How To Eat Keto Or Low Carb On A Road Trip (Includes Master Food List)

Eating a low carb on a road trip can be a challenge! 

I fell in love with the ketogenic diet awhile back and have been determined to stick to it for various reasons, mostly because I feel amazing when I am in ketosis. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, a ketogenic diet is high in fats, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. I’m not always strict, so sometimes I will be just eat low carb on a road trip rather than full on keto. 

Eating this way is more difficult when living on the road due to the lack of space, funds, a refrigerator, and a proper kitchen. I managed to stick to a low carb diet while traveling on my motorcycle for 6 months in Canada! 

 

 

The best foods (imo) are:

• Non-perishable, as I don’t have a fridge or cooler on my motorcycle.
• Dense, as I don’t have much room on my motorcycle.
• Inexpensive, as I need to stick to a strict budget.
• From grocery stores, as I do not eat out (due to cost).
• Doesn’t require a lot of preparation, as I only have a mini camp stove.

 

 

I also prefer smellier foods to be already sealed (canned tuna!) so I don’t have to worry about bears as much! Since I camp in bear country, foods that are not sealed have to be put in a bear bin or hung up in a tree.

Here is the massive list of keto or low carbs road trip foods I came up with! I am not looking for nutritional advice, nor am trying to “convert” anyone; this is for people who have already chosen to eat this way. I do recommend to try and stay away from highly processed food, because low carb or not, it’s probably going to make you feel crappy.  

I don’t eat all of these things, but some of my fellow low-carb or keto vagabonds do. I am hoping to keep updating this. Many of these items are non perishable, but many are also “somewhat” perishable, so you’d need to consume them within 2-3 days of purchase (cheese will last me days, for sure!). It’s difficult for me to visit a grocery store every day on a road trip since I am not always near a town, so I usually have 2-4 days’ worth of food in my bags. 

Please leave any food suggestions in the comments below!

 

Keto Road Trip Food Master List

 

 

Meat

• Canned tuna 
• Tuna in pouches (lighter and denser but pricier)
• Starkist flavoured tuna packets  
• Herring (in tins) 
• Beef jerky 
• Bison meat bars 
• Deli meat 
• Pepperettes 
• Canned chicken
• Canned turkey  
• Canned salmon
• Clams (in tins)
• Mussels (in tins)
• Oysters (in tins)
• Pre-cooked pepperoni  
• Summer sausage 
• Spam 
• Sardines 
• Hot dogs 
• Cooked sausages 
• Chicken/turkey dogs 
• Pre-cooked bacon 
• Pemmican 
• Pork rinds 

 

 

Other Proteins

• Hardboiled eggs 
• Fresh eggs (make sure you get an egg carrier!)
• Tofu
• Protein powder 
• Pea protein 
• Dehydrated peanut butter 
• P3 protein packs 

 

 

Dairy 

• Cheese
• String cheese 
• Individual cheese packs
• Grated parmesan cheese 

 

Fresh Produce 

• Green beans 
• Okra 
• Cauliflower 
• Broccoli 
• Spinach 
• Kale
• Green peppers
• Onions 
• Lettuce 
• Cabbage 
• Mushrooms 
• Lemons 
• Cucumbers
• Brussel sprouts
• Tomatoes
• Avocados 
• Raspberries 
• Blueberries 
• Strawberries 
• Blackberries 

 

 

Canned Vegetables 

• Canned green beans 
• Canned tomatoes 
• Canned okra 
• Canned mushrooms 

 

 

Other

• Olives
• Pickles
• Saukeraut 
• Banana pepper rings 
• Jalapeños 
• Almond or coconut milk

 

Sugar Free Products 

• Sugar free protein bars
• Atkins bars
• Sugar free chocolate 
• Sugar free jello & pudding 

 

 

Nuts & Seeds

• Peanuts
• Almonds 
• Walnuts 
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Pistachios 
• Brazil nuts
• Chia seeds
• Peanut butter (all natural, no sugar added)
• Almond butter
• Other nut butters  
• Coconut peanut butter (the most delicious thing in the world!)
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Flax seeds
• Other nuts 

 

 

Fats

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• MCT oil
• Other oils 
• Butter
• Mayonnaise (individual packets) 
• Coconut products
• Coconut milk or cream 
• Unsweetened shredded coconut

 

 

Flavours (?)

• Salad dressing packets
• Salsa
• Lemon juice
• Chili seasoning spice pack 
• Vinegar 
• Balsamic vinegar  
• Herbs & spices 
• Hot sauce 
• Siracha sauce 
• Ketchup (preferably reduced sugar)
• Mustard packets
• Soy sauce packets
• Other sauces 

 

 

For Drinks

• Tea
• Instant coffee 
• Cocoa powder
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Sweeteners (Splenda, Twin, Truvia, etc) 
• Coconut cream powder (perfect low carb whitener!)
• “Keto creamer”
• Coffee whitener 
• Vega electrolyte powder 
• Water flavour 
• Bullion cubes or powder 

 

 

I don’t actually consume everything on this list. I tend to eat mostly peanut butter, canned fish, and shredded coconut, lol. I need to make more space. I almost bought broccoli the other day and thought “no space!”. There weren’t enough calories in the broccoli to justify the space it would take up. So that’s something I need to fix. 

Also… protein bars are a big no-no for me. They are basically like candy, don’t fill me up, but somehow make me hungrier? I don’t recommend them. If you’ve been eating this way for a while, I am sure you know what works for you by now anyways, so don’t listen to me 😛

Eating keto or low carb on a road trip (and on a budget!) can definitely be challenging, but if you’re determined, it can be done! I managed for 6 months on the road!

 

 

Are there any other items I should add to this list? I need more ideas on how to eat low carb on a road trip! Please leave any suggestions in the comments below, and be sure to share this list with anyone who might benefit from it!

 

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