Road trips can be fun for the whole family. Whether it’s a
cross-country excursion or a long weekend, it’s essential to have the right
kind of food readily available so that you are able to avoid the potential dietary
pitfalls of convenience stores and fast-food restaurants along your route. Here
are a few suggestions for making your road trip enjoyable and Atkins-friendly:
Stay
hydrated. Skip the sugary soda, and make sure everyone in the car has
a water bottle full of ice water. Add sliced lemons, limes or cucumber to add a
little flavor.
Avoid
the snack attack. To overcome the temptations of those
big bags of chips or cookies at every rest stop, make sure you have plenty of
healthy snacks readily available. Pack a cooler with Atkins Advantage bars and
shakes, nuts, olives, celery and peanut butter, homemade trail mix and frozen
grapes, watermelon or cantaloupe. Make sure you have plenty of ice in the
cooler to keep everything well chilled.
Pack
a picnic. Steer clear of fast-food restaurants and enjoy a picnic when
it’s time for lunch or even dinner. Pack the makings for a salad with
vegetables and sliced, grilled chicken breast or steak. Try ham and cheese
rollups or chicken salad rollups, vegetables and dip and fresh fruit and nuts
to snack on. Hit a local grocery store at night so you can have a picnic every
day of your drive. You’ll be saving money while making your meals
Atkins-friendly.
Plan
ahead. Review your road-trip route in advance, so that you can select
the spots where you want to stop and eat, as well as any other interesting
locations where everyone can get out and stretch their legs and maybe even fit
in a quick walk to make up for all the hours in the car.
Eat
frequently. Try to have a healthy meal or snack
every two to three hours. This will help keep your hunger in check, and make it
a lot easier to resist the foods that might get you off track.
Expect
the unexpected. As much as you try to plan ahead,
things are bound to happen that might make it hard to stick with Atkins, at
least for a moment. Focus on progress, not perfection. Don’t use this as an
excuse to give up completely, but get back on track with your next snack or
meal.