On the road again.

Road trips.  One of my favorite ways to travel, let's just get in the car & go.  Colin & I actually fell in love doing a cross-country road trip.  Literally cross-country, he flew out to LA to move me back to Syracuse, NY so I could finish my senior year of college.  A urinary tract infection rocked that road trip & left me in horrible pain, with a fever, & unable to drive the entire time.  And being the good guy that he is, Colin drove the entire 3 days until we could get into Cincinnati where I could see a doctor & come back to life.  Poor Colin, but hey that shows you it's real love right?!  Back to road trips, eating while on the road is tough!  It's something I definitely struggle with, I mean who doesn't love an excuse to dip fries in a Wendy' frosty?! Yes, dip the fries in the frosty, a favorite high school tradition.  With summer coming up road trips with friends, family, or significant others are bound to be a downfall, or are they?

From that unforgettable road trip, at the grand canyon, no flash on the ghetto disposable camera

My "trustworthy" driver.  Not everyone can handle 3 straight days of driving with a sick g/f.

Road trips should be exciting, exhilarating, an adventure! Not a time to gorge on fast food, going into a diabetic coma, resulting in a stomach ache the entire time.  There is a way to make healthy choices while on the road.  First step is easy, plan ahead!  I know it's easier said than done, but really, plan your meals.  Get out the door, hit the grocery & stock up on healthy snacks, beverages & food that travels well.  A favorite of ours is trail mix or a fruit/nut mix from Trader Joe's or Costco.  Throw the bag in the car so you are healthily satisfied when you have the munchies.  For even better control get prepackaged snacks like Trader Joe's individually packaged fruit/nut mix, prepackaged/pre-cut apple slices or carrot sticks.  Easy!  And for a meal something that travels well, a PB&J on whole wheat bread with almond butter or light peanut butter.  If you're bringing a cooler try a pre-made salad or tuna with crackers (tough to eat if you are the driver I know, but for the passenger it's great!).  Beverages are the easy part, water in my Nalgene bottle & occasional stops for a skinny Starbucks treat.

Now, the above tips are great for a short road trip like we took this weekend; however, more than a couple hours drive & more than 4 days on the road, & you could definitely be in some trouble.  Unless you are my grandparents who can pack food for a 10-14 day trip in a cooler (not even lying & legit like whole meals), you are going to have to stop for food/drinks.  This is when it's easy to fall off the bandwagon.  You don't have to fall off that wagon though, you have tons of healthy-ish options in front of you, you just need to make them.  Let's start with fast food....

Start with a good option, Wendy's, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, & Subway are all great options!  They all have healthy options on their menu, between salads, wraps, & apple slices you are set.  It's in your control to make these choices.  This weekend, with no time to pack more than snacks I chose a 6 in sub from Subway on whole wheat bread!  Filling, satisfying, but not consumed with calories.  When faced with a comparison of a quarter pounder with cheese & a salad, think about how you will feel after that 1/4 pounder & that will be enough to lead you to the wrap.  Also, don't be fooled by the salad option, beware of the dressing!  You really only need about 1/4 to 1/2 of the packet, portion control is key here!  Lastly is the drink, it's vacation if you need a frosty because it's Wendys, I totally understand, go ahead.  Just choose the small, it will be just enough to curb your craving for heavenly, processed chocolate.  Same concept applies to pop (or soda for non-midwesterners) super size me....no thanks, I'll take a small.  Cut your sodium, sugar & caffeine intake by 1/2.

Gas Stations....this is my last point to cover & then I will leave you to enjoy a beer after a long holiday weekend.  Gas stations are my biggest downfall.  I love a good gas station coffee (extra sweet from the machine), peach rings, & Combos.  Everything I listed there is enough calories for 2 meals.  When stopping for a potty break or actual gas there is no need to get a snack every single time.  Time your stops, hey we have a 10 hour drive we are going to stop twice, so maybe in the first stop you splurge on the peach rings & then you should be set for the rest of your trip with your snacks.  

A lot of what we eat on road trips is habit.  We are bored in the car or we were used to eating like that when we were kids, so occupy your time & make sure you are hydrated.  De-hydration drives people to think they are hungry.  Don't be a VICTIM ;) .  Also, don't deprive yourself on these Griswold-esque vacations in the family truckster, enjoy yourself.  Just remember if you eat like sh*t, you will probably feel like sh*t, and that is not what anyone wants when they are on vacation!