Travel Healthy Diet Ideas

Keep food safety in mind. Plan to travel with foods that are least likely to cause food poisoning, such as dried fruits, crackers, cereals, peanut butter, and uncut fresh fruit.   If meat, dairy, or egg products are brought along, to avoid spoilage keep them on ice until they are eaten. Best choices include individual low-fat milk containers, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat string cheese.    

Include antibacterial wipes to clean hands before and after eating.  

Provide small trash bags to place unwanted food and wrappers. Empty trash at each rest area or fuel stop. Provide small sandwich bags to store leftover foods and avoid spills. 

Pre-portion foods whenever possible to avoid spillage (and arguments!).  

Pack napkins, disposable plastic cups, spoons, and forks, as well as water bottles with lids. Bring along small serving trays to help avoid spills and provide a working surface for travel games and coloring activities.  

To avoid spills, have kids remove shoes and place drink cups in them.  

Make a "trail mix", that includes your choice of whole-grain cereal squares, whole-grain oat cereal (such as Cheerios), small pieces of dried fruit, walnut pieces, soft seeds (such as sunflower), and pretzel sticks. Beware of "breakfast" or "nature" bars; these can contain excessive amounts of sugar and hydrogenated fats. The best commercially made bars are found at health-food stores.  

Choose natural fruit bits; beware of fruit bits that contain hydrogenated fats, artificial colors and flavors. 
Select 100 percent fruit juices in individual serving containers.  

Choose whole-grain breads and crackers; natural peanut butter is a great spread! 
When eating at fast food restaurants, choose salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, and fruit alternatives instead of fries. Some fast food chains offer bean or grilled meat burritos, baked potatoes, chili, and healthy sub sandwiches.  

Some healthy on the go food choices for your trip:

McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A, and Burger King: Best choices would include salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, yogurt parfait, apple slices, and milk or juice with meals. If you have to have a traditional fast food meal, have a kid's meal...they have fewer calories and fat than an adult meal.

 Wendy's: Baked potato, chili, grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken or veggie wraps, salads.  Arby's: Salads, small roast beef sandwiches.  Ruby Tuesday's: This is a good choice because their menus now contain information on calories, total fat, net carbs, and fiber on all food items.  

Applebee's, Outback, and other "sit-down" restaurants: Check for "healthy" icons on the menu, or ask the waitstaff to recommend low-fat and "good" carb choices.  Taco Bell: Opt for the bean burrito, seven-layer burrito, and taco salad without the shell and meat.  Subway: All sandwiches/salads are made to order. Select lots of veggies, low-fat meats, such as turkey, and lower-fat dressings, such as vinagrette and mustard. Choose the whole-grain bread or low-carb wrap. Avoid bacon, cheese, and mayo.  IHOP, Waffle House, Huddle House, etc: Again, check the menu for "healthy" icons or ask the waitstaff. Choose egg substitutes and plain potatoes; ask for dry wheat toast with jelly instead of butter. Ask for low-calorie syrups or fresh fruit to top waffles and pancakes. 

Steakhouse: Choose "petite" cuts of lean meat. Have a big salad with low-fat dressing, and add salsa to baked potatoes. Avoid large quantities of fried foods (perhaps share one order of fries with one or two other people).  Mexican Food: Each tortilla chip in that basket on the table has about 1 gram of fat! (How many can YOU eat while you are waiting to order?). Ask for baked chips, cooked whole beans, salads with grilled meat and salsa, and fajitas with extra vegetables. Avoid refried beans, and excessive cheese.  

Italian: Opt for pasta with marinara sauce and a big salad. Ask for whole-wheat breadsticks and pasta (if available). Avoid casserole-type dishes and "stuffed" pastas.  Oriental: Order brown rice and dishes that contain tofu or lean meats and vegetables. Avoid the fried noodles, fried rice, and food that is swimming in high-salt, high-fat sauces. Go easy on the soy sauce!  

Desserts: Remember the rule of diminishing returns: You get 99 percent of the pleasure out of the first one or two bites of food. Share, Share, Share! Order one dessert and multiple plates and forks. Have a contest to see who can make their few bites last the longest!  

Better-For-You Options: The more fresh and natural, the better. Fruit, brown rice, whole-grain breads, vegetables, and salads all beat fries and white bread.  

It IS worth it to pay a little extra for healthier options. Unfortunately, the interstates have far more fast-food establishments than healthy eating restaurants. If parents are motivated enough, they can contact the Chamber of Commerce or a dietitian at the local hospital in selected towns along their traveled route or at their destination to ask about healthy restaurants in the area. There is no guarantee that a privately-owned restaurant will have healthier options than the chains, especially in the south (think BBQ). Look for restaurants with "health-oriented" words in the title, such as "Nature's Bounty". Sometimes, hotels will offer extensive restaurant information. It is often advantageous to call a restaurant in advance, ask about menu items and their preparation, then make specific requests, such as baked tortilla chips instead of fried chips in a Mexican restaurant.  

Grocery Store Deli Counters: Usually not a good choice, as the food items are generally high in fat and salt, and contain sodium nitrate/nitrite (proven cancer-causing ingredient). If you want some quick items at the store, grab some whole-grain buns, low-fat cheese (preferrably veggie cheese in the produce section), natural-style peanut butter, pre-packaged nitrate/nitrite-free turkey breast or chicken breast slices, whole-grain chips, baby carrot sticks, and cherry tomatoes. If you have to visit the deli, choose lean roast beef or "white-colored" meats, such as turkey breast (usually, meats with nitrates/nitrites have a pink color).  

When traveling by plane, order special meals in advance. Ask for a vegetarian plate or diabetic diet plate.  

Roberta Jupp, RD, CDE
Palmetto Health Heart Hospital dietitian