Road Trip!

Happy Summer!

Time for vacation! There's a pretty good chance you'll be traveling by train, plane or car this summer, right? That means you'll see tons of gluttonous food at every stop along the way - fried, sugary, salty meals and snacks are a matter of course at every airport, train station and roadside rest area. And, let's face it, when you’re tired, cranky and traveling with kids, it seems easier to grab junk food to keep the peace. 

But don’t let one road trip sabotage your diet. For some people, one trip is all it takes to start a downward spiral. It starts with, “I had bacon at breakfast so I might as well eat a cheeseburger at the rest stop. I'll eat healthier tomorrow...". Yeah right. It's vacation. That will never happen. 

To avoid temptations, plan ahead. Pack foods so you’re never hungry. Travel delays are common, whether by air, land or sea, so plan for that. If you run out, gas station mini marts have ramped-up and offer lots of healthy options. Stock up when you refuel. Some great foods to pack for your trip: 

• Fresh fruits and vegetables: apples, pears, plums, clementines, oranges, bananas, baby carrots, and celery all travel well
• When you find fresh fruits and vegetables on the road, GRAB THEM; they not only provide vitamins, minerals and fiber, they’re brimming with water, important because traveling often causes dehydration
• Dehydrated/crunchy vegetables and fruits: mixed dried berries, apples, pineapple, mango, peaches, tomatoes, corn, peas; eat them like popcorn
• Whole wheat pretzels with travel-size peanut butter cups
• Baby carrots and celery with travel-size ranch dip cups
• Granola bars, preferably low-fat
• Nuts, preferably unsalted
• Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pepitas (pumpkin/squash seeds), preferably unsalted
• Baked potato chips
• String cheese sticks
• Hard boiled eggs
• Yogurt: pack frozen and eat when thawed
• Soft pretzels without butter; scrape off the salt
• Small cup (not cone) of low-fat frozen yogurt with fresh fruit (no candy toppings)

Meals at the Airport, Train Station and Roadside Stops

• Turkey, ham and grilled chicken sandwiches, paninis and wraps with spinach or lettuce and tomato; add mustard instead of mayo or Caesar dressing; go easy on the cheese (avoid mayo-based tuna, egg and chicken salad)
• Egg or egg white sandwiches on thin bagels or English muffins (not pancakes or biscuits) with ham, Canadian bacon or turkey sausage and cheddar cheese
• Pre-made salads: choose mixed greens (not Cobb salads with loads of meat and cheese); use half of the dressing and be especially stingy with Caesar and Asian dressings; remove croutons and fried Asian noodles
• California rolls and vegetable rolls (avoid fried egg rolls and fried spring rolls)
• Broth-based soups (avoid cream-based soups)
• Thin crust pizza with vegetables
• Pasta with marinara sauce (avoid macaroni and cheese)
• Rice and beans (avoid fried rice and refried beans)

Bon Voyage!

FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Grant Cochrane