nutrition

Road Trip Menu Tips
By Tracy Adler

Are your family vacations an escape or an adventure? While you may want to escape from stress or boredom, using vacation as a time to dodge good eating habits can rob you of energy and reduce the slack in your waistline. 

You can enjoy the adventure of a vacation, allow yourself to indulge, and still maintain your dietary integrity.

One definition of integrity is doing what you know you should do, and most of us know what we should and should not eat. Vacation time dining is no exception.

Kids see vacation as a chance to dine exclusively on ice cream and fast food (especially in the car). Adults see vacation as an opportunity to forget about exercise and calories for a week. While you certainly should allow your family to indulge during this week off, there are a few ideas and principles you can take that will keep you eating healthily in between the hot wings and fries:

Everything in Moderation: I have to start by saying “hey, it’s your vacation – ENJOY!”  The last thing you want to do during your precious time off is torture yourself with diet restrictions. Relax. You can enjoy almost everything in moderation.

When you do indulge in something yummy, try to stop eating once you’re satisfied, instead of when you’re full. Think: “I’m satisfied - not full.”  This is a great mantra to learn! It’s a distinction worth learning 365 days a year and it will allow you to eat more of what you want.

Delayed Gratification: Know what you want to treat yourself to on your vacation and remain committed to enabling that to happen. If the kids are going to want to eat popcorn and ice cream at the amusement park, encourage them to eat a healthier snack during the car ride or to avoid snacking all together. Learning to delay gratification is powerful in many aspects of life but can be practiced with the family diet on a daily basis.

Does it grow on a tree? The further a food gets from the way nature handed it to you, the less of it you should eat. So, ask yourself where pretzels and cola grow before taking them to the counter to pay.

Fuel Stops: Inspire yourself to choose packaged nuts (sweet or salty) and a bottle of water or juice over the typical chips and soda. If the granola bar shelf is out of the question, purchase one small snack instead of loading up on treats. You’ll be at another gas station within the next four hours if you need something else. Save the calories for enjoying a favorite treat once you reach your destination.