How To Eat Healthy on Road Trips

By : Jodie Shield | 4 Comments | On : July 23, 2016 | Category : Adults, Kids, Seniors

Part II: What My Family Ate On Our Summer Vacation

By: Jodie Shield, MED, RDN

Family road trips – everyone has a story! I remember going on summer vacations with my parents and two brothers. Dad jam-packed everyone into a 98 Osmobile – he refused to buy a station wagon. Keep in mind, there were no SUVs with a GPS back then! My baby brother, John, got to sit in the front because that’s where car seats used to go (can you believe it?!) John now confesses how much he enjoyed his front seat spot because he didn’t have to sit with me or my other brother, Mike, who were usually horsing around – borderline fighting – in the back seat. My dad was famous for saying, “Kids if I have to stop this car and pull over, you two will be sorry!” Ironically, we usually were. Not because we got in trouble, but because of John – he had a knack for getting carsick! My mom use to let us have an orange soda pop as a treat and John use to guzzle it down way too fast. Before you knew it, we were pulling over. Needless to say, my dad never seemed to pull over fast enough!

When you’re on the road, fast food and soda pop are not your family’s only options. Now that I’m a mom, I’ve learned the importance of planning ahead and packing healthy snacks for those long road trips.  Here are some tips and packing ideas for your kid’s meals on the road:

• Keep your cool.  Fill a cooler with healthy meal and snack choices, such as fresh fruit, fruit cups, packs of ready-to-eat raw veggies (buy prepackaged or make your own), low fat cheese sticks, low-fat yogurt, peanut butter and low-fat crackers, water, pre-made sandwiches on whole grain bread (try lean turkey or ham and low-fat cheese), 100 percent juice, pretzels, animal crackers, and graham crackers.
• Bring water bottles.  Make sure everyone has his or her own water bottle to sip during the trip.  Bring colored markers and let the kids write their names and draw designs on their bottle for a fun back seat activity.
• Refuel the car, not your kids, at gas stations.  The stores attached to most gas stations are stocked with high-calories temptations such as candy bars, hot dogs, and soft drinks.  When you gas up, keep the kids in the car and offer a snack from your cooler.
• Stop at rest areas and stretch!  Steer kids away from vending areas, but let them get out of the car and move around.  Many rest areas even offer playgrounds.

If you’re trying to spend quality time with your kids this summer but are disgusted with your food options, check out my three part blog series: What My Family Ate On Our Summer Vacation.  Last week I covered how to eat healthy at concession stands; next week tips for eating at fast food chains. All of the tips come from my book Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight for Kids and Teens now available as an E-book.