How To Eat Healthy When Traveling?

Drive for any extended period of time and one thing becomes painfully obvious: Eating in the car almost always involves settling for fried foods and fast options that just don’t align with strict dietary goals. For this reason, drivers taking a longer drive will want to plan ahead and make sure that they give themselves plenty of ways to avoid roadside fast food in favor of snacks and meals that just make better caloric sense. Here’s a guide to successfully managing this daunting pre-trip task.

Plan and Pack Meals Prior to Leaving for the Trip
If the trip is going to take several hours, consider how that interferes with regular meal times. As a general rule, people eat healthier when they stick to their daily meal times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so keep this in mind when planning whether to eat along the way or wait until arriving at a resting point to grab lunch or dinner.
If the trip does occur during meal time, consider making a meal in advance and packing it up for easy transportation. There are plenty of great meals that can be carried along during a longer road trip, including all kinds of sandwiches and even soups. Thanks to insulated backs, most cold things will stay cold for up to 8 hours, while most hot meal choices can be kept warm for as long as 4 or 6 hours.

Bring Healthy Beverages Along for the Ride As Well
While packing a healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal might seem like the only thing to do prior to departure, it’s worth remembering that the average roadside beverage has just as many empty calories as a fast food burger. It’s for this reason that many people going on longer trips opt to pack their own beverages as a way to remain a bit healthier from start to finish.
For many people, this means stocking up on things like bottled water. That’s not the only way to stay healthy, however. With the help of an insulated thermos, drivers and their passengers can make coffee and tea at home, bringing them along for the ride while saving both money and the calories associated with chain coffee drinks. By cutting out this source of sugar and fat, everyone will get where they’re going a bit healthier and without the “food coma” that can sometimes result form these high-calorie beverages.

To Avoid Overeating or Snacking, Bring the Right Foods or Snacks
Driving can put many people into “the zone,” causing them to snack mindlessly as they focus more on the road than their dietary habits. One way to prevent this is to pack foods that are rich in fiber or protein. These two nutrient groups burn off much more slowly than simple carbohydrates or sugars, meaning drivers will feel full longer and resist the urge to snack with reckless abandon.
Another great way to avoid the “snack trance” is to pack peppermint gum along with the drive’s snacks and meal options. Chewing gum convinces the body it’s full, while also helping drivers stay alert and pay attention to the road. That’s a big victory of both safety and nutrition in most cases.

Great Planning is the Key to Great Road Trip Nutrition
With a bit of foresight and planning, today’s drivers embarking on longer trips can stay healthy even if they’re on the road for one meal or more. Though it can initially seem impossible to resist roadside fast food temptation, packing meals in advance and sticking to high-nutrient foods can effectively neutralize this threat. That means good things not only for health, but also for the trip’s arrival time and each passenger’s long-term health.

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I want to stay safe and healthy in all situations you might find yourself in! There’s no reason to pig out if you’re driving! You can find more of my thoughts on my blog or Facebook page.