Your bags are packed, the gas tank\u2019s filled and your GPS is programmed. You\u2019re all set for a worry-free road trip.<\/p>\n
But not so fast: What about eating on the way? Will junky road food doom your diet?<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to, top dietitians say.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is your diet isn\u2019t going to be perfect,\u201d says Lisa De Fazio, a registered dietitian and health expert for the website fitperez.com. \u201cBut you can do your best with what\u2019s available.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though road food has a reputation for being unhealthful, making smart food choices can mean the difference between arriving alert and happy or bloated and tired.<\/p>\n
Just follow these expert tips on which snacks to choose and lose at gas stations, burger joints and roadside diners.<\/p>\n
Road food stop #1: The greasy breakfast diner
Truck drivers pushing the pedal to the metal love to load up on a filling breakfast to get through the drive. But health-conscious travelers don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n
Lose: Sugary cereal or creamy grits
Breakfast choices like sugary cereals or grits (a hot cornmeal cereal without much fiber) might be quick if you\u2019re in a hurry. But they don\u2019t leave you feeling full and prepared for a long day of driving.<\/p>\n
Choose: Oatmeal with berries
Oatmeal has cholesterol-lowering fiber, which is good for your heart and will keep you full longer, says Jamie Beckerman, M.D., author of The Flex Diet (Touchstone).<\/p>\n
(Try to get slow-cooked or steel-cut rather than instant \u2013 they\u2019re healthier because the body digests it more slowly and they taste better.)<\/p>\n
And berries add a delicious sweetness \u2013 plus they\u2019re full of antioxidants, which help rid the body of cell-damaging free-radical molecules.<\/p>\n
Order an egg or some turkey bacon on the side for protein, advises De Fazio.<\/p>\n
Protein in the morning will help hold you over until lunch without craving sugar, and increases your ability to focus, she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtein should always be a part of breakfast, since you haven\u2019t eaten in 12 hours,\u201d she says. \u201cIf not, you can crash \u2013 [and] get extremely tired and hungry by 10 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n
But avoid salty, high-fat breakfast meats such as sausage, says Beckerman.<\/p>\n
Lose: Four-egg omelet
One egg yolk has 200 mg of cholesterol, De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should have about 200-250 mg for the entire day, but a whole four-egg omelet would be 800 mg cholesterol,\u201d she warns.<\/p>\n
Choose: Egg-white scramble with veggies
Egg whites give you protein without the cholesterol, says De Fazio.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you load up your egg scramble with flavorful veggies \u2013 which have natural, energy-producing nutrients \u2013 you won\u2019t feel sluggish between meals,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Lose: Waffles, biscuits with gravy and pancakes
The days when a stack of pancakes was considered a proper breakfast are long gone, says chef and nutritionist Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Don\u2019t Eat Salads (Rodale Books). These high-carb, low-protein meals can send your blood sugar reeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink of your blood sugar as a freeway,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you eat all carbs, it\u2019s metabolized into glucose, like a bunch of cars going way too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eating protein, which metabolizes more gradually, is like adding super-slow cars into the mix, she adds.<\/p>\n
If you can\u2019t resist these high-carb treats, order a healthy, protein-rich breakfast, and get a pancake, waffle or biscuit on the side instead of toast.<\/p>\n
Road food stop #2: Gas-station convenience stores
You\u2019re making a quick stop to fuel up when a snack attack comes on. Here’s what to do when faced with aisles of chips and candy bars:<\/p>\n
Lose: Cheese crackers, potato chips or corn puffs
Crunchy snack foods are high in simple carbohydrates and low in protein. Eat these and you\u2019ll be hungry before you\u2019ve hit the next town on the interstate.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because high-carb snacks are quickly broken down into glucose, triggering the pancreas to make more insulin to remove it from the blood. That, in turn, makes blood sugar levels unstable, so you crave more snacks to keep sugar levels up, explains Beckerman.<\/p>\n
Choose: Peanut butter and crackers, unsalted nuts, turkey jerky
These foods have protein, which slow digestion and conversion of food into glucose. They\u2019ll make you feel full longer, De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing would be to pack a peanut butter and honey sandwich before you go,\u201d adds Mitzi Dulan, R.D., team nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals and co-author of The All-Pro Diet: Lose Fat, Build Muscle, and Live Like a Champion (Rodale Books). If possible, use \u201cnatural\u201d peanut butter and whole-grain bread.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s healthy road food that \u201cdoesn\u2019t need to be refrigerated,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Lose: Candy
