March 28, 2024

Eating healthy on-the-go doesn’t have to be difficult

You’ve already planned your perfect summer and traveling may be a part of that plan.

While traveling is a time to break your own rules and kick back, completely abandoning your healthy eating habits for airport pretzels and resort margaritas make it even more difficult to get back on track when the trip is over.

Follow these easy tips for better nutrition on the road, and have a safe and healthy road trip:

Healthy eating at a restaurant:

• Choose an omelet filled with vegetables and order a side of whole-wheat toast instead of a stack of pancakes and syrup

• Steamed vegetables with a slice of lemon; grilled veggies if not drenched in oil.

• Meats that are grilled, broiled, roasted, or baked without added fat. Choose seafood that is broiled, baked, steamed, blackened, or poached.

• When ordering a baked potato, try pico de gallo sauce instead of butter and sour cream.

• Choose whole-wheat linguine with your pasta selections.

• Fresh fruit, sherbet, and angel food cake are good choices for dessert.

At fast food restaurants:

Find sandwich shops like Subway that let you select your sandwich ingredients. Choose whole grain breads, lean meats, and add flavor with roasted sweet peppers, lettuce, tomato and jalapeños.

Many fast food restaurants offer salads, but you’ll need to be careful when you select one. Some of those salads are very high in fat, especially taco salads or those topped with fried chicken strips.

At the hotel continental

breakfast bar:

• Choose a whole grain cereal with skim or 1 percent milk.

• Fresh fruit gives you vitamins and fiber.

• Yogurt or hard-boiled eggs are good sources of protein.

• Avoid sugary muffins, sweet-rolls, and pre-sweetened cereal.

Healthy snacks on the go:

• Choose fruits and veggies that travel well: apples, oranges, celery, carrots, and zucchini are all good choices.

• Stay hydrated and bring plenty of bottled water.

• Individually wrapped portions of string cheese can be kept in the cooler. They are a great source of calcium and protein.

• Bring baked whole grain crackers along on your trip. This is good for added fiber and nutrients.

• You can also pack sandwiches made with whole grain bread and peanut butter or lean meats. Keep these in the cooler, too.

• Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats and are easy to take on a trip in either individual bags or larger containers.

• If you are in the same location for more than 24 hours, find a grocery store and stock up on clean eats to keep in your hotel fridge. If there isn’t one in the room, most of the time they will bring one to your room if requested.

It can be hard to stick to a diet or find the healthiest choices when you’re in an unfamiliar place.

However, thanks to technology, there are some easy new ways to get this information whenever — and wherever — you need it.

Listed below are a few smartphone apps that can help you make better food choices while on the road or abroad: