Summer is in full swing and many of us are hitting the road. For those of us that are trying to make good food choices, traveling can be a struggle. You’re eating out often, may not have access to a kitchen to cook your own meals, and are busy so it’s easy to grab things that are convenient. Of course, it’s okay to indulge every once in a while. But it’s all too common for people to completely fall off the bandwagon when they are traveling. So, we want to offer a few tips for how to eat healthy on a road trip.
Plan Ahead and Pack
The best way to make sure you have healthy snack and meal options when traveling is to take them with you. Keep things simple by sticking to whole foods that you know your kids will eat. And, keep perishable items in a cooler packed with ice.
Don’t forget utensils, and pack lots of napkins and wipes. Even simple snacks can be a messy affair with kids involved!
The best way to make sure you have healthy snack and meal options when traveling is to take them with you. Share on X
Travel-Friendly Snacks
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Easy to eat fruit like apples, bananas, pears, and berries
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Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots with hummus
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Nut butter sandwiches
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Nuts
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Moon Cheese – great salty, crunchy snack that’s high in protein and healthy fats
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Cheese sticks
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Cottage cheese – bring a spoon!
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Organic dark chocolate to help with that sweet tooth
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Protein bars – easy to eat and very filling
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Electrolytes – a great way to add extra hydration and nutrients to your water!
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Ready made protein shakes – great for an on the go breakfast
Make Smart Stops for Food
If you’re traveling a considerable distance, you’ll need more than snack foods to keep you going. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends making the most of your stops by choosing your meals wisely.
Check the Supermarket for Prepped Foods
Supermarkets offer healthy options like easy to eat fruits (bananas and oranges), as well as pre-washed and cut vegetables. Grab some hummus to dip and you’re good to go.
Choose Wisely at Restaurants
If you’d rather have a sit-down meal, take some time reading the menu. Choose entrees that are baked, broiled, grilled, or steamed, and avoid anything fried. Salads with added protein can be surprisingly filling.
Eat a Balanced Diet
No matter where you eat your meals, make sure you’re getting a good amount of healthy fats, protein, and limiting your carbohydrate intake. Try to make good choices as much as you can.
Plan Your Travel Indulgences
If you plan ahead for when you’re going to indulge a little, you can prepare for it and hold yourself accountable to not indulge all day and wait until your determined time to order that thing you’ve been dying to try or have an extra glass of wine.
Enjoy Life
We hope this article helps you know how to eat healthy on a road trip. But, life is meant to be fun and it is all about balance. We can’t indulge all the time or else that leads to poor health. But too rigid of a healthy lifestyle also has consequences. So, enjoy your vacation. Live a little and have fun. And if you go a little overboard, that’s okay too. There’s grace for that. But make sure you have the tools and know how to get back on track.
