Road trips can easily result in days of dining at fast food restaurants and gas stations, filled with hamburgers, candy bars, chips and soda. However, if you plan ahead you can eat healthily. EDB gives tips on easy, convertible foods for the road:
An apple a day
Most fruits and vegetables are perfect road food because they contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients, aren’t very messy and have little waste. Apples, bananas, grapes and pre-peeled oranges are great car food. In the vegetable department, try baby carrots, snow peas and pre-sliced raw vegetables. Also, try dried fruits like apricots and raisins, or drink vegetable juices, which contain vitamins and minerals – just make sure you choose the low-sodium option. Avoid juice boxes, which contain a lot of sugar and often a low percentage of real fruit.
Got dairy?
Most reduced fat milk products taste nearly the same as their full milk fat counterparts, which makes them an easy, healthy food choice. Dairy products like string cheese, low-sugar yogurt in a tube and individual-size milk bottles are easy to take on the road, just make sure you eat them within 15 minutes of taking them out of the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth. For long trips, pack perishable foods in a small cooler or insulated, iced lunchbox.
Good grains
Avoid the chips and pre-packaged desserts at the gas stations and fill up on good grains. Choose options like low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads. Kids also love goldfish crackers, which come in a whole-grain, pretzel and honey graham options.
Powerful proteins
Snacks packed with protein will help you feel fuller longer and provide energy. However, they can also be high in fat and car trips don’t provide a lot of exercise, so don’t eat them in large quantities. Almonds, roasted soy nuts and peanut butter (great for dipping celery sticks or spreading onto crackers) are good options.
What’s for dinner?
Continuous snacking can make it feel like you’re not actually eating anything filling, so make sandwiches before you leave or cold pasta salads that you can individually package and store in a cooler. Put lettuce or tomatoes for sandwiches in separate bags and put them on just before you are ready to eat to prevent the bread from getting soggy.
If you can’t skip fast food, try choosing healthy options like grilled chicken sandwiches or salads with low-fat dressings. Also, stopping at pita or sub sandwich restaurants will give you fresher, healthier options.
