Planning a summer road trip?

With COVID-19 restrictions easing up in many areas, a road trip is a great way to take advantage of the waning days of summer.

And while you’ve probably considered where to go, where to stay, and what to do, there’s always that primary, top-of-mind question for kosher-keeping travelers: What are we going to eat?

Forget pre-packaged granola bars. With these 20 meal and snack ideas, a list of ingredients, and the travel appliances you need to make them, you’ll be equipped with everything you need to enjoy deliciously satisfying real meals and snacks on your next road trip.

BREAKFAST

1. Overnight oats 

Mix a liquidy base of your choice with oats and leave in the fridge overnight. You’ll wake up to amazing oatmeal — no cooking required! For a deluxe version, see Victoria Dwek’s Overnight Oats recipes.

Ingredients: old-fashioned oats, yogurt or milk (Optional: fresh fruit, nuts)

Appliances: refrigerator

2. Scrambled eggs

Ready in 90 seconds, microwave scrambled eggs make for a quick, grab ‘n go breakfast on hurried vacation mornings.

Ingredients: fresh eggs, milk, salt, pepper (Optional: cheese, fresh vegetables)

Appliances: microwave (see how to kasher a microwave)

3. French toast

Nothing beats a sandwich maker for its versatility and portability. A few basic ingredients and you’ll whip up a batch of sandwich maker French toast in no time.

Ingredients: bread, fresh eggs, milk, salt (Optional: maple or pancake syrup)

Appliances: sandwich maker

4. Pancakes

With a sandwich maker and ready-to-pour pancake batter, a hotel room breakfast will feel like a homemade one.

Ingredients: ready-made pancake batter, non-stick oil spray

Appliances: sandwich maker

LUNCH

5. Bean salad

Comb through the supermarket at your destination for kosher canned goods. Combine and mix with the dressing of your choice.

Ingredients: beans, corn, chickpeas, hearts of palm, etc. (Optional: bottled salad dressing or vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper)

Appliances: can opener

6. Grilled cheese

One trip to the panini press turns a humble cheese sandwich into the best vacation lunch imaginable.

Ingredients: bread, cheese (Optional: sliced tomatoes, onions)

Appliances: sandwich maker/panini press

7. Tuna wrap

For the ultimate grab ‘n go lunch, try tuna wraps. Filling, easy, delicious.

Ingredients: tuna in a can/pouch, wraps (Optional: mayonnaise, sliced peppers)

Appliances: none

8. Grilled vegetable pita sandwich

Grill vegetables on an electric grill and pack them into pitas spread with hummus or other delicious dips.

Ingredients: pita, hummus, bell peppers, zucchini, red onions

Appliances: electric grill, such as a George Foreman

DINNER

9. Rice and beans

Minute rice + canned beans = a speedy dinner you can count on.

Ingredients: instant rice, black or other canned beans, spices (optional: salsa, cheese)

Appliances: microwave (see how to kasher a microwave)

10. Grilled burgers

Because kosher meat is virtually impossible to find at many vacation destinations, you’ll need to prep and freeze burger patties or strips of chicken and tote them along on your road trip. Trust us, it’s totally worth the schlep.

Ingredients: burger buns, ready-to-grill burger patties or chicken strips (optional: condiments, vegetables for garnish)

Appliances: electric grill, such as a George Foreman

11. Cold cut sandwiches

Lunch meats, such as sliced turkey and pastrami, freeze and travel well. Pair them with rye bread and you’ll have a super easy grab ‘n go dinner that even picky eaters will savor.

Ingredients: Cold cuts assortment, bread (optional: condiments, pickles)

Appliances: none

12. Slow cooker salmon 

Crock-Pots are endlessly handy on vacation. After spending the day out, you can come home to a filet of fresh slow cooker salmon. For a complete meal, serve with instant mashed potatoes and/or a salad.

Ingredients: fresh salmon, salt, pepper, lemon, vegetable broth 

Appliances: slow cooker

SNACKS

13. Guacamole and chips

A ripe avocado doesn’t need much to shine. Mash it up with a dash of salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Chow down with crackers, chips, or rice cakes.

Ingredients: avocado, salt, lemon juice, tortilla chips or crackers

Appliances: none

14. Hummus and veggies

Hummus cups are widely available (and nearly always kosher) in grocery stores. Match up with low-prep vegetables, like baby carrots, for a wholesome snack.

Ingredients: hummus, baby carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas.

Appliances: none

15. Custom trail mix

Who says trail mix needs to be one-size-fits-all? Have each family member combine their own favorite dried fruits and nuts into a trail mix that’ll keep them powered through the day.

Ingredients: Variety of nuts and dried fruits (For inspiration, see Rorie’s Trail Mix)

Appliances: none

16. Fruit parfait

Elevate a cup of yogurt with fruits and grains for a nourishing on-the-go snack.

Ingredients: yogurt (regular, soy, or almond) and add-ons like blueberries, sliced bananas, coconut flakes, wheat germ, chia seeds

SHABBAT

17. Vegetable soup

For hot, sustaining Shabbat food, look no further than a slow cooker. A vegetable soup made with local veggies and Knorr Soup Mix makes a delicious first course for a Shabbat dinner.

Ingredients: vegetables of your choice, spices and/or soup mix

Appliances: slow cooker

18. Eggs

Make a traditional Shabbat egg salad by boiling eggs in a slow cooker or an electric kettle. It’ll taste just like the one you make at home.

Ingredients: fresh eggs, mayonnaise

Appliances: slow cooker or electric kettle

19. Cholent

Even on vacation you can honor Shabbat with a comforting and steaming pot of cholent. Because of its forgiving nature, you can easily make substitutions for ingredients you don’t have on hand.

Ingredients: meat or hot dogs, potatoes, barley or rice, beans, spices

Appliances: slow cooker

20. Pasta salads

Cook up batches of pasta before your trip and bring it along. It’ll be a perfect base for salads for seuda shlishis.

Ingredients: cooked pasta, salad dressing, olives, baby corn, canned tuna (For inspiration, see Tricolor Pasta Salad and Tuna Pasta Salad)

Appliances: none

Food tips for kosher-keeping travelers

• While grocery stores across the U.S. will have a huge assortment of kosher food products, there are still many kosher-sensitive items you’ll need to bring from home, depending on your level of kosher stringencies. Consider bringing along:

– Milk, cheese, and other dairy products

– Deli meats, steaks, hot dogs, poultry products
– Breads

• If you don’t want to spend your vacation cooking or assembling meals, you can instead pre-cook your meals at home and freeze them in aluminum pans. If your destination has an oven, you can double wrap the pans in aluminum foil and reheat them in any oven, no matter the kosher status. Some family-friendly meals that freeze well:

-Baked chicken and rice

-Macaroni and cheese
-Pizza

• For any questions about kashering and other shailos that might crop up on your road trip, see the OU’s Top 10 Kasher Questions About Summer and Travel.

Now that you’ve got these satisfying meal ideas, you can pretty much go anywhere! Choose your destination, start packing, and enjoy your getaway. Happy summer road tripping!