Road Trip! Your Healthiest picks while traveling

A very good friend messaged me yesterday asking a great question.

Dear Healthy Huggins,

I am going on a very loooog road trip and am wondering how I can continue to eat healthy while traveling. Most of my 'Healthy Huggin's Approved" foods need refrigeration so they aren't very travel friendly. What are my best options when the usual restaurant chains that line the interstate are the only options around?

Humm, perhaps I see a Healthy Huggins Q&A in the future....
 

When you have been on a healthy routine at home, traveling can really throw you a curve ball. You don’t have your refrigerator with your healthy go-to foods that you prepared during your Sunday Food Prep.

The key to success is planning and preparing!

Travel Pack! Got a cooler? Then you can create your own travel pack. This way, healthy options will be readily available and you will save your pocket book some grief. Let's start with portable items to pack along with you.

Your goal is to provide a balance of nutrient-rich foods!

• Water, water, water...should I say it again? Water!
• Small snackable fruits: grapes, raisins, and bananas.
• Dry fruit
• No mess veggies: sliced carrots or edamame
• Trail Mix. Make your own. We put salt-free mixed nuts with plain m&m's (or dark chocolate morsels) and raisins! To measure out a good nutritious ratio, do the handful test: scoop a small handful; you should have majority salt-free nuts, then raisins, and a few m&ms!
• Peanut butter. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of PB into a zip lock bag. When you are ready to eat it snip the end (like an icing bag) and simply squirt it on the item you are eating it with. I suggest the grapes or bananas!
• Granola or protein bars (remember anything >200 calories is considered a meal!)
• Sandwiches. Yes, the classic two pieces of bread with something in the middle. It seems sometimes we think we are too good for a sandwich these days. Salty or sweet? Your choice. Maybe a PB&J on whole wheat bread or turkey and cheese with mustard on whole wheat.

Best buys at convenient stores

• Water!
• Planters Peanuts 1oz
• 170 calories
• 2 g fiber
• Sunflower seeds 1 oz
• 170 calories
• 3 g fiber
• Granola bars
• Kashi
• 170 calories
• 4 g fiber
• Fruit. Yes, most convenient stores have the standard banana, apple, and oranges.
• Apple
• 95 calories
• 5 g fiber
• Orange
• 69 calories
• 3 g fiber
• Banana
• 105 calories
• 3 g fiber
• Low-Fat Greek Yogurt. I was very excited when I saw this in the convenient store.
• Chobani Non-Fat Vanilla
• 170 calories
• 0 fiber (you could crunch up your granola bar and add it in to make a yummy meal!)

Check list for shopping at the convenient store
        Snacks should be <200 calories
        Look for nutrition: Whole wheat/Fiber/Real Foods
        Grain products should have >3 grams of fiber per serving
        Low-fat dairy options
        Minimally process

Just in-case stash: (I keep mine in my glove compartment)

Plastic utensils

Napkins

Fast food

• Burger King
•  Oatmeal, Quaker Original
• 140 calories
• 3 g fiber
• Starbucks
• Perfect Oatmeal
• 140 calories
• 4 g fiber
• Chick-Fil-A
• Multigrain Oatmeal
• 290 calories
• 6 g fiber
• Wendy’s
• Berry Almond Chicken Salad (they have a half order too!)
• 460 calories
• 7 g fiber
• Chick-fil-A
• Char grilled & fruit salad
• 220 calories
• 5 g fiber
• Chargrilled Chicken salad
• 180 calories
• 4 g fiber
• Better side options:
• Wendy’s and McDonald’s Sliced apples
• Chick-Fil-A Fruit Cup, Carrot and Raisin Salad, small waffle fry or coleslaw
• KFC green beans

*salad calories do not include salad dressings. Stick with oil based!

Hope this helps ;)

Anybody have any favorite traveling snacks??

Continue reading as I continue my mission: Healthy Huggins!