Or how not to puke while on Vacation.
This post is part of the #AmWellMD campaign. Check below to enter to win some great prizes and find out more about healthy travel. All statements and opinions in this post are my own. UPDATE There is a second giveaway! See below for how to enter!
POWER FOODS ON THE ROAD
*
This past summer we logged thousands of miles moving kids to college, attending weddings, visiting relatives and just general commuting.
The word "diet" was not even allowed this summer.
It was hard enough to keep up with the calendar of events let alone think about what to eat or not to eat. But when you have a family to think about (several people with several different food preferences and allergies) you have to think about power foods to keep you energized through every adventure.
Here are 5 tips I learned from our summer on the road to keep yourself healthy
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Planning ahead can really help you keep it simple. I have had a love affair with zip lock bags for traveling for years. With a little planning and a few ziplock bags you can keep your travels much simpler.
If you have young kids take their favorite cereal and portion out one cup snack size ziplock bags with Cheerios, Fruit Loops, or some other simple cereal snack. The little O's are easy to handle and take a while to eat. This will not only serve as a little snack but also as an excellent distraction. Cheerio crumbs are also much easier to vacuum out than other sticky snacks.
And on the subject of clean up you can make your travels simpler by preventing messes before they happen. My top tip is only allow clear drinks in the car. No matter how much your kids plead and no matter how tired you are NEVER EVER give them a milk product drink while on a road trip. This applies particularly to pink milk products. Those drinks are so tasty that your kid can drink them too quickly. Of course Murphy's Law says that if your kid is ever going to get car sick it will be shortly after consuming a pink milk product while you are on a stretch of road where there are no places to pull over.
Keep it simple. Pack your snacks before you leave with in mind that you are going to have to clean up your car later.
(Pro Tip: Orange juice in snack cup containers can be a challenge to open in a moving car...as you can see in this video below)
2. KEEP IT FAMILIAR
When we are on road trips it is always tempting to me to try the local delicacy. I love trying new foods and exploring new cultures. But when I am on a road trip and there is an itinerary that needs to be kept up with it is better for me to keep with what I know. I'll go ahead and sample new things but never make them the full meal.
You know that if you give a baby broccoli you are just asking for some massively stinky farts. It's a known. Stay with what you know your body responds to positively on road trips. Your family will thank you. And of course, otherwise just blame it on a skunk.
3. KEEP IT BALANCED
When you are on a long road trip you don't burn up alot of calories sitting in the car. Even if you do some calisthenics at road stops you are still not burning the calories you do on a regular day. Being mindful of a balance between calories expended and calorie intake will make you feel alot better at the end of the day. It is tempting to stop at a fast food restaurant and get a big fast greasy burger and get back on the road. A good example of easy energy food:
The key to this is that trading out these energy foods, instead of filling up on fast foods, will make you feel energized instead of sleepy.
4. KEEP IT EDUCATIONAL
Talk with your kids about the food choices that you are making on your road trip. When my kids were little we talked about how to read the labels on foods and how to make better food decisions. Now my kiddos are older and they are teaching me things.
5. KEEP IT FUN
Food is an important part of our every day life. We can't stress out about it too much. When we make it a fun part of our day then our kids are more likely to grow up with healthy eating habits and are less likely to have food / body issues. Using different apps it is easier to find healthy options when your traveling. We use apps to look for healthy options in regards to where we stay and where we eat. We found a number of donut shops that offer Vegan donuts (those are healthy right!?)
We had a great twitter party on Sept 28 #AmwellMD sharing stories of healthy travel. Check out the hashtag to see some of the lively conversation.
There is still time to win some of the great prizes from Amwell. Enter to win below and read more on Travelingmom.com.
ENTER TO WIN
#TMOM & #AmWellMD Travel Well Sweepstakes
This post was sponsored by American Well http://bit.ly/AmWellMD
http://www.twitter.com/AmWellMD
All opinions and statements in this post are my own
* Station wagon seen at the beginning of the post is not our actual car but a representation of the family roadster - picture taken from the public domain
This post is part of the #AmWellMD campaign. Check below to enter to win some great prizes and find out more about healthy travel. All statements and opinions in this post are my own. UPDATE There is a second giveaway! See below for how to enter!
