Have you ever been in the car for 26 hours? This weekend my family and I went on a little road trip.

13 hours on Friday to Charleston, South Carolina and yesterday 13 hours back to New Jersey. The trip was wonderful and the scenery along the way was stunning.

The scenic views and a couple of CD’s only got me to about hour 3 before I began the “Are we there yet?” like a typical annoying 5 year old.

What else is there to do on an all day road trip? Eat of course. This brings me to one of the most common questions I get about healthy eating:

“Isabel, I am always on the go. How can I stick to my healthy eating plan and still live my life?”

For starters, you may need to take a deep breath and chill out a bit (but that can be a whole separate email for a different day.) If your days really have you running around from work, to parties, to picking up kids all over the neighborhood, here are a few strategies that really do work:

1. Make your trunk your refrigerator.

Ok, not literally, but I have known many people (including myself)
to keep a small cooler in their trunk at all times. They fill it
with healthy goodies at the beginning of the day (raw nuts, fresh
fruits and veggies, even hard boiled eggs) along with some ice
packs and extra tupperware (just in case) and they’re off for the
day. At the end of the day, they empty whatever is left and the ice
packs go back in the freezer for the next day. This is also a great
way to keep your water bottles nice and cold and not warm from the
car heat.

2. Make your supermarket your Fast Food stop.

Instead of a quick trip through the drive thru, run into the local
supermarket and pick up an assortment of dried or fresh fruits,
healthy trail mixes, fresh veggies and natural peanut or almond
butter. Most supermarkets now have wonderful salad bars and
prepared foods like grilled chicken and salmon (better than any
fast food joint) and healthy sandwich options (be careful with
certain condiments like mayo that may be added). Eliminate the fast
food joints from your choices of “quick stops” and look for the hot
spots in town that offer healthier options.

3. Be the bearer of good food.

When going to a barbecue or social event, always offer to bring
something (now I sound like the etiquette police). I always bring
something and that something is always healthy. I know, if nothing
else, at least I’ve got that to eat (although all of my friends and
family know why I do this Even if you contribute the healthy and
lean beef burgers or turkey burgers, this may deter you from the
not-so healthy hot dogs and sausages. Or how about a colorful salad
or fruit salad?

4. Find the healthy places all over the world.

Before I go on any trip, I go online and find the closest Whole
Foods or Health Food Store. If there are none close by, I find a
major supermarket. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy myself on
vacation (like the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed down South) or when
visiting family and friends, but I make sure that all healthy
principles do NOT go out the window. I keep it healthy and have a
great time! (not one or the other)

And what did I eat during my 26 hours in the car: hard boiled eggs,
chicken, natural beef jerky, carrots, broccoli, almonds, walnuts,
and a Starbucks cookie (I just can’t tell a lie!)

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com