Summertime! A time for sun, fun and family vacations. You pack up the family and head down the road. After a while, it’s time to eat. What are your healthy food choices?
Well, the typical rest stop has that wonderful vending machine fare: ice cream, sugary drinks, trail mix with stale nuts and pastry with an expiration date sometime into the next century. You could go with the fast food restaurants, but that also usually involves high fat, high calorie choices. How about gas station/convenience store fare? Anyone want to guess how long those hot dogs have been sitting there?
There’s just not many good options on the road. If you plan ahead you can have nutritious food at your fingertips, which in turn ensures you will have the energy you need to feel your best. Plus it’s more fun to spend extra calories on some really special treat on your vacation.
Here are some suggestions for when you want convenience and mobility, but don’t want to abandon healthy eating habits.
I’ve even broken the snacks into 2 categories-some are best when the car is in motion, while others require two hands and are more susceptible to spilling. Here’s what you need:
Reusable Water Bottle– to fill up at your rest stops.
Small cooler–
Car in motion snacks include:
- reduced fat cheese sticks
- peeled hard-boiled eggs
- grapes
- berries
- apple
- vegetable juices (e.g. tomato, V-8 vegetable juice)
Rest Stop Foods:
- light yogurt
- cottage cheese
- carrots, pepper strips or celery dipped in hummus
- hummus or guacamole with sliced tomato, pepper and cucumber in pita bread
Bag in the Car-
Car in motion choices include:
- dried fruit
- nuts
- whole grain or low fat crackers
- homemade trail mix
- roasted chickpeas
- snack bars made of whole grains, dried fruit and nuts
- bananas
- peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Rest Stop Choices:
- tuna or salmon (packed in water) with crackers or bread
- oatmeal cups
- canned fruit cups
If You Have Diabetes
The foods listed above are good choices for everyone, even those with diabetes and prediabetes. They are packed with more nutrients than what you will likely find on the road. There is a lot of misinformation about what to eat. Carb is not “the devil”. You SHOULD have carbohydrate. Healthy foods that contain carbohydrate are healthy for your heart, blood pressure, and even your weight.
If you have diabetes, the main thing to pay attention to is your portion sizes and spreading food out throughout the day (not skipping meals and then eating too much). If you have a meal plan that is working, try to continue the same schedule while on trips.
I work with people one-on-one to bring numbers down to safe levels so you have plenty of energy. Contact me for more information.
Enjoy your trip! If you liked this article, you might like “Safe Travels with Diabetes“.
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