Planning Ahead for Summer Travel

Eating Healthy While you Travel

One of the biggest challenges during my summer break is making sure that we are eating right during all of our summer travels. But the biggest key is to plan ahead and be prepared with eating options and to not over do it by over eating carbs or making unwise choices.  Here are some of my suggestions to stick to your healthy eating plan:

Breakfast
Mom's have always told their children that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they were right.  After fasting all night long it is so very important to start your day with a energy packed meal.

• Stay at a hotel that serves a full breakfast which includes items like eggs, sausage or bacon.  Skip the waffles, bagels, sweet rolls and choose health options.  Don't eat empty carbs.

• Take along your favorite breakfast items such as a low-carb greek yogurt.  My favorite is "The Greek God's Traditional Plain Yogurt. It is rich, thick and creamy and only has 5g of net carbs per serving and 4g of protein..  I have found this brand at my local Kroger store.   Mix the yogurt with your favorite sweetener and some fresh berries.

•  Take along low-carb protein bars.  My favorite is the Nature Valley Protein Bars.  This one comes in two different bars, peanut butter dark chocolate, and peanut, almond and dark chocolate.  It has a total of 9g of net carbs and 10g of protein.  I usually buy a big box of these from Sam's Club.

Snacks
A mid-morning snack will keep you full until lunch.  Don't forget that every time you eat something that it should include protein.  This will help keep your metabolism up.
Don't forget to have that mid-afternoon snack too.  It is very important!

• 1/4 cup of nuts - place a serving size in a snack bag and take it along with you.  If I take the whole container then I will want to eat more that the correct serving size.  

• If I have not eaten a protein bar for breakfast, I might eat one for a snack.

• Cheese stick is also another options for a quick snack.

• Pork Rinds fill that need for a crunchy snack.  Rudolph's Bar-B-Que Pork Rinds are one of my favorites.  They are an inexpensive snack. It has 0g of carbs and 10g of protein.   I have found this brand at my local Wal-mart store.

Lunch and Dinner

•  Before eating out at a particular restaurant check out the nutritional facts out on the web to know what are the healthy options to select at that restaurant.  

• When eating out consider sharing a meal with someone instead of ordering your own entree.  Many time my husband and I will share a meat entree but we will both order a side salad and a low-carb vegetable option.  It is very satisfying.

• Eating at a fast food restaurant can be very challenging.   Many time I will select the bun less option of a sandwich.  Yes, the person taking the order usually thinks I am crazy but they will do it.  I usually ask for extra lettuce and tomato to be added to my order.  Skip the fries because they are not worth the carbs!

• Take your own sack lunch with your.  Pack your favorite sandwich wrap so that you can control your own ingredients on your sandwich.  Some of my favorite wraps are the Xtreme Wellness! High Fiber Low Carb Tortilla Wraps 5g Net Carbs per tortilla and  the Mission Low-Carb White Tortilla Wrap has 6g Net Carbs per tortilla.

KEY to success is being prepared and planning ahead.  It is worth it and you can have success in eating healthy while you travel.

Great New Recipes

New Recipes from www.foodonthetable.com

 

 

 

Zucchini Rounds

Don't forget that you can get the free subscription to www.foodonthetable.com  The code is SUMMERFREE.  I have tried several new recipes and wanted to share a a few of my favorites.

Another website that I found this week was www.myfitnesspal.com   It is a site that will help you track how many carbs you are eating daily.  They have a large data bank for even many of your favorite recipes.  This was great web find.

I also added a sweet treat that my sister found on the Fiber One Cereal Box.  It is great and filled with lots of fiber too.

Servings: 4
Ready In: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Wait Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 (teaspoon) Black Pepper (ground)
• 1/2 (teaspoon) Salt
• 2 (tablespoon) Grated Parmesan Cheese (May want to add a little more Parmesan on top)
• 2 (tablespoon) Extra-virgin Olive Oil
• 1 (tablespoon) Italian Seasoning (mccormick)
• 3 Zucchini (cut into 1/4-inch slices)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, Italian seasoning, olive oil, cheese, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread zucchini in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.
6. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

This nutrition information is an estimate only. We use software to calculate the nutritional analysis from the individual ingredients in each recipe. While we do our best to ensure accuracy, we make no representation or warranty regarding the information, and there can be no assurance that any of the information contained therein has not been, or will not be changed or altered.

amount per serving

Calories 68

Total Fat 7g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg

Sodium 314mg

Carbohydrate 0g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 0g

Protein 1g

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 1%

Iron 0%

Potassium 23mg

NOTE:  We loved this dish and served it with tomato sauce with a little bit of Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder added to the sauce.  It was great.  I would try this again soon.

 

Crockpot Easy Chicken Chile Verde

Servings: 4

Ready In: 4 hour on High

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:4 hours on High

Wait Time:0 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 (teaspoon) pepper
• 1 (16.0 ounce jar) SalsaVerde
• 1/2 (cup) chicken broth or white cooking wine

Directions

1. Cut chicken breast into pieces.  Place in crockpot.  
2. Top chicken with Salsa Verde and pour chicken broth or the white cooking wine around the chicken. 
3. Cook in crockpot on High for 4 hours.  
4. Serve with low carb tortillas.  Top each taco with cheese and sour cream.
5. Serve with a lettuce and tomato salad.

Nutrition Information

About  2g of Carbohydrate

 

Note:  Our daughter even tried this dish and loved it and she is such a picky eater.  It was delicious.  Will try this one again.

Chocolate Peanut Haystacks

 My sister, Kara, told me about this recipe and I had to try it.  She found it on the side of the Original Fiber One Cereal Box.  I adapted it a little bit and it makes a nice treat that only have about 6 carbs per haystack.


1 bag of Chocolate Chip Morsels - I used Nestles Special Dark Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 sleeve (about 4 cups) Fiber One Cereal
Peanuts (optional)


Melt chocolate chip morsels in microwave until smooth.  Cook for intervals of 15 seconds until completely melted.  Add peanut butter and stir until smooth.  Stir in Fiber One Cereal and coat cereal well.  Drop by tablespoon fulls onto wax paper.  Optional to top each haystack with peanuts, which gives a salty taste but it is really yummy.  Refrigerate to allow haystacks to firm up.


Store individually in snack size ziplock bags.

Summer Break!

Out of the "Normal" Routine

Now that summer is here our normal school routine has changed.  There is time for doing all of the things we love like sleeping in, new adventures with family and friends, staying up late, eating out with friends and traveling.  Sometimes this makes it difficult to stick to my low-carb eating plan but it is not impossible.

This is a great time to try new recipes and to get motivated to exercise (that is something that is very difficult for me)!  I found a new website that is excellent.  It is http://www.foodonthetable.com and you can sign up for a free subscriptions with the promotion SUMMERFREE.  I had a hard time putting in the promotional code so I just emailed them and they set it up for me.  It connects the sales in your area with your favorite grocery stores and gives lots of recipes and there are even low-carb, healthy recipes.  I am excited to try a lot of the new recipes.  I am always looking for great ideas.

Another great offer that I have found with AAA East Tennessee for a Fitness Membership for 30 days for $10.  Check these great deals out online.

$10 for 30 Day Membership, Fitness Assessment & Global Access Card ($160 Value)

Snap Fitness - AAA Show Your Card & Save Partner