How do you eat healthy on trips?

AdamATGATT

A few months ago I took a solo trip from Alabama to Washington (State), which lasted about 8 days. This was back when I was unhealthy, and eating pretty much whatever I wanted. I did not really feel all that well following the trip...getting little exercise and not eating the healthiest of choices. I was on a pretty tight schedule, which left me minimal time for good breakfasts and lunches. Dinners were usually at whatever dive joint I could find close to the hotel or campground.

Now that I'm watching what I am eating, and exercising regularly, I've found I've got to find a way to change my road habits. I'm going to be having many more such multi-day trips in the future, where I'm pretty much on the road for days (or weeks). I don't always stay in a hotel, and instead camp out some nights when there is an available campground nearby. Sometimes the locations are not always near a town or place where I can run and grab supplies. Sooo....

What are some good ways to eat healthy while on the road? Any particular foods that will travel well? Space is at a premium, so I can't haul things like coolers containing cold items. Pretty much everything would have to be non-perishable and able to be eaten straight or heated over a camp stove. I could probably supplement some days with fresh produce picked up from a passing store.

Exercise, I think I am okay with. I can pack resistance bands and workout DVD's, for those times I am away from a hotel with a functioning gym.

Hints, tips, and tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Healthyby30

Technically you could take produce without refridgerating...baby carrots, grape tomatoes, apples, oranges, etc. Any kind of nuts, make your own trail mix with oats, dried fruits, nuts, etc; crackers, take a loaf of whole grain bread and pb..you can also purchase jam or jelly in individual packages so it doesn't Need refrigeration. Cans of soup..might be a bit sodium heavy though...

sabrinafaith

When eating out you can opt for roasted chicken breast or grilled fish with steamed fish and a potato or brown rice. In the morning you can have low fat yogurts and whole wheat toast or a vita top. Eggs and egg whites and salads are always easy to find on menus for lunches. I always go to the nearest supermarket the first day of a trip so I can have healthy foods on hand during a visit, so I make healthy choices from the very beginning. :happy:

AdamATGATT

Thanks for the helpful info so far!

I forgot to mention...most every day, I'll be on the move. The typical day on my last trip was getting up at 5:30 AM, on the road by 7:30 - 8:00 AM, lunch between 12:00 - 2:00 (depending on when I reached a town), and into my rest stop by around 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Usually a small break whenever I had to fill up the bike.

One thing I learned on that trip was hydration. I refilled my Camelback at almost every stop, especially in the south. 114 degree heat index in full gear got really toasty.

Valtishia

There is plenty of fruits and veggies that will last a while without refrigeration, like apples and such.

Meat would be a bit of a problem, except for when you can hit a store in passing, however things like nuts would give you protein.

Oatmeal will last longer than bread for some carbs. and you can always take some vitamins on your trip too to make sure you are getting everything your body needs.

And if you happen to have a couple not so good meals, I don't think it will kill you. Moderation is key right?

AdamATGATT

There is plenty of fruits and veggies that will last a while without refrigeration, like apples and such.

Meat would be a bit of a problem, except for when you can hit a store in passing, however things like nuts would give you protein.

Oatmeal will last longer than bread for some carbs. and you can always take some vitamins on your trip too to make sure you are getting everything your body needs.

And if you happen to have a couple not so good meals, I don't think it will kill you. Moderation is key right?

I'm allergic to apples...but, I guess an orange would keep a few days. Bananas would be out, since they don't response well to cramped conditions and bumps. They'd be mush within half a day.

Oatmeal is a staple for me on the road. I always keep it as a backup (even have some packets at work). