We are getting ready to move across country next week and I know on the trip we will be stopping at fast food places for convienience so I need advice on how I can eat healthy. I will not be able to plan meals like I would normally. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can bring on the trip that doesn't necessarily require refrigeration although I will be bringing a cooler.

Many fruits & veg don't necessarily have to be refrigerated. You can wash them before the trip and keep a few on hand. You could also keep a few protein or meal replacement bars on hand to help curb hunger. Dry cereal put into baggies to munch on might help, too.

You don't have to stop at that many fast food places, either. A long time ago someone suggested that there are often supermarkets near to highway exits. This means that you could always buy more fruits & veg, as well as making sandwiches or picking up slightly perishable snacks direct from the store along the way.

Subway sandwich shops are often near highways also--and among fast foods places, they are a good choice. Your family members can get the subs they prefer, and you can make the choices you need to make. For example, get a six-inch sub, with turkey, no cheese, lots of vegetables, no mayo. A little oil and vinegar is probably OK.

Number one rule for "burger" type places is to skip the french fries completely. I also try to eat only half of the bun, and I don't get cheese or mayo. The chicken options, because they are mostly breaded, aren't much better than the beef burger, but if you can find a grilled, unbreaded chicken choice, that would be better.

Pizza is usually a bad choice. If there is no other choice, eat one piece or only 1/2 if it's an individual pizza. (Throw the rest away.)

Some ideas... Good luck!

Jay

Just keep stabbing me in the back JAY

I suggest printing out the nutrion lists from a few of the fast food places too, before you go.

When I work out of town I do a lot of what FAERIE suggests about shopping at the supermarket for better quick meals. Sometimes cheaper...and you may need to save for all that gas...OUCH!

Map places along the way that are good to go...

My husband and I drove from CO to MD, mostly along 70 and really didn't have any issue with eating fairly healthy. Eating on the road sucks but it doesn't have to be a disaster.

Things to bring - Snack bars, nuts, fruit (fresh and dried). Bring along an ice chest. If you are staying in a motel (?), you can put ice in it if you want to bring something perishable. You could also buy ice from a grocery store fairly cheaply if you were staying in the car or had other arrangements. You could fairly easily keep sandwich stuff and other stuff in it if you didn't want to eat out at all.

When I was young, I remember going on a road trip from Texas to Florida with my grandparents. My grandmother was always very health conscious and had a lot of food allergies, so we always packed foods to take along. Things like apples, pears and oranges don't have to be refrigerated, and are usually hearty enough to withstand all the moving around. Nuts are another option if you can portion them out ahead of time so you can control the calories--tons of healthy fats in there!

If you can pack a small ice chest, sandwich meats are a great option. You can bring along your preferred sandwich stuff and not have to worry about the nutritional info of a restaurant. Instead of messing with ice, we always used to freeze a bunch of water in plastic bottles and just tuck the perishables in along with them. That way, you've got cold water along the way as well as a way to keep your foods cold without all the mess of having to dump the water as it melts.

Also, most of the chain gas stations around here (7-11, etc.) have microwaves that they are usually more than happy to let you use. That makes things like soup an option, especially now that so many of them come in lower calorie varieties with those nifty little pull-tab tops.

I know the nutrition facts about almost every item on the McD's menu by heart because my sister and her husband own our local McD's. My sister and I train together, so she's very health-conscious, and she keeps me abreast of what's good and bad on the menu. So if that's all you have to choose from (and it often is on the highway, I know), there are things you can eat there.

The grilled chicken snack wraps are 260 calories apiece (270 for the ranch), and I usually get one of those with a sugar free vanilla iced coffee (90 calories) for lunch if I'm running late for work. If I have time to sit, the grilled chicken southwest salad is awesome and comes in at around 300 calories. Good salads from McDonald's, who'd have thought? Also on the 'good' list for me: the fruit and yogurt parfait. It's 130 calories (160 with the granola, which I never eat) and has some protein and calcium.

If you really want a sweet fix, order a plain sundae. It's low-fat ice cream and without the topping comes in at around 200 calories. The shakes are horrible. Stay away from the shakes. The apple dippers are yummy, but keep in mind that the caramel dipping sauce has 70 calories, bringing your 35 calories of apples up to over 100. Still not bad, if you're looking for a snack, but there's no protein so I'd probably use my 100+ calories on a fruit and yogurt parfait instead.

Surprising facts: The grilled chicken sandwich has more calories than a hamburger. It's that damn bun they serve it on; it's ridiculous. So if you want a sandwich, stick with a hamburger or ask for the grilled chicken on a regular bun. They shouldn't have a problem with that. Just avoid the fries, of course!

I totally just did a McDonald's commercial, didn't I? And I don't even eat there more than like once a month. To be honest, Subway's my first choice when I have to eat fast food. Just don't tell my sister.

I find Slimfast helps me out enormously at times when I don't have access to my kitchen. Also 100 calorie snack packs when you feel like a nibble. I often sit eating a slimfast bar whilst my family tucks into Big Mac and fries.

Kitty