Vacations and traveling seem to be a part of summer time. Can you still eat well while on the road and traveling? Of course you can! We do!

Here are a few suggestions that we have found successful as we travel, which can be adapted whether driving or flying.

The key to any successful vacation is planning ahead, so ask yourself these questions as you think of healthy eating and foods. Where will you be going? What time will you arrive? Will it be meal time at a certain check point or before you get there? Will there be an available grocery store (or health food store) to shop for staples (such as fruit, sandwich fixings, etc.)?

If traveling by car, you can take an ice chest to chill items for breakfast and lunch such as: fresh fruits, yogurt, sandwich fixings, veggie sticks and dips, salsa, and whatever else (healthy!) you like. Remember that many hotel rooms dont have a refrigerator, so consider taking a collapsible ice chest for some small items such as: sandwich fillings, veggies, etc. Hotels always have ice for use in a small chest.

Drinks: we dont allow any drinks in our vehicles but water, so we buy the largest size water bottles one for each person write each ones name on theirs, and buy gallon jugs of water on the way for refills. That way everyone has their own water and theres no mess with pouring drinks. If flying, we take 2-3 small water bottles per person and carry in our back packs, refilling when possible. Water can be very expensive in airports and hotels.

Breakfasts: We find it helpful to eliminate the cost and poor choices for one meal by bringing our own. On the road, you can pack a bag full of fresh fruit (apples, pears, bananas), granola or breakfast bars, muffins, raw nuts (almonds, pine nuts, etc.), raisins or other dried fruit. When flying, you can still pack granola bars, raw nuts, dried fruit, and a few fresh fruit.

On the road snacks: rice cakes, whole grain crackers, raw nuts, fresh fruit, popped popcorn (not buttery), granola bars, fruit leather (though too sticky for small children) and more.

Lunches: besides sandwiches, we like vary our lunches on the road. We enjoy rice cakes and filling toppers such as: raw almond butter and honey, tofu and veggie spreads, and guacamole. We also like to have lots of fresh cut veggies (celery, cucumbers, carrots) and crackers to go with these dips. If we are not able to shop for our own foods, we look for something quick and easy like a restaurant with a salad bar (which often can include baked potatoes and good soups), sandwiches, etc.

Dinners: an important part of the traveling experience is in tasting the different cultural foods. That doesnt mean you cant eat healthy though. There are always lean foods, whole grains, vegetables, salads, and water. That is always the incredible part of traveling. The food dishes can be so different but very health oriented as well if you are looking for that. Usually if you are bringing foods for the first two meals of the day, a good dinner meal is really important.

Making good choices at fast food restaurants is important. And if you want to eat healthy, you usually can do so. Lets take a look at some nutritional value of food comparisons in fast food restaurants which may be found world wide.

McDonalds
Quarter Pounder w/cheese - Calories: 510 - Fat gr: 25
Fillet-O-Fish - Calories: 400 - Fat gr: 18
Large Fries - Calories: 520 - Fat gr: 25
Chicken McNuggets (6 piece) - Calories: 250 - Fat gr: 15
Caesar Salad w/Crispy Chicken & dressing - Calories: 560 - Fat gr: 36

Wendys
Jr. Hamburger - Calories: 280 - Fat gr: 9
Classic single w/everything - Calories: 430 - Fat gr: 20
Spicy Chicken Fillet Sandwich - Calories: 510 - Fat gr: 19
Baked potato w/ spread - Calories: 330 - Fat gr: 7
Baked potato w/ broccoli & cheese - Calories: 440 - Fat gr: 15

Taco Bell
Beef Taco - Calories: 170 - Fat gr: 10
Bean Tostada - Calories: 250 - Fat gr: 10
7-layer Burrito - Calories: 530 - Fat gr: 21
Chalupa Baja Chicken - Calories: 400 - Fat gr: 24

Subway
6-inch Chicken & Bacon Ranch - Calories: 530 - Fat gr: 25
6-inch Veggie Delight - Calories: 230 - Fat gr: 3
Turkey Breast Wrap - Calories: 190 - Fat gr: 6
Crispy Chicken & Spinach Salad w/Ranch - Calories: 340 - Fat gr: 25

You may be as surprised as I was to see this nutritional information. If you would like more nutrition facts on these restaurants foods, go online to any of these (plus .com). We can see here that many of us might go towards chicken, fish, and salads for better eating, yet the chicken and fish is often fried, and the salad dressings are very high in - Fat and - Calories. Reviewing the facts should help us make better choices on what we are eating.

Enjoy your travels and vacations! Plan ahead and make it enjoyable with foods that promote good health and energy. Eating healthy foods is always important, and always possible!