Snacks or suggestions for traveling by car

Hello Fellow Crohnies,

I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's so I'm very worried about traveling by car from Texas to Florida.  Does anyone have suggestions for healthy snacks that I can eat while driving straight through without causing anymore stomach troubles?  I already plan to set my GPS for the rest stops or resturants along the highways.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Please Help!!

Hello Tara28,
It's approx 18 hours travel time one way. We are going to visit family but yes, we plan to visit Disney and Universal while we are there. My husband says we will pack some snacks but will stop for breakfast and dinner. I just don't know what type of snacks to pack. Nuts and some fruits just kill me. I just don't want to eat chips and candy either. Help!!

It differs for everyone, unfortunately it's trial and error...plus there's the risk that certain foods that don't bother you now may bother you in the future so it's really hard to say for another since we're so different.

I only eat healthy foods but it's still very unpredictable with CD in general....I can go hours without eating and still have to have a BM.

Have fun on your trip and I hope you find all the restrooms you may need on it.

Thanks for your input pb4. I guess try and see what happens.

Thank you for the information Dave. Eating the same food makes sense.

Oh yes, I love the animal crackers. That is a great suggestion. I haven't tried the string cheese yet. I will have to try the pretzels, animal crackers and string cheese before I hit the road. Thanks so much everyone.

I carry peanut butter and cheese crackers with me whereever I go. Ritz Bitz that come in a box are also good. I also eat pretzels, and carry the jello sugar free pudding cups that don't require refrigeration. Also carry bottled water. Remember to eat small meals when you stop for breakfast and dinner. Cheese omelets are always safe for me. Mashed potatoes for dinner.

I do well with peanut butter crackers, too. I usually keep a package of them in a desk draw at work for a mid-afternoon snack. You can almost always find a wide variety of these at gas stations, too. Combos - the pretzel/cheddar cheese ones, and cheeze-its.

Another thing to consider if you are driving straight through, your family may be pressed to make good time, which often means fast food and/or drive through eating. Typically, this is fried food fare.

Here is where eating the same stuff you normally eat will come into play the most. How often do you eat out, and do you eat much fast/fried food?

On our most recent trip we took it slowly getting down to Florida (broke it into two days) and drove back in one day. On the two day trip, we are more likely to stop at a sit down restaurant, which tends to have more crohn's friendly food options. However, the whole waitress/waiter, sit-down, wait for your food takes a lot longer and is typically more expensive.

Most of the fast food chains do offer grilled chicken sandwich options. Chicken breast has usually been safe for me. Wendy's is a favorite of ours, and I tried the new chicken asiago bacon club on the way down (and had it again on the way back.) I like Wendys because you can get a baked potato instead of french fries. Also LOVE the frosty!! (and thankfully dairy doesn't bother me.)

Another frequent dining stop for us on road trips is the Golden Corral. This is a buffet, and the biggest risk here for me is overeating. As long as you don't go right at noon or 6pm, there is typically not a wait. They have a large variety of food options, many I find to be safe for me, and there is no ordering/waiting for your menu choices.

If you do OK on pizza, CiCi's pizza is a pizza buffet that has large variety of already made pizzas. No ordering and waiting for it to be made. We didn't eat at a CiCi's on our drive, but did eat there one night on international drive in Orlando.

I have had few problems with my stand-by list for both trips and to keep at work:

Gatorade

Ensure

Pretzels

Flavored rice cakes

Peanut butter and saltines (love the salty combo)

I like to keep higher protein foods at my little fridge at work like hard-boiled eggs too.

Hope this helps you. Nothing is worse than to be on the road, no bathroom in sight and be in pain and have that urgent need.

Good luck to you in life :)