Healthy Road Tripin'

Today was a whirlwind! I woke up bright and early for a 3 mile walk before saying goodbye to the padres and hitting the road to Houston. When I got back from my walk, the hunger beast was ragin', so I fixed a quicked yogurt bowl that sat like a rock in my stomach!

Caramel oikos, strawberries, blueberries, Kashi cinnamon harvest.

Eating Healthy on the Road

With my parents four hours away in Dallas, our family ranch seven hours way, and lots of college and high school friends all over the south, hubs and I take a lot of road trips together.

Road trips are always challenging for me in terms of sticking to healthy choices. For one thing, driving on highways can be both monotonous and boring. Sometimes the only "exciting" thing I can think of to do is stop for a treat. Secondly, no matter where I am headed, there are usually lots of tempting pit stops along the way. It's pretty easy to say no to Dairy Queen (LOVE me a blizzard) the first time I pass a sign for one, but by the fourth time? Combine frequency of temptation with increasing boredom, and I'm more likely to give in.

Over the years, I have found that these ideas help me stay healthy on the road:

1. Plan ahead for entertainment

Listening to music all day in the car simply doesn't do it for me. I do, however, love a good book on CD. I've invested in a few, including Emily Giffin's Heart of the Matter. Although pretty pricey up front, I've listened to the whole book 3-4 times thise year, so to me it was worth the extra money!

2. Pack your own drinks and snacks

I find that it's much healthier (not to mention cheaper!) to pack my own lunch and snacks for the car ride. If I know I have a waterbottle and a larabar in the car, I am less likely to be tempted to snag a diet coke and a pack of Reeses on a gas stop. Today, I brought along my own lunch of a morningstar farms veggie patty with Mmm sauce and cucumber slices with spinach dip.

3. Don't be afraid to succumb to a craving every now and then!

There are lots of fun food indulgences along the road, so I try to think about what I really have a hankerin for. Chances are I don't need hree treats on the road--but what's wrong with one? Variety is the spice of life! Today, I decided to treat myself to a piece of heath bar fudge from Buccees. I didn't feel deprived, so I wasn't tempted to overdo it later down the road or when I got home.

Dinner

When I arrived home, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hubs had already taken the initiative to defrost some trout for dinner. We went to the evening service at our church, stocked up on groceries for the week, and then arrived home to cook up some dinner.

Thanks, hubs!

This guy is pretty great in the kitchen. He is one of those people who can smell spices to determine what will taste good together. Me, I have to follow a recipe at this point. But he can wing it.

Tonight he made a delicious marinade of lemon juice, dijon, basil, onions, and honey for the fish. This was melt-in-your mouth fantastic! Served alongside some sweet potato rounds and asparagus.

Something to chat about: How do you stay healthy on the road?