Tips for Eating Healthy on the Road

With summer coming, many families have vacations and trips planned. Whether you are traveling by car or plane or even train, at some point you will have to feed your family while you are traveling. It is very convenient and easy to feed your family fast foods as you travel, but I want to challenge myself and everyone else to choose healthier options for feeding your family while on the go. 

For Road Trips

It is usually easy to pack healthy food for road trips. You are able to bring a cooler and you are usually not too limited on space.

Here are some ideas for meals while on your road trips:

• Breakfast – Flax-Bran Muffins (see recipe below). Muffins are easy to store, relatively non-messy for eating in the car, and you can pack a lot of nutrition in muffins! 
• We also like to make no-bake energy bites.
• Lunch – Sandwiches are the easiest for road trips, you can have them pre-made and or you can bring all the “fixin’s” and make it at your lunch stop. Be sure to use whole grain breads, nitrate-free deli meats and organic cheese if possible. Pack grapes, apples or clementines as sides for your lunches.
• Dinner – If your road trip is long and you are needing to eat dinner on the road too, a good option would be rotisserie chicken and raw vegetables. Maybe it is just me, but rotisserie chickens taste good cold and you can munch on some carrots, celery or raw broccoli to go along with it. Or if you have the time and you are passing through a town that has good restaurants, choose grilled meats and steamed veggies or salads from the restaurant menu.
• Snacks – raw vegetables, raw nuts or seeds, dried fruits (raisins, pineapple, apple, etc.), and whole grain cereals can all make good munching snacks for when you need something to keep you awake or occupied for those long stretches of highway.

For Plane Trips

It is harder to bring food with you when you are traveling by plane. You don’t have as much space to bring extra food, you cannot bring liquids and air travel is just more hectic, in my opinion. But, you can still eat healthy.

• Airport restaurants are usually expensive and the ones that aren’t expensive are the fast food chains. But, you can get salads and sandwiches for relatively inexpensive and a lot of fast food chains now offer fruit options instead of fries. These little things can help somewhat.
• Skip the sodas and the juices and opt for water. No need to drink calories when you get more than you need from the fast food. Bring an empty water bottle to fill at a bottle filling station, to save on buying overpriced water.
• If your budget and time allow, eat at the nicer restaurants and order grilled meats and vegetables or salads.
• You can bring food with you. It may take some planning and preparation, and it is mostly liquids that are limited. I have brought granola bars, sandwiches and fruit with me through airport security. Yes, my sandwich may have been a little smashed in my backpack, but it did save me from having to buy airport food and it was still healthier than the Big Mac from McDonalds. I am a big fan of bringing a pack of Clif Bars with me when we travel.

For Train Trips

Train trips are a little bit different than both plane or car trips. I have not taken a train trip since my Eurail travelling days in college, but most if not all trains offer food services especially for overnight trips. Remember to choose healthy food options. You can also bring food with you on trains.

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Bob’s Red Mill Bran Flax Muffin Recipe (adapted)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flaxseed mill
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
2 peeled and shredded apples
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
3/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, flaxseed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Makes 15 medium muffins.

Sarah is a wife and SAHM of one active preschool boy and one on the way. Before becoming a SAHM, Sarah taught science to grades 8-12. She enjoys spending time with her family in various activities, especially hiking or other outdoor activities. She also enjoys reading, shopping, vacations and spending time with her friends. Sarah strives to serve God and others in her daily life and does her best to be the best wife and mom she can be.