Samantha Brown's Budget-Friendly Solution To Never Feeling 'Hangry' On A Long Road Trip

You may have your perfect U.S. road trip all planned out, but there's nothing that can ruin a road trip, or any trip really, faster than getting irritated because you're hungry, aka "hangry." Travel expert and TV host Samantha Brown is here with advice to help stop that hunger-caused grouchiness in its tracks — bring a jar of peanut butter with you. On the "Samantha Brown's Places to Love" website, Brown explained her reasoning behind making peanut butter a staple for her travels. "It really is the most dependable snack — shelf stable, high in protein and goes with everything. You might not be able to find a sandwich shop at 2 a.m., but you can probably find crackers or a banana, right? And if worst comes to worst, just dip the ol' index finger in and voila! Bye-bye, hanger!"

Brown's tip is rooted in science. If it's been a while since you've eaten, your blood sugar drops, which causes your body to pump adrenaline. That excess adrenaline in turn will cause anxiety and irritation. The fat and protein combo in peanut butter, especially when combined with carbs, can help flip the script.

It's easy to find yourself needing a quick pick-me-up when you're traveling. You might be more of a free spirit, so you literally don't know when you'll come across your next meal. Or even if you're a meticulous planner, things can happen — you might hit delays or the restaurant you planned to visit is unexpectedly shut. A peanut butter snack on standby is the way to go.

Some commenters on Samantha Brown's post noted that they've had their peanut butter confiscated when they fly, and you can expect that to happen if you put a jar in your carry-on luggage. Brown herself talked about the challenges of flying with her go-to snack in a YouTube video on her channel, and she confirmed that she, too, has had peanut butter taken away at the airport.

Sadly, peanut butter isn't one of those things that are exempt from the TSA's 311 liquid rule. You could get around it by bringing smaller peanut butter squeeze packs with you, but they would still have to fit into the quart-sized bag with the rest of your liquids. If you're going on a longer trip and planning on checking your luggage, you're in the clear to bring some with you, but put it in a resealable plastic bag to help prevent any unexpected spills. Or just plan to head to a grocery store as one of your first stops on your trip.

So the next time you're putting together a packing list for a trip, especially if it's via car or train, don't forget the peanut butter. Then, once you finish that jar of peanut butter, save it for your next trip to the beach — you'll find all kinds of uses for it there. Just make sure to wash it first!