We don’t like food. One of the worst things about being on a family road trip is deciding where to eat out. Each one of us wants to eat something different. And Mom and Dad just don’t want to spend a thousand dollars on food that tastes like plastic. At the end of our last summer trip, I was so tired of kids’ meals that all tasted like thawed mushy rubber. It was time to do some brainstorming for a convenient meal to eat on the road. We thought about just plain pasta, but then we started to think about things we could add to it for a tastier meal. Bingo. Is Pasta Salad the best road trip lunch ever?
Pasta Salad is Very Kid-Friendly
For our next trip, we boiled some pasta and put it into some plastic storage containers. We then cut up all of our favorite snack foods to add to the pasta.
We even got some green in the mix! You know we are always trying to get in some vegetables any way we can. But is a cucumber a vegetable? Technically, it is a fruit, but everyone has just decided to consider it a vegetable.
Should You Season Your Pasta Salad?
Now, most kids are going to look at oregano and turn their heads. But trust us, if you add just a little bit, it does make the pasta salad better. Mom was right, again.
If you want to sound fancy, try using the word versatile. We have been throwing that out as if we are very smart whenever we are talking about pasta salad. It is the best part of this road trip lunch, however, as everyone can have their pasta salad the way they like it. We happen to have a love affair with olives, but if you do not like them, there are so many other replacements!
Why Pasta Salad is the Best Road Trip Lunch:
We each had our plastic container for our road trip with our personal pasta salad in the cooler with only the ingredients that we liked. It saved us so much time and energy not to have to find lunch on the road. Mom was happy because we were eating fresh, healthy food. Dad was thrilled with not spending a ton of money on plastic meals. Everyone was happy.
We also packed some homemade granola bars for some snacks and blueberry muffins for breakfast. Maybe we are starting to like food a little more?
The Best Road Trip Lunch: Pasta Salad
We don’t like food. One of the worst things about being on a family road trip is deciding where to eat out. Each one of us wants to eat something different. Then we thought of making personal pasta salads that made all of us happy! No more expensive, plastic-tasting food on the road.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Rotini Pasta
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Optional Ingredients
- 1 Cup Cucumbers
- 8 Ounces Cubed Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives
- 1/2 Cup Cut Salami
- 1/4 Cup Feta
Instructions
- Cook Pasta according to directions on box. Allow to cool.
- Cut up desired ingredients.
- Mix oil, oregano, and garlic powder to pasta. Then add the rest of your ingredients and carefully mix.
Notes
*The options are endless! To make individual pasta salads, portion out pasta and add only what you like!