Smart Snacks for Your Thanksgiving Road Trip

You are in a hurry, packing the car and getting ready for the long trip ahead to spend Thanksgiving Day with the entire family. Due to last second thoughts, you forget to plan snacks for the car ride. You rapidly grab chips and candy and pour the rest of your mornings coffee into a travel mug. You stare at the road all day, eating candy and chips out of boredom, while downing your coffee to stay alert. Upon reaching your destination, you feel jittery and bloated. This is no way to feel prior to the holiday! Although it may be easy to grab snacks, such as chips and candy, with a little planning, you can snack the smart way on a road trip and arrive at your destination feeling energized.

Good grab-and-go options:

• Unsalted nuts
• Pre-washed fruit like apples, pears, bananas, and grapes
• Dried fruit
• Pre-cut raw veggies
• Whole-grain crackers or pretzels
• Plain popcorn
• Peanut butter

*Tip: Pre-portion snacks into single-serving bags before you leave your home. Never bring a big bag of chips, crackers, or the other snack food on the road—it’s too easy to snack by the handful.

Benefits of a cooler:
A cooler is another great idea—being sure to keep the cooler temperature at 40degrees F. A suggestion is to use ice packs to keep the cooler cool. The following are healthful options to pack:

• Reduced-fat cheese sticks or slices
• Reduced-sodium deli turkey sandwiches or wraps
• Individual containers of low-fat or fat-free wraps
• Low-fat deli, hummus or guacamole to eat with veggies or whole-grain chips

Additional tips:

• Steer clear of sweet and salty snacks. If you want something sweet, try a piece of dark chocolate with  fruit or a small handful of almonds. 
• Avoid high-fat and high-sodium foods. They can make you feel sluggish and thirsty.
• Stay hydrated by drinking seltzer water or water with a little flavor added that’s low in calorie. Another option would be to add a slice or two of lemon or lime to regular water.
• Instead of coffee or soda, try packing a thermos of ice water or tea with sprigs of mint, slices of lemon or cucumber. The longer it sits in the car, the more refreshing it will taste.

Source:  http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442470546.