Tips for Making Better Food Choices When Traveling

Eating healthy while traveling doesn’t have to be hard. Check out our tips for making better food choices when traveling and be prepared for your next trip!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OceanSprayOrganic #CollectiveBias

We have finally found a sweet spot in our family travel.  Up until this point, the little one was a bit too unpredictable for us to plan a lot of travel. When we went to Disney last year, it was a bit difficult and we knew that within a few months it would be smooth sailing.  Well, at least as smooth as it can be when traveling with kids. 

We took some smaller trips last year and then towards the end of the year, Larisha said she was going to take a solo trip to Cleveland with both our girls. I thought she was nuts.  I was determined she was going to turn around halfway and head home. When she finally got to Cleveland, she said how great the girls did. We knew then, that the tides had turned. We committed to our goal of getting to Colorado this year and that happened too. The plane ride was a wee bit tricky, but nothing crazy. We were so excited.

Now, that means we are pretty golden for traveling with the kids.  It took us awhile to get here, but sign us up for all the day trips, staycations, vacations, week long excursions, you name it. We’re ready!

One thing, though, is that it’s not always easy to eat healthy while traveling. Fast food always seems to be the convenient option, but we all know it’s not the best. For the last few years, I’ve been trying to eat healthier, make smarter choices, and live my best life.

5 Tips for Making Better Food Choices When Traveling

1– Pack Your Food Ahead of Time

• This may seem simple, but so many people don’t utilize this method, including my past self.  I remember the first time I took Larisha to the Jersey shore, she started packing a cooler. This is how she grew up, but I didn’t have a clue what she was doing. Ever since that moment, I’d been a fan of packing lunches.
• If you are using a cooler or lunch bag with ice packs, you can pack deli sandwiches and light refrigerated things like cheese sticks, yogurts, and grapes.
• If no ice packs, stick to shelf-stable. PB&J sandwiches are a great option, alongside granola bars, nuts, jerky, or dried fruit/fruit chips.

2– Looking for a place to stay with a kitchen so you can cook for yourself -and more

• Before worrying about eating healthier when traveling, we used to just look for somewhere with free breakfast.  The problem with that is it’s not always healthier. Most of the time, it’s high carbs, sugar, and sodium foods that don’t provide a lot of nutritional value.
• Instead, look for places that actually have a kitchen. This way you can head to a local grocery store (or now have Amazon deliver most places) and you can cook meals yourself.  You’ll be saving time, money, and be able to control the healthy choices you make.

3– Going into a grocery store instead of stopping for fast food

• We all know fast food isn’t the healthiest option.  But we also don’t always have time to stop and sit down in a restaurant.  The next best option is to run into a grocery store.  It’s still a fast option and most grocery stores now have prepared options or bars where you can choose your own food.
• You still want to make sure you are looking at ingredients and nutritional labels to make sure you are making the best choices.
• Instead of grabbing a juice out of the cooler container or fountain, head down to the juice aisle and grab NEW! Ocean Spray® Organic 100% Juices.  It’s a natural, healthier option, fresh from the farm,  and more cost saving since you get more for your money. (Tip: if you must have cold beverages, you can get a glass of ice almost anywhere for free).

4– Stay hydrated

• Staying hydrating will help keep you moving, alert, and full between meals.
• Water is always the best option. But sometimes you just want more flavor or you simply want juice. Ocean Spray’s New Organic Juice is a delicious option.

5– If you have to stop at fast food or a restaurant…

• I get it. There’s going to be times when this is the only option. Focus on the healthy choices. Use a nutritional calculator and focus on low sodium, carbs, and fat with high protein. These will help you keep going and not feel tired, bloated, or weighed down. If you are smart with your decisions, you will find an option at every fast food place you could imagine.

We hope these tips help you on your next adventure!  Stay tuned to see where we’re going next by following us on social media on Facebook and Instagram!

Ocean Spray® 100% Juice comes in Organic Cranberry, Cranberry Apple and Cranberry Blueberry. Grab a $2.00 off ONE (1) bottle coupon Ocean Spray® Organic 100% Juices and try yourself today! We grabbed ours from our local ACME, but check out the store locator to see the closest place to grab yours today. Ocean Spray® 100% Juice Organic Cranberry contains no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors, just goodness in every sip. Each juice is non-GMO and is USDA Organic certified!

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