Healthy Snacks for Your Road Trip from Wawa
If you're embarking on a summer road trip that in any way involves the East Coast, you'll almost certainly be passing by a Wawa, the Valhalla of convenience stores, which is known for its expansive coffee bars and diverse grab-and-go snacks that are tastier than what you can scrounge up in a common gas station. Despite being a gas station, there are plenty of healthy food options at Wawa.
When you stop to gas up, refuel yourself with these snacks which range from light bites to mini-meals. Do any of the chain's famed hoagies fit the bill? Read on.
Strawberries & Blueberries Fruit Cup
70 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 17 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 11 g sugars, 1 g protein
Berries are fat-burning machines, thanks to their high polyphenol content. This serving provides twice your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C.
Veggies & Dip
120 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, < 5 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 8 g sugars, 1 g protein
Celery, carrots and tomatoes with a ranch dip is savory enough to be appetizing, with a decent amount of fiber to keep you full.
Baby Carrot Snack Bag
30 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 7 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 2 g sugars, 1 g protein
Baby carrots are a snacking no-brainer, and it's easy to see why: Two grams of fiber in a 30-calorie serving, plus twice your daily RDA of Vitamin A.
Hummus With Pita Rounds
260 calories, 14 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 10 g protein
Roasted red pepper hummus with whole-wheat pita chips provide satiating fiber and protein (the reason legumes like chickpeas have proven fat-loss benefits) along with slow-digesting carbs for long-term energy without a sugar crash.
Chicken Salad Snack Tray
1 pkg: 240 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 12 g sugars, 11 g protein
This isn't your grandma's artery-clogging version: The mayo in this light chicken salad is cut with fat-free plain yogurt, providing a protein boost without too much fat.
Turkey & Cheese Mini Pitas
300 calories, 6 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 35 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 13 g sugars, 13 g protein
Lean turkey on multigrain pitas (made with flax seeds, barley and sunflower seeds), plus a side of apples and grapes, make this a filling, well-rounded snack slash mini-meal.
Chicken Salad Sandwich With Apples
300 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 480 mg sodium, 50 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 14 g sugars, 15 g protein
The best choice on the grab-and-go sandwich menu, white meat chicken on a wheat roll topped with fiber-rich apples hits the right nutritional spot. Grab a bag of baby carrots or one of these best healthy snacks to make it a full meal.
Egg White Breakfast Bowl with Chicken Steak, Fresh Salsa and Spinach
170 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium, 7 g carbs, 3 g sugars, 20 g protein
Eat this any time of day: Grilled chicken and egg whites with fat-melting salsa (thanks to the heat-generating capsaicin in its peppers) and spinach will give you clean energy so you can make your destination without the typical road trip candy coma.
Chicken Steak Shorti Hoagie with Roasted Peppers and Spinach
170 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 6 g carbs, 4 g sugars, 22 g protein
Wawa is noted for its hoagies (that would be a submarine sandwich, for those of you who say "pop" instead of "soda"), and you don't have to pass them up completely. The 6-inch Shorti size is ideal for a snack, and the best option is the Chicken Steak hoagie, which has the best balance of calories, fats, sodium and protein, along with fat-burning peppers and spinach to boot.
