EatingHealthyOntheGo

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Navigating Nutritious Snacking on the Road

Summer is a great time to jump in the car and head out for a day trip or a weekend excursion. And what is one of the first things you think of when planning a long car ride? SNACKS!

It's hard to eat healthy on the road because your choices are often limited to gas stations, mini-marts, fast food and truck stops! While you might find some healthy choices along the way, you need a little nutrition know-how to navigate the good from the bad. Also, if you wait to pull over until you are too hungry; it’s often hard to make the best choices. So packing the right foods to take with you in the car, can make or break your calorie bank.

Here are a few rules for a successful road trip:

Stock up on healthy foods to bring in the car. Try to encourage everyone to pack healthy snacks since it can be tempting to reach for the chips instead of the carrot sticks, especially if you hit some traffic!
Bring foods that allow you to eat big portions. We often eat in the car because we are bored. So if you are in the mood to eat a large portion of something, you will be better off with cut up veggies, or 100 calorie bag of popcorn (popped before you leave of course) vs eating an entire bag of potato chips by yourself.
Pack a cooler. This will give you many more options. You can pack healthy foods like yogurt, low-fat cheese sticks, cottage cheese, fruit, and of course cold bottled water.
If you stop at a gas station to pick up a snack…read the food labels! Compare labels and select the food with the least amount of calories and fat. Some cookies and muffins can have over 500 calories per serving. Look for healthier choices like granola bars, trail mix, whole grain crackers, or almonds.
If you stop at a fast-food place, order something healthy, such as a salad with lean protein and fat-free salad dressing, a yogurt parfait, or a grilled chicken sandwich (hold the mayo). You can keep a handy calorie guide in the car with you. There are lots of pocket guides available that list fast food restaurants (and other foods of course too) and the calories in each item. This can be helpful to own, not just for road trips, but for navigating healthy choices in your daily routine.
Eating out of boredom is typical on a long road trip. To prevent eating the entire trip, keep yourself occupied by playing car games with your family and friends or make a conscious effort to only eat when you stop at rest areas.
Stop often. Get out and stretch, and even walk around for about 5 minutes. This may not seem like much, but at the end of the trip you will have burned more calories than if you sat still the whole time!
Don’t drink anything with calories. Stick with water, flavored beverages that are calorie free such as flavored water or seltzer, or anything diet. Don’t waste hundreds of calories on drinks that won’t help to fill you up, or give you the munching that you desire while on the road.
If you are going to stop for snacks, look for a local supermarket, you will have many more healthy choices.

Healthy Road Trip Foods:

Cut up raw vegetables; grape or cherry tomatoes; baby carrots
Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes or any type of fruit
Snack size boxes of raisins
Celery filled with peanut butter (1 Tbs or less), and raisins (Ants on a Log!)
Individual size cups of apple sauce or mixed fruit cups
Low-fat String cheese
Yogurt in a tube (look for lower sugar varieties)
100 calorie packs of granola, nuts, or other goodies
Baked crackers with large serving sizes. For example, 20 crackers for 120 calories.
Flavored rice cakes
Sugar free jello cups
Fat-free pudding cups
Calorie free drinks, water and portable drink mixes. Ex: Crystal Light on the Go
Sandwiches made on whole wheat bread with lean cold cuts, such as turkey or ham.
Snack bars or cereal bars that have about 120 calories each.