Road trip time

by Jessica Watters

Well its almost tie for the famous Summer road trips.  I found an interesting article on how to eat healthy on vacation, which included eating in the car and on the road.  Click here to read article.  The article metions that you should derease your caloric intake by 400 calories if you are going to be in the car for a very long time.

I also wanted to add a few of my tips that I use and that work for my family.  I pack our own healthy foods and snacks to save money and to keep us eating right.  This is a list that we wouldt bring on a long road trip, like from NJ to NC or NJ to FL.

1. We stock up on inexpensive bottled water from either BJs or ShopRite.  Depends on what's on sale.  We bring the whole case of bottles with us, pack a few in the cooler and keep the rest in the trunk area.  It beats having to stop and buy water at a rest stop.
2. I make healthy sandwiches for the family and wrap them up tightly and keep in the cooler with the cold water and some ice packs.  Again, you save money and you know its healthy.  Plus it saves time because you don't need to pull into a rest area or drive thru.
3. We also pack plenty of fruit that is sturdy.  Like apples, oranges and bananas. 
4. I also pack almonds and raisins as a snack in baggies.
5. Pretzels, Goldfish and Go-gurts are a favorite low fat snack that's easy to pack for the kids.
6. Protein bars, such as P90X Peak Performance Bars are a great item to pack.  They are high in protein and can be used as a snack or meal replacement.  Plus they're easy on the digestive system.  The kids love the Chocolate Fudge flavor.  I just make sure that I only give the kids a 1/2 serving.  My younger ones get an even small serving size.
7. Another fast meal option that we have recently grown to love is Shakeology.  You can easily mix it in cold water or cold skim milk (you can pack a few single serve size and place in cooler) in a shaker cup.  The chocolate flavor tastes great and will leave you feeling satisfied for hours.  Plus its packed with 70 healthy ingredients. It is also very easy to digest and makes a great breakfast or lunch.

These are just a few of the things we do to make our road trips a lot easier and more affordable. 

Remember, always use caution while driving.  Eat simple meals, and pull over if you need to.