like a hamburger, but it’s a crumbly sandwich. This is a go to favorite when I did not plan ahead and I know that I have extra frozen meat already cooked in the freezer. I can just warm up. If a kiddo doesn’t want Jiffy Burgers, and they can add some taco seasoning to their meat for a taco. Voila! We all win!

Sloppy Joes

If you cook ground beef ahead of time (frozen or in the fridge), it makes it easy to add some Sloppy Joe mix in and warm it up for a fast meal. My preferred side dish with Sloppy Joe’s is Ruffles potato chips. I just like that combo! Sometimes I’ll do a salad or some frozen green beans as well.

Grilled Chicken

My kids love grilled chicken legs. It’s something quick we can throw on the grill and season as desired. Sides for us with this dish are typically home made Mac n cheese which I usually make enough to have left overs. This makes for an easy side to warm up on a travel day.

Another great option is to have chicken and sauté it, making enough to have leftovers that you could freeze for later or warm up as left overs for a fast meal. I love making chicken wraps and putting leftover rice, veggies, and cheese. Basically, if I can make it into a burrito, I’m all in !

Fish

My kiddos love tilapia, which we typically buy frozen for either taking into a National Park or a quick meal on a travel day. We put the fish in foil on the grill and it’s a fast, easy meal to enjoy with corn on the cob or some Mac n cheese.

Burgers

This is an easy one to have pre-made and seasoned in your fridge, ready to pull out and grill when you arrive. A quick side with this could be some frozen veggies or even some chips or fresh fruit.

Brats and Hot Dogs

This is always a family favorite for us because it requires zero prep and just the grill. This is also another great thing to take into a National Park with a travel grill if you’re going in for the evening and you can enjoy the evening hours that are less busy than during the daytime.

Salads

My family is not big on eating salads, but I enjoy them quite a bit. I love a pre-made salad since I’m really the only one who eats salad regularly. If I’m feeling like I want to make one from scratch, I may grab a mixed bag of greens or similar to enjoy over a few day.

Sushi

I am the only one in my family that likes sushi but my guilty pleasure is the individual pre-packaged servings at Target or other grocery stores. It’s is basically my lunch-able. It’s absolutely fantastic for a quick travel day meal!

Canned Fruits and Veggies

I have a friend who is a nutritionist and she always tells me to remember to use my resources such as canned fruits and veggies or frozen veggies because things are picked at peak ripeness and then canned or frozen. They’re easy to have in the pantry or in the freezer and easy to add to a meal. Our favorites for canned fruit are things like applesauce, peaches, and pears. My frozen  veggie favorites include mixed veggies and green beans.

Soup

Whether you have canned soup or have a big batch that you have frozen or just have leftover in the fridge, soup can be a great fast meal on a busy day. Maybe you add in a grilled cheese or hot sandwich or salad to go with it.

Ramen Noodles

This is my absolute go to comfort food when I don’t have the energy or time to make a whole lot of anything else. It’s easy to elevate this dish by adding in leftover or cooked frozen chicken and frozen veggies.