We are getting ready for a trip and I’ve been trying to follow my own advice about planning healthy meals. For years I found that every time I went on vacation I would gain weight and come home feeling unhealthy. It just seemed so hard to avoid the temptations of quick and easy but junky road food. Then I discovered that planning ahead is the key.
So I’ve been making lists and packing and actually had to pull out a copy of my own book, Healthy Travel Cooking, to remind myself of the some of the methods I’ve come up with, and put them into practice once again. I certainly can’t plan every menu exactly for two weeks, but it really does help to have a list of several meal ideas and what groceries will be needed.
On road trips we often like to make our own dinner in our motel room rather than eat at restaurants. It’s better food, less expensive, and kind of necessary if you are traveling with a dog. I am bringing Greek orzo salad with chicken, that will be good right from the cooler or at room temperature, along with pita chips and hummus, and some canned pears. I pack a little “picnic basket” with the few necessary dishes.
During the trip we will be staying at a rented beach house with family, so I’ve made a grocery list based on some rough menu ideas. Seafood will be a big favorite, so I included fish tacos, boiled shrimp with a big salad, baked fish with sweet potato fries. I’ll make a big pot of Cuban black beans and rice the first day to have around for a backup or side dish. We will have children with us, and they love it if there is a big platter of fruit to grab; we’ll try to keep some ongoing fruit and veggie trays around. Wrap sandwiches made with leftover seafood and veggies will make good beach picnics, along with a mayo-free potato salad. I’ll try to hit a produce stand or store on the way, grab some avocados or pineapples or whatever is fresh and available, and build some meals around that.
Not to say that we won’t pig out at a restaurant a time or two during the trip; I’m sure we will. But I have found that making a healthy plan, and even just more or less sticking to it, makes a big difference in how I feel, and whether my clothes still fit, when I get home!
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