POWER FOODS ON THE ROAD
*The word "diet" was not even allowed this summer.
It was hard enough to keep up with the calendar of events let alone think about what to eat or not to eat. But when you have a family to think about (several people with several different food preferences and allergies) you have to think about power foods to keep you energized through every adventure.
Here are 5 tips I learned from our summer on the road to keep yourself healthy
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Planning ahead can really help you keep it simple. I have had a love affair with zip lock bags for traveling for years. With a little planning and a few ziplock bags you can keep your travels much simpler.
If you have young kids take their favorite cereal and portion out one cup snack size ziplock bags with Cheerios, Fruit Loops, or some other simple cereal snack. The little O's are easy to handle and take a while to eat. This will not only serve as a little snack but also as an excellent distraction. Cheerio crumbs are also much easier to vacuum out than other sticky snacks.
And on the subject of clean up you can make your travels simpler by preventing messes before they happen. My top tip is only allow clear drinks in the car. No matter how much your kids plead and no matter how tired you are NEVER EVER give them a milk product drink while on a road trip. This applies particularly to pink milk products. Those drinks are so tasty that your kid can drink them too quickly. Of course Murphy's Law says that if your kid is ever going to get car sick it will be shortly after consuming a pink milk product while you are on a stretch of road where there are no places to pull over.
Keep it simple. Pack your snacks before you leave with in mind that you are going to have to clean up your car later.
(Pro Tip: Orange juice in snack cup containers can be a challenge to open in a moving car...as you can see in this video below)
2. KEEP IT FAMILIAR
When we are on road trips it is always tempting to me to try the local delicacy. I love trying new foods and exploring new cultures. But when I am on a road trip and there is an itinerary that needs to be kept up with it is better for me to keep with what I know. I'll go ahead and sample new things but never make them the full meal.
You know that if you give a baby broccoli you are just asking for some massively stinky farts. It's a known. Stay with what you know your body responds to positively on road trips. Your family will thank you. And of course, otherwise just blame it on a skunk.
3. KEEP IT BALANCED
When you are on a long road trip you don't burn up alot of calories sitting in the car. Even if you do some calisthenics at road stops you are still not burning the calories you do on a regular day. Being mindful of a balance between calories expended and calorie intake will make you feel alot better at the end of the day. It is tempting to stop at a fast food restaurant and get a big fast greasy burger and get back on the road. A good example of easy energy food:
- Peanut butter crackers
- whole wheat bagels
- apple slices
- raisins (loose raisins can get nasty if stuck between the seats - so it's worth a quick road trip clean up after you get home)
- AND the one that works THE best for me individual serving string cheese
The key to this is that trading out these energy foods, instead of filling up on fast foods, will make you feel energized instead of sleepy.
4. KEEP IT EDUCATIONAL
Talk with your kids about the food choices that you are making on your road trip. When my kids were little we talked about how to read the labels on foods and how to make better food decisions. Now my kiddos are older and they are teaching me things.
5. KEEP IT FUN
Food is an important part of our every day life. We can't stress out about it too much. When we make it a fun part of our day then our kids are more likely to grow up with healthy eating habits and are less likely to have food / body issues. Using different apps it is easier to find healthy options when your traveling. We use apps to look for healthy options in regards to where we stay and where we eat. We found a number of donut shops that offer Vegan donuts (those are healthy right!?)
We had a great twitter party on Sept 28 #AmwellMD sharing stories of healthy travel. Check out the hashtag to see some of the lively conversation.
There is still time to win some of the great prizes from Amwell. Enter to win below and read more on Travelingmom.com.
ENTER TO WIN
#TMOM & #AmWellMD Travel Well Sweepstakes
This post was sponsored by American Well http://bit.ly/AmWellMD
http://www.twitter.com/AmWellMD
All opinions and statements in this post are my own
* Station wagon seen at the beginning of the post is not our actual car but a representation of the family roadster - picture taken from the public domain
Very fun and good to read Mary Dear! xxx
ReplyDeleteI am not sure donuts of any kind are healthy! but we can't be good all the time.
ReplyDeleteAwesome read!
ReplyDelete