If you are planning to take some road trips this summer, will you pack food to take with you in the car? Or do you stop every 2 hours at McDonald's? Starbucks? KFC? For me and my family, this is always a point of contention.
In one of my recent classes, a student came back from a trip with her family to Disney World. She is on a strict diet and has already lost more than 30 pounds, with approximately another 30 pounds to go. She told me that she packed ALL her food for her entire stay at Disney, freezing meals and storing them in a cooler for transport! This was probably the most impressive story anyone has ever told me about sticking to a diet, come hell, high water, or traveling with young children. Can you imagine? Someone should give that woman a medal!
On our road trip to Indiana last summer, I packed several sandwiches, at least 6 small Greek yogurts, string cheese, baby carrots, apples, granola bars, and I can't even remember what else. My husband and I ate all the sandwiches during the course of the 10 hour drive out there. However, the yogurts sat in the hotel fridge for a couple of days before being transferred back to the cooler, where they sat for the 10 hour ride back home. After that, they sat in our refrigerator at home while I yelled some more at my daughters to eat them. I can't remember who eventually ate them. Probably me.
If you are attempting to stick your Zone diet, or a Paleo eating plan, or another healthy scheme, hitting the road can become a major challenge. Most fast food restaurants have plenty of protein options, but they are often surrounded and coated in layers of sugary and grain-based carbohydrates. If you hate to waste food (like me!), throwing away lots of buns probably won't thrill you. But there are some other choices.
McDonald's (and probably most other typical fast food places) has a decent salad which you can order topped with grilled chicken breast. This is a perfect Zone meal, with a little dressing on the side. The Newman's Own dressings are yummy, and fairly healthy, though I'm sure you realize they are mostly fat. Add a small amount for flavor. Try an unsweetened iced tea for your beverage or stick with plain, old water.
If you are stopping at a Starbucks to refuel, the challenge is going to be resisting those insanely delectable baked goods. Stick with a simple latte, with no sugary flavored syrup added, for a healthy snack. The milk has all the protein, fat, and carbs you need for a quick pick-me-up. A chai is another good option as long as you can get it unsweetened: just milk and tea with spices.
Packing your own food to eat on the road is a great idea, as long as you actually eat it! Hauling around a lot of food that no one wants is less beneficial. Bananas with brown spots that are beginning to reek, sandwiches that have been squashed, and key lime flavored Greek yogurts are likely to spend hours in the car with you, only to be transferred to your home fridge after days on the road to continue rotting there. I recommend hard foods like carrots and apples, wrapped foods like string cheese and protein bars, V-8 juice in cans or small bottles, and just a few sturdy sandwiches or wraps filled with sliced turkey or deli meats. And if you have some great ideas for food that travels well, please share your suggestions here!
In one of my recent classes, a student came back from a trip with her family to Disney World. She is on a strict diet and has already lost more than 30 pounds, with approximately another 30 pounds to go. She told me that she packed ALL her food for her entire stay at Disney, freezing meals and storing them in a cooler for transport! This was probably the most impressive story anyone has ever told me about sticking to a diet, come hell, high water, or traveling with young children. Can you imagine? Someone should give that woman a medal!
On our road trip to Indiana last summer, I packed several sandwiches, at least 6 small Greek yogurts, string cheese, baby carrots, apples, granola bars, and I can't even remember what else. My husband and I ate all the sandwiches during the course of the 10 hour drive out there. However, the yogurts sat in the hotel fridge for a couple of days before being transferred back to the cooler, where they sat for the 10 hour ride back home. After that, they sat in our refrigerator at home while I yelled some more at my daughters to eat them. I can't remember who eventually ate them. Probably me.
If you are attempting to stick your Zone diet, or a Paleo eating plan, or another healthy scheme, hitting the road can become a major challenge. Most fast food restaurants have plenty of protein options, but they are often surrounded and coated in layers of sugary and grain-based carbohydrates. If you hate to waste food (like me!), throwing away lots of buns probably won't thrill you. But there are some other choices.
McDonald's (and probably most other typical fast food places) has a decent salad which you can order topped with grilled chicken breast. This is a perfect Zone meal, with a little dressing on the side. The Newman's Own dressings are yummy, and fairly healthy, though I'm sure you realize they are mostly fat. Add a small amount for flavor. Try an unsweetened iced tea for your beverage or stick with plain, old water.
If you are stopping at a Starbucks to refuel, the challenge is going to be resisting those insanely delectable baked goods. Stick with a simple latte, with no sugary flavored syrup added, for a healthy snack. The milk has all the protein, fat, and carbs you need for a quick pick-me-up. A chai is another good option as long as you can get it unsweetened: just milk and tea with spices.
Packing your own food to eat on the road is a great idea, as long as you actually eat it! Hauling around a lot of food that no one wants is less beneficial. Bananas with brown spots that are beginning to reek, sandwiches that have been squashed, and key lime flavored Greek yogurts are likely to spend hours in the car with you, only to be transferred to your home fridge after days on the road to continue rotting there. I recommend hard foods like carrots and apples, wrapped foods like string cheese and protein bars, V-8 juice in cans or small bottles, and just a few sturdy sandwiches or wraps filled with sliced turkey or deli meats. And if you have some great ideas for food that travels well, please share your suggestions here!
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