Ways to Eat Healthy While Traveling with the Family

Thanks to Rhonda Monfee, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian with Conway Regional Health System for sharing these great tips for keeping the family healthy, even when traveling.

Eating out while traveling can be a great experience and be healthy at the same time! If we can eat healthy 80 percent of the time, we can have a 20 percent splurge and still achieve our healthy, weight control goals.

While traveling with the family on vacation, here are some easy ways to navigate to healthier eating:

Have a plan, go to a grocery store and pack a cooler 

1. Ask all family members to help pack snacks so no one is skipping meals on the way and getting too hungry
2. During the trip, instead of stopping at fast food, stop at a grocery store and get milk, yogurt,  100% juice boxes , fruit, bagged veggies, nuts, hummus, peanut butter…  this helps cut out junk  
3. Eat frequently, and in smaller amounts, emphasizing protein with each meal to improve fullness feeling (will have samples- “protein” bars)  Skipping meals leads to overeating at the next opportunity.
4. When stopping at the gas station, try to avoid high sugary, high fat, deep fried foods and limit high powered energy drinks, which all add up to flaring tempers and even more stops to go to the restroom. Look for:
1. Single-serving, whole-grain breakfast cereals and cartons of milk with fresh fruit.
2. Fresh made sandwiches to order, choose turkey or ham sandwiches.

Try to choose full service restaurants that offer more healthy choices for the whole family.

• Since the body is designed to eat about every 4 hours while we are awake, small meals throughout the day are recommended.
• Meals should be approx 300-500 calories each (Break, Lunch, Supper)
• Snacks should be approx 100-150 calories each (mid-morning, mid-afternoon)
• New guideline for restaurant chains with 20 or more locations: They are required to report calorie contents of food for customers who are ordering inside or drive-through. This is important for consumer education! 

When fast food is the option, try our top picks:  (Try to limit fast food to one time per day)

• McDonalds – Breakfast – Egg McMuffin or  Oatmeal with nuts, fruit or Yogurt Parfait
• Taco Bell – Lunch – Fresco Crunch Chicken Tacos, Beans/Rice
• Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, salad on side with baked potato OR grilled chicken sandwich/chili
• Subway 6” turkey with cheese, apple slices, water
• Arby’s Roast Beef Classic or Turkey Sandwich or Roast Chicken Farmhouse Salad
• CHICK-FIL-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich with Salad