Healthy eating on the road?

Summer is here and you're packing up the kids and hitting the road. But, how do you keep from succumbing to a diet of grilled cheese, french fries and ho-hos?

You just have to have a game plan!

Whether you're on the road for a weekend road trip or driving a big rig all over the country, here are some ideas to help you eat a little more healthy on the go!

Make sure you are eating a variety of foods, just like at home. Truck stop fare can be limited, but it doesn't have to be impossible. If you are on the road for extended periods of time you can always stock up once every couple weeks on essentials at a grocery store.

Let's break this down into essential groups:

Water!

Okay, I know this isn't a food group. But it is the most important thing you can put into your body each day. When you're on the road you don't want to stop every twenty minutes for a bathroom break, so chances are you limit yourself to a certain amount of beverages. Make sure those beverages are water!

Sports drinks and soda contain so much caffeine and sugar that you are preventing your body from cleaning out the toxins and bombarding it with more things it doesn't need. Stick to water, you'll feel much better. Plus, caffeine can dehydrate you and when you are already limiting your fluids that can be very unhealthy.

Veggies!

How in the world do you eat veggies on the road? You don't necessarily have a refrigerator or a cooler to keep fresh produce from going bad? How are you supposed to get your 3-5 servings a day?

Believe it or not there are companies out there, like Just Tomatoes, etc., that market to just such an individual. Their array of dried veggies make the perfect healthy snack and you get the vitamins you need in veggies you would eat at home such as corn, peas, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes. You can order them online or find them at your local natural food store. You can also find baked snap peas at your local grocer in place of chips!

Fruits!

Dried fruit is available at most grocery stores and even at some truck stops as it is becoming a more common snack favorite. From apricots to raisins to cranberries, these dried gems can give you your daily 2-4 servings a day of fruits without having to worry about refrigerating them. Keep them sealed in an airtight container and they will last even longer.

Never underestimate the power of applesauce! Perfectly portioned in little cups that give you an entire serving of fruit. Not to mention those great little fruit cups giving you a perfect serving of peaches, pears or oranges in that light syrup. Which generally means sugar and water. While these are harder to find organic, they are a quick and easy fruit option on the road.

Grains!

Bread by the loaf won't last long in a warm car, but whole grain can be added to your diet in many ways on the road.

You can divvy up an entire box of whole grain cereal into small single portion baggies and any time you need a snack you just pull one out. It's already measured out so you don't have to worry about snacking away the whole bag and you can eat one for a snack in the morning and one in the afternoon and have two whole servings eaten for the day!

The same can be said for whole grain crackers, including Whole Grain Goldfish. Buy yourself a box and divvy them into serving size baggies just like the cereal. Grab one of those and a serving of dried fruit and you have a very healthy snack on the road!

Don't underestimate the healthy power of the granola bar either! Keeping a stock of granola bars, Cliff bars and the like can give you a great pick me up option in between meals. Add a bottle of water and you'll be putting good things into your body and not snacking as much. Between the Cliff bar and the water you should feel fuller longer.

With so many great choices, you'll have no trouble getting your daily 6-11 servings of whole grains. If you have dinner at a restaurant, you can order the rice instead of potatoes for yet another serving of grains.

Calcium/Dairy!

Milk, yogurt and cheese aren't something you usually associate with being on the road, but you should. Most gas stations and truck stops have begun to carry more than just milk. You can get cheese sticks, yogurt and even calcium rich pudding at many truck stops in their grocery section. When you stop to fuel up, fuel yourself up too! Grab a yogurt to eat with your dried fruit, crumble some of that granola bar into the cup for some crunch! You can't keep these items in your vehicle with you, but you can certainly supplement your diet with them as you go!

Protein!

Whether you are a vegetarian or not, we all know the importance of healthy protein for building muscles and keeping your body doing what it does. As I am a vegetarian my suggestions are going to reflect that, but if you desire to add lean meat based jerky and the like to supplement your protein intake go for it!

You only need 2-3 servings of protein each day though many people eat much more. Some simple sources for protein are seeds, beans (roasted soy nuts), peanut butter (available in a tube to squirt onto those great whole wheat crackers for a quick pick me up when you're not driving).

I know I mentioned Jerky for those omnivores out there, but did you know there is such a thing as vegetarian and even vegan jerky? These strips, such as Primal Strips, can give you up to 11g of protein in a single serving. Made from soy, seitan or mushrooms these can be a great quick protein snack on the go.

Oils/Fats/Salt!

You don't need much of these, less in more in fact. Chances are in the other things you've eaten today you've already gotten your fill of these. Make sure you are eating healthy fats each day (Omega 3s), present in the pumpkin and sunflower seeds you snacked on, as well as those peanuts and almonds you munched on. Walnuts, fish oil and flax are also good sources of Omega 3s.

Beta Carotene was abundant in those dried carrots and apricots you snacked on. Antioxidants were running rampant in those dried cranberries you threw in your yogurt, but feel free to take a supplement to up your intake on days when you don't get a chance to eat as many dark pigmented fruits and veggies where these antioxidants live.

As for your Vitamin D, the 10-15 minutes you spent today going from vehicle to truck stop and back gave you the dose you needed for the day, but you can also find Vit D in eggs and milk. For you omnivores you can also find good sources of Vit D in liver and fatty fish.

If you are able and willing to put a bit more work into what you eat each day, you can save yourself from the attack of the junk food.

Keep healthy! Your body is the only one you got and the only one you're gonna get!

Veggie Mama