On the road again...

I was fortunate enough to go on the "Great American Road trip" this year. I was quite nervous crossing the US that I would not find many types of food that I could eat, especially in the more rural areas (e.g. a yurt on the Wyoming and Montana border). With careful planning, I was able to maintain a stable diet, that incorporated fresh, wholesome foods. ​

For the car ride, for snacking I packed:

• A medium sized cooler with ice packs for perishable foods.
  • Baby carrots
  • Celery
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Hummus
  • Jam
• An assortment of somewhat healthy shelf-stable snacks
  • Organic apple sauce (cinnamon flavored, peach flavored, cherry and carrot flavored- all no sugar added)
  • Fruit crushers (squeezable fruit sauces from Trader Joes)
  • Peanut Butter, Almond Butter
  • Chocolate coconut milk
  • An assortment of herbal tea bags
  • Microwavable Quinoa brown rice bags
  • Microwavable lentil and chickpea coconut curry
  • Trader Joes tomato basil pasta sauce
  • Trader Joes chickpea brown rice fusilli pasta 
  • Nuts
• Plates/ Glass containers, Tea flask, Soup thermos, 1-2 sets of re-usable cutlery, napkins

To stay awake, I packed:

• Dark chocolate covered coffee beans
• Natural, Aspartame free Chewing gum, ginger candies

To stay hydrated, I packed:

• 3 refillable water bottles
  • Be careful, you don't want to drink too much water, or you will have to stop the car all of the time. Luckily, between highway 80 and 90, there were many rest stops along the roadside equipped with restrooms and refueling stations.
• Remember to alternate the foods! If you eat the same foods all day every day, you will get sick of them, and you are also at risk of building up a small intolerance to them. I rotate my foods every 2 days so that I can eat leftovers.

Accommodation:

• I tried to stay in accommodation that had at least a microwave and mini fridge. Otherwise, I chose accommodation with full kitchens (through airbnb, even if they were shared) so that I could cook my own meals, and have leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Temptations:

• Along the highways, you are bombarded by constant fast food advertising, drive throughs and convenient stores at rest stops. I remember at one of the rest stops in Minnesota there was a tent set up selling "$1 Hot dogs" to celebrate national hot dog day. Its hard not to give into these temptations, but you also have to keep in mind that you might not know where the next restroom will be!

​Overall, my best advice if you are planning on taking a road trip, no matter how long it is, would be to pack a variety of foods that you enjoy eating. It would be beneficial if these foods also do not make you thirsty, are wholesome and filling, are not empty carbs that will lead to blood sugar spikes and excessive eating. Eat small amounts often, and have the food easily accessible and organized. 

​Remember to eat- sometimes if you are out on an excursion for the day it can be so overwhelming that you forget to eat. You will, or at least I get tired and cranky when I don't eat, so plan around meal and snack times.

Try your best not to eat while driving

"The release of norepinephrine inhibits the release of neurotransmitters that might cause you to feel relaxed or aid in the digestion of food. This is one reason eating while driving is bad for you—when your stress response is engaged, the ‘rest and digest’ neurotransmitters are put on hold, and so is the food in your stomach.” - Why Isn't my Brain Working by Dr Datis Kharrasian

Patience....
You may have the urge to keep reaching for snacks, instead pull into a rest stop to use the bathroom, get outside and enjoy your snack. There are picnic areas with grass and picnic tables at many of the rest stops.

Yellowstone National Park was absolutely my favorite part of the road trip. I had waited my whole life to see Yellowstone, it was a lot to take in. This will certainly not be my last time to Yellowstone.

• Remember to bring your own reusable water bottles! They do not sell water bottles anywhere in the park, plastic water bottles are not allowed.