Road Trip Essentials
Road trips are a boon to long weekends, heading out of Delhi to the peaceful hills or the vibrancy of Rajasthan are my favourites. Unfortunately, most of these highways don’t have nice & hygienic eating options and gone are the days when you would pack oily parathas & Theplas for these journeys.
Snacking is the order of the day and a holiday doesn’t necessarily have to be a holiday from counting calories and loading your system up with junk.
To combat this, all you need is a simple trip to a good food store that stocks up on organic and healthier alternativesand you’re ready to hit the road! I usually end up buying these essentials from Shakti Fruits & Bombay Fruit Mart in Khan Market or Malik Brothers Organic store in Defence Colony Market.
Swapping Lay’s chips, Kurkure & Cheetos with a home-roasted seed mix or Honey Paprika Almonds is one way of cutting empty calories and loading up on omega 3 and other nutrients while satisfying the crunch-craving. Alternating Ketchup with a homemade Pico-de-Gallo and pairing it with baked Pita chips (I prefer making my own but if it’s too much effort, Appitas Chips have a nice baked multigrain range) is also pretty exciting. Another new brand I found and quite liked is, ‘To be healthy me.’ They vacuum-fry their snacks; their okra chips are amazing and the sweet potato ones come a close second.
Another essential part of the road trip is the drinks. Now an occasional Diet Coke never hurt anybody and the caffeine helps the driver stay up and the navigator stay alert (I still manage to mess up, thank you google maps.) But Fanta, sprite and Redbull have no space in my car. Instead, I carry raw juices. Lower on calories and higher on nutrition, the Aloe Vera Lemonade is refreshing and the guava is my favourite (top tip: ALWAYS check the expiry date on these).
The much-needed fizz is provided by Perrier in handy cans and if you’re going to a hotter climate, Tendo coconut water is also a good idea.I have a fairly sensitive stomach so I always carry a pack of Yakult Lite on me and prefer starting my day with it.
Unfortunately, for a 6-hour road journey munchies and drinks are not enough. You end up craving something substantial and for that, humble old sandwiches are the best options since they’re easy to eat, freshly made and light. My sandwiches though are not so humble and I like putting a spin on classic cucumber sandwiches or elevating ham sandwiches to another flavour profile altogether. Basic things can be new and exciting by playing around with the bread, making your own yum spreads or breaking away from the usual condiments and fillings can really add some chutzpah to this humble and convenient snack.
I’m jotting down some of the recipes I end up making for road trips that are scrumptious, different from the usual and don’t leave you feeling guilty. Hope they come in handy when you plan your next getaway!
5. Tirokafteri
