TASTE

Good taste can be interpreted in two fashions when relating to adventures on the road.  One may refer to the choice of tasteful accessories or destinations.  That won’t be the one that I refer to today.  The other option for taste is the taste that makes your mouth salivate and your stomach grumble.  That is the taste I will discuss here and now.

Personally I find that my main motivator to eat is boredom and on a long stretch of road boredom is a fact.  There are only so many times you can change the music or … yup that’s about it.  You are simply sitting.  You can’t get up, you can’t (shouldn’t) play with your phone, no Facebook, no checking emails.  You just sit and you steer and you eat.  There is a reason that truck drivers are stereotypically overweight and unhealthy.  Long hours of sitting with a diet sourced almost entirely from road side outlets. 
 
If you rely on the petroleum distributors for your tucker you will not enjoy your life.  Despite the advertised benefits, a large can of Red Bull, hot chips and a burger will not boost your energy levels and concentration for the rest of your drive.  So when you are staring into the hot box justifying that the chicken broccoli ball is a healthy option because there is a vegetable in the name of it, know that there is a better way.  Here are my tips for good taste on the road.

1. Install a mini car fridge in your car.  They are not that expensive and yes they aren’t a true alternative to refrigeration but they will serve three purposes.
   1. They will keep things that you put in them cool.  It is more a case of maintaining the temperature than  reducing the temperature but it is a good option still.
   2. They will keep all of your drinks and snacks in one place.  My OCD likes the fact that I won’t find a cupcake rolling under the seat in a month’s time.
   3. As a rule they come with two very convenient cup holders.  You can never have too many cup holders.
2. Stock your fridge and cup holders with bottles of water.  The key is to have lots of small bottles rather than one big bottle.  That way it is easier to lift to your mouth, they won’t obstruct your view if you take a swig while driving and if you lose one bottle you won’t lose all of your water.  Thirst is often confused with hunger and you can often delay hunger by having a drink of water.  The bonus to drinking lots of water while you drive, apart from the obvious hydration and increased energy levels, is that you will have to stop and pee more often forcing you to get out and stretch your legs and combat fatigue.
3. Pack some snacks that last a while.  I am referring to snacks that don’t need refrigeration and will handle the rough roads.  My favourites are nuts and dried fruit.  Just like with the water though, don’t keep one big packet.  Break it down into lots of smaller snack sized bags.  This will assist you with portion control and stop you from making a mess as a kilogram of salted cashews goes flying across your carpet.  Warning: research your portion sizes.  Overdosing on dried apricots is not fun for anyone in a small space like a car.
4. Finally pack some fresh snacks.  Make sure you choose snacks that are easy to eat while driving and don’t damage easily.  An orange with its sticky juice, seeds, and peel is a nightmare to eat while you focus on the road.  My favourites are hard boiled eggs, snow peas and carrots.  Carrots are brilliant as they handle a beating, don’t need to be refrigerated, don’t need to be peeled and unlike bananas if you leave them in the sun for a while they don’t make the whole car smell like a fruit salad.

 
So there you have it.  Get a fridge, drink lots of water, pack some snacks.  Your drive will be tastier and you will be healthier, more alert and a lot more fun to be around.