Wellness: Eating Healthy on the Road

If you’ve ever done a road trip across the country, I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of healthy food items available. Over and over again like a sad broken record you’ll find IHop, McDonalds, Burger King, Cracker Barrel, and Waffle House. Although these places may sound tasty, they’re doing nothing to sustain your body, and that’s especially critical if you work in a labor position. You’ll need vitamins and minerals to sustain those physical activities you do on a daily basis. Minerals also satisfy your body, so the more you have the less you’ll need to eat. Have you ever had Chinese food, felt stuffed, and ate a gang more just 15 mins later because you were hungry again? Case in point. Rice breaks down to sugar. Chicken with orange sauce (sugar) isn’t enough to satisfy you. I literally have eaten a bowl of roasted brussel sprouts and felt fuller for longer because of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber I received from the brussels.

So how do you eat healthy on the road when there are minimal options? My suggestion, head to the grocery! When you hit the grocery store, 1.) you’ll save yourself money versus eating out and 2.) you’ll find more options for fresh and most importantly organic vegetables. Vegetables are the key word here. We all need to eat more of them!

Remember when you’re mom tried to force feed you? She was doing it for a reason. She knew you needed fiber and minerals way back then to help you grow. Just because you’re grown now it doesn’t excuse you. Eating more vegetables is better for your gut and if you haven’t heard it yet, newsflash, poor gut health can led to numerous auto-immune diseases. Google it. In addition, if you can, and I know it costs more but your health is worth it, buy ORGANIC. There’s a reason why 9 year old Daniel Bissonette led and marched against Monsanto – because they genetically modify our foods and use harsh chemical fertilizers and both are linked to cancer. That’s exactly why Europe has banned it – they all know how terrible it is and the government pays for their health care. To prevent your health from challenges, you should ban it, too. Look for foods that say “organic” and “non-gmo”. Words like “all natural” or packaging that uses healthy looking pictures and green leaves means nothing really. Unless it says certified organic and non-gmo you’re safe. Anything else, is just a trick. Look for organic salad kits in the refrigerated vegetable section of your local grocery store. In the deli or sandwich meat section, look for grass-fed beef brisket or roast beef (Sun Valley is a great one) or organic, humanely raised turkey or chicken (Applegate Farms is a great choice as well). Pick up organic veggies you can easily prepare in your hotel room too. Sweet potatoes are an awesome and filling side dish. Once nuked, you can drizzle olive oil and sea salt and pepper over it. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins (particularly A) and other minerals. Olive oil is full of good fats that are essential for proper brain function. There are also other quick meals where you can load on the veggies such as microwaved nachos. Pick up organic nacho chips and place on a plate. Load with organic diced chicken sausage or diced chicken deli meat, banana peppers or beans, olives, and organic cheese. Get creative. Zap in microwave for a minute and top with shredded lettuce, fresh diced tomatoes, avocado, and eat with salsa. You can also do this without the nachos and throw on lettuce for a low carb version. Need a good healthy breakfast? Did you know you can nuke an egg in the microwave? I like to scramble an egg in a buttered mug so it doesn’t stick. 30-40 seconds is all you’ll need for a fast meal. You can easily make a breakfast sandwich out of it. Make sure you’re buying cage-free, humanely-raised. Happier and healthier chickens lay healthier and tastier eggs! Do a comparison and buy cheap factory eggs and the good stuff. You’ll notice the yolk is so much brighter and richer in color than a factory-farmed egg.

Now I know a lot of you will say, “But Heather, organic foods are more expensive.” Yes, they are. I’m not religious about buying organic foods but I do try to make that choice when I can. I only buy pasture-raised eggs for instance and I only buy organic salads and potatoes. Veggies with tough outer shells such as avocado, pineapple, grapefruit, and even some veggies with little to know protection are shown to have little pesticide residue like onions. Click here to read more about foods that don’t need to be organic. I like to think of buying organic and humanely raised as an investment – an investment into my body. We only have one. Why not feed it the good stuff?

Quick Healthier choices

Organic Foods

Did you know genetically modified foods (GMO) and harsh chemical pesticides have been linked to cancer, as well as, sugar and animal products? Carbs break down to sugar which gives you a high and then a crash. Eat more veggies and gain more vitality.

Microwaved Nachos

Buy canned banana peppers, olives, and black beans and make a quick meal full in fiber. Just load up some organic nacho chips with your favorite toppings!

Organic Vs Commercial

Did you know pasture-raised eggs are way healthier than commercial or factory-farm eggs. Healthy happier chickens lay eggs that are richer in vitamins and minerals.