Nutrition and Travel: Eating Healthy While Traveling #EggWhiteDelight

Spring break is fast approaching and my husband and I are hoping to take the kids on a short vacation.   We rarely fly anywhere when we take trips, primarily due to the cost of airfare.  Driving to our destination gives us the freedom to pack as much as we want, make side trips along the way, and in general relax a bit more than we do when we fly.  It is also easier to eat healthy while traveling by car than it is when you have to rely on the airlines for your meal.  I am not a fan of peanuts and pretzels as my meal choice!  Here are a few tips for eating healthy while traveling on your next vacation:

Eat Healthy While Traveling

1.  Pack some water bottles:  Instead of relying on coffee and soda from the gas station, pack a few stainless steel bottles full of water to help stay hydrated.
2.  Pack some fruit in a cooler: Grapes make a great no mess snack as do blueberries packed into a plastic zip to lock bag.  You can also pack dried fruit like raisins or banana chips which need no refrigeration at all.
3.  Choose high protein snacks:  Protein is going to give you a more sustained amount of energy compared to simple carbohydrates.  Too much sugar and you will get a brief ‘rush’ but then a quick crash and you will be falling asleep at the wheel.  Good choices for protein are nuts, cheese sticks or protein bars.  There are also some good protein drinks on the market if you want to pack them in your cooler.
4.  Make home made trail mix:  Trail mix is a great travel snack.  Mix whole grain cereal, nuts, dried fruit, and some chocolate chips in a large bag.  A great healthy snack for your car ride.
5.  Choose Whole Grains:  Granola bars and whole wheat crackers are much better choices if you are concerned about eating healthy while traveling than cookies and candy.  The higher fiber content will help keep you full longer

Egg White Delight McMuffin

6. Make healthy choices when you hit the drive through: It is not always possible to pack everything your family needs or wants to eat into a cooler.  Sometimes you need something hot, tasty, and more filling than just a small snack.  When you do stop for fast food, make sure you make a healthy choice.  McDonald’s Egg White Delight McMuffin is a great choice for healthy eating while traveling.  Select McDonald’s restaurants are offering this delicious new menu item. The Egg White Delight McMuffin is freshly prepared with 100 percent egg whites that are cooked on the grill and combined with melted white cheddar cheese, extra lean Canadian bacon and served on a toasted English muffin made with 8 grams of whole grain. It has only 260 calories and is an excellent source of protein that is low in cholesterol.  I got the chance to try this new breakfast sandwich out recently and can honestly say that it was really delicious.  The English Muffin is loaded with fiber and the egg, cheese and bacon provide plenty of protein and flavor. I did not even notice that it is made of egg WHITES and no yolks.  Eating healthy while traveling is a lot easier with this particular item on the McDonald’s menu.

If you are heading out on vacation soon I hope you will find these tips useful for eating healthy while traveling.  If you watch what you eat while you are on vacation you are less likely to suffer stomach upsets, weight gain and fatigue than if you gorge on candy and high fat foods.

What is your favorite snack for eating healthy while traveling?

 Disclaimer:  I have been compensated for providing you with the  information on the McDonald’s product featured here but all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.