Fill your cooler with this hearty & delicious vegan road trip food.
With sandwiches, wraps, and salads, you’ll be well fed from the first mile to the last.
What could be more fun than a good road trip?
Whether it’s a camping trip to somewhere remote, a jaunt to a neighboring state, or a cross country excursion, setting off on the open road always fuels a spirit of adventure.
As anyone who has checked Happy Cow in the Middle of Nowhere knows, some places are more vegan-friendly than others.
So packing meals for a road trip is a good way to avoid those hangry feelings & save some cash.
With that in mind, here’s some road trip food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time too.
Breakfast
If you have time to pull over & eat, cereal & single servings of non-dairy milk make a quick & easy breakfast.
If not, get your day started early by choosing one of these grab & go breakfasts.
Vegan quiche
Mini vegan quiche can be eaten hot, cold, or room temperature.
They’re packed with protein & vegetables.
Cinnamon donuts
If you have a sweet tooth, cinnamon donuts go down easy with a steamy mug of coffee.
Sandwiches & wraps
Sandwiches and wraps are super convenient for road trips.
They can either be made ahead of time.
Or you can keep the fillings & bread separate in the cooler.
Of course, the simplest option is to grab a package of vegan deli slices like Tofurky, and throw them into a cooler with mustard, chopped onions, and pickles.
Here are some more ideas if you feel like branching out.
Spring roll tortilla wrap
Spring roll wraps have the flavors of a summer roll with the portability of a tortilla.
They’re filled with crunchy vegetables and baked lime tofu.
The wraps can either be dunked in spicy peanut sauce. Or you can add a drizzle to the inside.
Vegan chicken salad sandwich
Vegan chicken salad sandwiches are so satisfying, thanks to the filling nature of seitan.
It comes together quickly by processing seitan with celery, onions, pickles, seasonings, and eggless mayo in a food processor.
Serve it on a bun, wrap it in a tortilla, or pile it on crackers.
Raw tacos with walnut filling
Crisp & flavorful raw tacos are made with walnut taco meat.
Serve on romaine lettuce leaves instead of a corn tortilla.
Or the walnut meat is great in a salad.
Vegan tuna salad sandwich
Swap out tuna for chickpeas in this quick & filling vegan tuna salad sandwich.
It’s made by pulsing chickpeas with celery, eggless mayo, and herbs.
Enjoy it on a sandwich or pile it on a green salad.
Vegan egg salad sandwich
Vegan egg salad sandwiches are so simple to make.
And they don’t require any extra gadgetry.
Just crumble firm tofu in a bowl with vegan mayo, pumpkin seeds, mustard, and kala namak. That’s what gives it that sulfurous flavor!
Terrific in a sandwich or wrap!
Buffalo Soy Curls sandwich
While I usually eat buffalo Soy Curls sandwiches while they’re hot, they’re also delicious right out of the cooler.
Toothsome Soy Curls are tossed in buffalo sauce and finished with vegan blue cheese dressing.
Vegetable sandwiches
Vegetable sandwiches are slathered with jalapeño cashew cheese.
Then they’re filled with crunchy red bell pepper slices, onions, and spinach.
So fresh & delicious!
Vegan bánh mì
Vegan bánh mì are great hot or cold.
Filled with hearty slices of Field Roast, they’re loaded with fresh herbs and quick pickled vegetables.
Tortilla pinwheels
Tortilla pinwheels are dressed with buffalo hummus and fresh vegetables.
Grab one or two as a snack, or blaze through several for lunch.
Bagel sandwich
Bagel sandwiches are ideal for road-trips.
Sturdy bagels stand up well to sandwich fillings.
Slather toasted bagels with hummus.
Then pack them full with cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers.
So much crunch in every bite!
Salads
These salads can either be a side dish for your sandwiches.
Or some of them can be a full meal on their own.
Kale salad
Kale salad is hearty enough that it can really last in the cooler.
It’s filled out with air fryer chickpeas for crunch & satiety.
Potato salad
Who doesn’t love vegan potato salad?
It’s made with big chunks of Russet potatoes, tossed in eggless mayo, and prepared with plenty of crunchy dill pickles.
Cold peanut noodle salad
Cold peanut noodle salad can be a full meal in a bowl, especially if you add baked tofu to the mix.
It’s packed with radishes, carrots, and cilantro.
Vegan pasta salad
Vegan pasta salad is a fresh & flavorful side dish.
It’s loaded with thinly sliced carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and chopped bell pepper.
Then it’s tossed in a creamy mayo dressing.
To push it into meal territory, stir in chopped vegan deli slices like Tofurky and diced non-dairy cheddar.
Curried tofu salad
Curried tofu salad can be enjoyed on its own, or added to a wrap.
It’s made with super firm tofu, eggless mayo, curry powder, shredded carrots, raisins, and nuts.
