Healthy Travel Food Tips
Are you traveling this Holiday season? Whether you’re planning a trip by plane, train or automobile, you’ll face the challenge of feeding your family during this journey. Navigate your family around the temptation of junk food and maintain your healthy diet on your travels with theses Healthy Travel Food Tips! You’ll feel healthier, more alert, and have more fun.
Be Prepared
Airlines these days limit your options when it comes to packing liquids, however packaged snacks are permitted. Stash a variety of low-fat, high-fiber snack bars in your carry-on to grab when you are in a pinch for something to eat. The biggest food mistakes are made when hunger takes over your ability to make conscious food decisions. Keep non-perishable food choices with you at all times when traveling. Examples: Kind Fruit & Nut bars, Clif Energy Bars, General Mills Fiber One Chewy Bars, Kashi TLC Cereal Bars
Focus on Color
Look for fresh fruits and vegetables; choose them as a side dish. Rate your plate; does it have more than 2 colors? More colorful foods usually include fresh fruits and vegetables, which most often have fewer calories and fats than the alternative. When choosing a sandwich, load it up with fresh green lettuce, juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp green pepper, or sliced cucumbers. Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, which will keep you feeling fuller, longer.
Main dish ONLY!
Many fast food establishments lure you in with additional sides such as fried potatoes, chips, or even high calorie soda. Ditch the sides and focus on the main dish. Those additional “side item” calories add up quickly to make an ordinary sandwich containing up to 600 calories, even bigger with an additional 300-400 calories.
Avoid the Tan Foods
Too frequently we sucked into the “TAN” foods (French fries, pasta, refined carbohydrate buns and breads). These foods are frequently full of fat, calories and deficient in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Airline fast food establishments typically feature large baguettes or buns, cinnamon rolls, muffins and pastries. Take off half of the bun to your sandwich, eat only half of the muffin and save the rest for another day, simply limit your portions of these tan foods for a better nutritional meal.
Take a walk
Waiting for your plane if your flight is delayed? Avoid sitting at the crowded terminal, instead go for a brisk walk. You can burn about 100 calories by just walking about 20 minutes! Take the stairs rather than the elevator/escalator.
About Lara Field, MS, RD, LDN
Lara Field, MS, RD, CSP, LDN is a pediatric dietitian, and also the owner/founder of her private nutrition consulting practice called FEED – Forming Early Eating Decisions – in Chicago. Specializing in kids’ nutrition, Lara helps clients in managing everything from the picky eater to the child with digestive diseases like celiac disease and food allergies. Lara not only utilizes creative ways to plan a healthful menu, but also teaches parents techniques that will leave a lasting healthy impression on their children. In addition to private in-home counseling, services include pantry “rehab”, meal preparation training, and grocery store tours.
For more information about Lara’s services, call 847-651-4729 or visit www.feednutrition.com