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| Hitting the road with your family can be a great way to relax and reconnect. But with travel comes temptation — fast food, dining out and snacking during the day. So it's more important than ever to watch your diet while you travel. Try these tips for a healthier travel experience.
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In-the-Car Snacking
Snacking while you're driving on long trips helps stave off hunger and pass the time. Instead of stopping for soft drinks and empty-calorie snacks, plan ahead. Pack a cooler with these low-fat substitutions:
- Slice up your family's favorite vegetables for nutritious finger-food snacking. Pack sandwich bags with carrot and celery sticks and cucumber rounds with individual cups of ranch dressing for dipping.
- Fresh fruit chilled in a cooler also can be a refreshing treat. Grapes are a perfect travel snack because they're not messy and are easy to eat. Bananas and apples are also good, but make sure to pack them whole so they stay fresh. Avoid pulpy citrus fruits — the juice and rinds are messy, and the high acid content can cause stomach upset.
- Are your kids thirsty? Try giving each of them a kiddie cup filled with filtered water from a PUR® water pitcher. By using a PUR Flavor Options® water pitcher, you can add the tasty fruit flavor of lemon, grape, strawberry, raspberry or peach.
- Trail mix is terrific anywhere! Mix up your own using nuts, pretzels, raisins and candy-covered chocolates for a sweet-and-salty energy booster.
- Remember that hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chilled, make a high-protein between-meal snack.
- Pretzels and low-fat potato chips or crisps, such as Reduced Fat Pringles®, are great alternatives to higher-fat snacks.
At Lunchtime
Noon shouldn't automatically mean a trip through a fast-food drive-through. Instead, plan a picnic! Before you leave, choose a scenic spot on your route that you'll reach around lunchtime, and have a healthy meal outdoors.
Pack low-fat lunch meat, cheeses and condiments so the whole family can whip up their own sandwiches. Substitute bagels or multi-grain tortilla wraps for a change from regular sandwich bread. Be sure to pack lunch meat, cheese slices, and sliced lettuce and tomato separately, and assemble the sandwiches when you're ready to eat, so they're not soggy.
Side cups of potato salad — made with low-calorie mayonnaise — and homemade chocolate chip cookies round out the lunch, and you're back on the road!
Dining Out for Dinner
Most restaurants today feature heart-healthy, low-fat menu selections, so in many cases you can follow the restaurateur's guidelines for alternatives to high-calorie, high-sodium or high-cholesterol fare.
If no menu guidelines are offered, keep these tips in mind:
- Substitute chicken or fish for beef dishes for the lower fat content.
- Avoid cream sauces and cream-based soups.
- Steer clear of fried food, and opt instead for baked meats, fish and potatoes.
- Look for steamed or grilled vegetables, and pass on those with cream or cheese sauces.
- Select fruit-based desserts, such as a cobbler, over heavier sweets such as cheesecake, or substitute sorbet for ice cream.
Vacation meals shouldn't just be about self-denial, but with a little advance planning for how, where and what you'll eat, you'll feel a lot better when you really treat yourself!
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