A tasty mix of sweet & savory!
Israeli couscous salad
Israeli couscous salad can be enjoyed as a side dish or eaten as a full meal with roasted chickpeas.
It’s filled with pearl couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives.
Vegan feta cheese would be a nice addition too!
Marinated lentil salad
This tangy lentil salad is a protein-packed side dish or addition to a green salad.
The flavors meld beautifully while it waits to be eaten.
It’s finished with red wine vinegar & Dijon mustard.
Sesame kale
Here’s a great way to eat a lot of kale in one go!
Sesame kale is made by steaming greens and tossing them with sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and garlic.
Coleslaw
Vegan coleslaw is a tasty sandwich topper as well as a crunchy side dish.
It’s so convenient to make, thanks to bagged shredded cabbage mix.
Dessert
If you like to finish your meal with a sugary treat (or if your snacking skews sweet over savory), here are some vegan dessert options.
Banana bread cookies
Banana bread cookies have all of the flavor of banana bread with the convenience of cookies.
They’re also a great way to use up any bananas that are starting to brown.
Peanut butter oatmeal cookies
Peanut butter oatmeal cookies combine the chewiness of oatmeal with the nuttiness of PB.
Plus, they can be made gluten-free.
Chocolate & peanut butter popcorn
Grab a handful of peanut butter & chocolate popcorn for a delightful mix of salty & sweet.
Rice crispy treats
Rice crispy treats are an old school classic that really satisfy!
Crispy & light rice cereal is coated in melted marshmallows.
A guaranteed crowd pleaser with adult & kids alike.
Snacks
If you get a little peckish on your drive, it’s nice to have some snacks on hand between mealtimes.
Sliced veggies:
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Carrot sticks
Fruit:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Oranges
- Berries
Salty snacks:
- Pretzels
- Potato chips
- Candied pecans
- Nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
Tortilla chips & salsa:
Spread & crackers:
Other necessities
For easy road trip dining, it’s handy to have these other items on hand:
- Stainless steel or glass water bottle for refilling
- Swiss army knife for slicing avocados, opening wine & packages, and random emergencies
- Stainless steel food containers, bowls, and plates for salads, cereal, and sandwiches
- Bamboo forks & spoons
- Chip clips to seal bags of nuts, spinach, crackers, etcetera
Gas station snack options
Even the best-laid plans bring surprises.
If you find yourself on the road longer than planned & your rations have run empty, you may need to pick up food at a gas station or convenience store.
Consider these easy options:
- Cereal & non-dairy milk
- Nuts & seeds
- Tortilla chips & jarred salsa
- Bananas, oranges, and apples
More vegan travel tips
While you’re on the road, here are some more vegan travel tips that may come in handy:
Content and photos updated January 5, 2023. Originally posted September 9, 2010.
Katherine D Emerson
RE: TUNA SALAD SANDWICH
I’m allergic to chickpeas. Do you think this would be just as delicious (or maybe more so) made with black-eyed peas? Thank you.
Cadry Nelson
Sure, give it a go! I’d probably choose white beans like cannellini or Great Northern, because their flavors are more neutral. But if you prefer black-eyed peas, I’m sure they’d be tasty too. Let me know how it goes!
Dex
Yes, finding vegan food in rural areas is always a challenge so I will try a couple of your recipes to take with me, thank you!
Cadry Nelson
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Janie Wilson
Do you have a Vegan RV camping cookbook? If so, I’m interested in getting one.
Cadry Nelson
Thank you for your interest! I don’t have a vegan RV camping cookbook, but you can always print the recipes I linked to here to bring along on your camping excursions. Happy travels!
Becca
All the road-tripping foods you mentioned are great, and gave me some fresh ideas for our next road trip.
My husband and I love GORP!! To me, nothing hits-the-spot better on the road, especially when hiking, than GORP. Wasa crackers and peanut butter are always a must for us as well.
cadryskitchen
I didn’t think of it, but you’re absolutely right that GORP is great on the road. It’s a delicious and satiating snack!
David Busch
Peanut butter sandwiches, hummus with carrots/celery, and Vanilla Jo-Jo’s cookies are my favorites!
Sarah
Cadry,
This looks great. I know it is hard to do a road trip without eating a lot of fries and pasta (if one does not pack goodies to eat). We are probably all tired of pasta with red sauce being the only choice on many restaurants’ menus. I just made the potato salad from VT and it was super delish. I kept the skins on my potatoes. Can’t wait to try out the recipe for the Thai Slaw.
Sarah
cadryskitchen
I was just chatting with some friends about how pasta with marinara always seems to be the default vegan option. Luckily, it does seem like things are improving and restaurants are becoming more aware of a growing vegan audience.
I always prefer to leave the skin on my potatoes too. I think they’re the best part! It sounds like you’re really blazing through VT. What would you say have been your favorites so far?