Hey Chicago!
For most kids in school, spring break week has either started or will start very soon. Which means a lot of you might be out on the road traveling for a little family vacation. So I wanted to give you a couple quick tips for staying healthy on the road while traveling.
Pack Healthy Snacks:
Avoid getting snacks from gas stations and convenience stores. Most snacks found in these establishments are loaded with fat, sodium, and/or sugar. Instead, plan ahead and pack bags of healthy snacks like homemade trail mix, fruit, string cheese, celery and peanut butter. Try this easy homemade trail mix.
2 Cups Raw Almonds
1 Cups Raisins
1 Cup Cheerios
1/2 Cup Shaved Unsweetened Coconut
1/2 Cup 80% Cocoa Chocolate Chips
Bring Plenty Of Bottled Water:
When we're on the road, we never drink enough water. Let's face it, we
oftentimes don't want to stop more than we have to so we forgo drinking
enough water as to avoid stopping to go to the bathroom. This can
backfire on us though because without enough water, we get tired,
irritable and we don't digest our food properly. Instead, plan on
making more regular stops for bathroom breaks. Work more time into the trip for more bathroom breaks so you can drink plenty of water while you're on the
road.
Schedule Time To Play and Get Some Exercise:
As with planning more bathroom breaks, plan some extra time during
traveling to get out of the car and get some exercise. As you're
planning your route, look for state parks,
rest stops, etc. that have a little area that you can get out and
stretch the legs a little. Keep a frisbee, football or baseball and
gloves accessible so you can get a quick game of catch in with the
kids, or just get out and enjoy 15 minutes of fresh air and do a few
easy stretches to loosen up tight muscles from sitting for extended
periods of time. A quick hamstring, calf, lower back and shoulder stretch can make a world of difference when on the road for several hours.
Avoid A Nutrition Disaster By Planning Your Meals:
Most of us break down and eat the wrong thing because we fail to plan
ahead. We eat at a restaurant that's convenient instead of planning
ahead and eating somewhere with good, homemade, nutritious food. Take
some time to look for restaurants that are on your traveling route or
around your destination that have healthier menu options. If you find
places along your route, work them into your stops so that you're not
stuck eating somewhere that only has terrible food choices. Once you
arrive at your destination, have a few restaurants picked out already
so that you know you'll be getting good nutrition for most of your
meals. This way if you want to splurge or indulge in some sort of
snack, you won't be killing your daily caloric intake by doing so.
Hope these tips help! If you have any other helpful tips please send in your comments below, I'd love to hear from you!
Have a great week and if you're traveling for spring break, have fun and be healthy!
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