I’ve spent the past 12 hours driving all over town, taking care of all the last-minute business every good procrastinator is known for. I’ve made a few pit stops at the house, but all meals have been on the run. The weekend hasn’t even begun and already I’m sick of road food.
So I’ve spent the past 20 minutes trolling the internet, looking for healthy eating tips while on a road trip and printing them out to take with me on our trip to Orlando. Here’s a sampling, which excludes all the foods I dislike, but leaves plenty of other options:
Breakfast: protein bars; bran muffin; yogurt; fruit and yogurt parfait; hot breakfast sandwich; small breakfast burrito; dry cereal; fresh fruits and juices.
Lunch or dinner: choose sandwich shops like Subway or Quiznos and choose whole grain breads, lean meats and lots of vegetables; salads; grilled chicken, alone or in a sandwich; cup of fresh fruit;
Snacks: Fig Newtons; nuts; seeds; fresh fruits; hard-boiled eggs; yogurt; dry cereal; Triscuits; baked chips; pretzels; health bars.
There is a great deal of protein on each list, which is good, because protein can really tame an appetite, which makes for fewer stops.
I’m actually looking forward to the 10-hour drive to Orlando. There’s something very peaceful about the open road. It’s pretty much forced down time, and that’s something this whole family needs
I’m also looking forward to getting a lot of exercise walking around Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, which is where the Cheerleading Worlds are held. Yes, there I’ll be amid thousands of cheerleaders and yes, 90 percent are quite physically fit.
It’s hard to order stuff like pizza and ice cream when the super-fit have you surrounded.
Hopefully, I’ll drop another pound or two. If so, I’ll tell you about it Monday.
Gotta go pack.
A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking. ~ Earl Wilson
Leslie J. Ansley is an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur who blogs daily for TheRoot. She lives in Raleigh, NC.