You don’t feel like driving home and preparing a healthy meal when you’ve been on the road for hours. Fast food and gas station signs tempt you to stop for a quick burger. Eating healthy while on the road requires some planning, but when the day ends, you’ll feel light and energized instead of tired and bloated.
1. Bring Fruit and Nuts
Instead of grazing on chips and pretzels, stock your vehicle with healthy, non-perishable snacks. Bring nuts, granola, dried fruit, non-buttered popcorn, crackers, and cereal. For variety, make homemade trail mix. Check the label before you buy trail mix at the store because many brands add salt and sugar.
If you miss the crunchy texture of potato chips, look up online recipes that make chips from vegetables, such as kale and sweet potatoes. Add a little dark chocolate to your stash when you crave sweets.
2. Grab a Cooler
If you know you’ll get tired of dry food, bring a cooler to snack on perishables. Build a protein box loaded with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, hummus, crackers, yogurt, and raw veggies.
You could also bring a simple meal with rice, vegetables, and a lean protein, such as grilled chicken. Other ideas include sandwiches, wraps, bagels with spreads, and healthy leftovers from last night.
3. Research the Area
Research the restaurants on your route before you hit the road. Look for sit-down restaurants with lighter dishes like grilled fish and homemade soup.
If these places are too pricey, check the fast food menus for lighter fare. Many places offer low-calorie and vegetarian options to keep up with today’s health-conscious world. Even a minor swap, such as drinking water instead of soda, helps you stick to your diet.
4. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
A hearty, fiber-rich breakfast can prevent midday cravings. Try enjoying one of these before you leave for work:
- Smoothies loaded with fruit, vegetables, and dairy or non-dairy milk
- Oatmeal with honey, nuts, and fruit
- Greek yogurt with fruit and granola
- Whole-wheat pancakes or waffles
- Smoothie bowls with nuts, granola, honey, and sliced fruit
- Scrambled, hard-boiled, and soft-boiled eggs
If you’re pressed for time in the mornings, make breakfast the night before and stash it in the fridge.
5. Snack Occasionally
You might not notice your hunger when you’re busy, but you suddenly realize you’re starving when the day ends. Try to eat something every couple of hours, even if it’s just a handful of nuts. This helps you balance your daily food intake instead of overloading your body with a sudden influx of fat, sodium, and calories.
6. Drink Water
Some people eat when they’re dehydrated, thinking that they’re hungry. Drinking water makes you feel full and keeps your body functioning, especially on hot days when you’re sweating in the car. If you don’t like regular water, add a low-calorie flavoring or buy a bottle with a slot for fruit and herbs, infusing those flavors into your beverage.
7. Start with a Salad
Order a salad when you visit a sit-down restaurant. Salads are loaded with healthy ingredients, such as lettuce, carrots, peas, and lean meat, and you’ll end up ordering a smaller entree. This helps you offset a hearty meal with a dose of fresh vegetables. Plus, salads are light and refreshing after a day of driving in the heat.
Now that you’ve learned about eating healthy while on the road, check out these mobile notary safety tips for a relaxing trip.