A candy bar might satisfy a sweet tooth, but not much else. Just like chips, it\u2019ll spike insulin levels, so you\u2019ll get a temporary energy jolt, but crash a couple hours later.<\/p>\n
Choose: Protein bar, trail mix or fruit
Try a chocolate-flavored protein bar, which your body will digest more slowly so you\u2019ll feel full longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome protein bars have lots of added preservatives, so look at the ingredients and try to eat as natural as possible,\u201d Dulan says.<\/p>\n
Choose a bar with at least 30% protein and fewer than 15-20 grams of sugar, De Fazio advises.<\/p>\n
Low-carb bars have lots of protein, but they often contain slowly digested sugars known as \u201csugar alcohols,\u201d which may cause bloating and gas \u2013 not something you want on a long car trip.<\/p>\n
When buying trail mix, avoid those with chocolate pieces, which just add unnecessary calories, Dulan says. If you can\u2019t find a healthier mix, buy dried fruit and unsalted nuts, and eat them together, she says.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re just in the mood for something sweet, grab an apple or banana.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany convenience stores have fresh fruit at the counter,\u201d Avanti says.<\/p>\n
Lose: Sodas (regular and diet)
\u201cIf people are drinking 3-4 regular sodas, they might be drinking 800 calories a day,\u201d De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
Dulan agrees: \u201cSave the calories for food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides, diet sodas won\u2019t quench your thirst as well as other drinks, says Beckerman. Because they taste so sweet, your body expects real sugar and prepares for a wide calorie load. When that doesn\u2019t arrive, your brain sends out signals for you to drink.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo people keep drinking without satisfaction,\u201d De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
Choose: Sparkling water or flavored mineral water
\u201cDrinking water is best for hydration, because your body can use it easily without having to process the salt and fake sugar in diet or sports drinks,\u201d De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re bored with plain H2O, bubbly or flavored mineral waters may be more interesting to your palate.<\/p>\n
Lose: Frozen yogurt
If you pass up ice cream for frozen yogurt, you\u2019re making the healthier fast food choice \u2013 it has less fat and more protein. But it\u2019s still loaded with sugar.<\/p>\n
Choose: Cottage cheese or yogurt
A better bet is plain low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, which have the protein and calcium of frozen yogurt without added sugar.<\/p>\n
To dress them up, “throw in some almonds, or look for fruit and cottage cheese side-by-sides in the refrigerated sections of mini-marts,\u201d De Fazio says.<\/p>\n
Greek yogurt is the best choice because it\u2019s higher in protein than other yogurts, Beckerman advises.<\/p>\n
Road food stop #3: The roadside burger joint
It\u2019s lunchtime, and you want a satisfying meal before heading back on the road. You don\u2019t want to stop for food again an hour into your drive.<\/p>\n
Lose: Cheeseburgers
Sure, they have a lot of protein and will keep you full. But high-calorie cheeseburgers bite back, with artery-clogging fat (mostly the unhealthy saturated kind) and nearly half your recommended daily allotment of sodium.<\/p>\n
Choose: Grilled chicken or turkey burgers
A grilled chicken breast sandwich or turkey burger is lower in saturated fat than the average hamburger, according to De Fazio.<\/p>\n
But if you\u2019re really craving red meat, \u201cget a small hamburger without cheese,\u201d De Fazio says. \u201cThat\u2019s about 250 calories \u2013 not too bad.”<\/p>\n
Avoid mayo-like sauces, which can add 100 extra calories and more saturated fat. Instead, ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables, Beckerman suggests.<\/p>\n
Another option to cut calories: Order a kid\u2019s burger, or cut a large hamburger in half and split it with your travel companion, Avanti advises.<\/p>\n
Lose: The side of fries
Deep-fried foods are high in saturated or trans-fats, which raise cholesterol levels. They often also have too much salt, which makes you retain water and feel bloated, Beckerman says.<\/p>\n
And these days, most burger joints offer healthier alternatives.<\/p>\n
Choose: Vegetables, salad or fruit
Veggies and fruit add cholesterol-lowering fiber to your diet, which aids digestion and reduces heart disease, says Beckerman.<\/p>\n
But \u201cask servers to steam the veggies,\u201d Dulan advises. That retains more nutrients than boiling them in water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
See more here:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On a long car trip, your eating options may be limited. But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to get by with greasy rest-stop burgers and gas-station snacks. Smart food choices will keep you comfortable and focused on the road \u2013 not bloated and tired when you arrive at your destination. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-431166","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\n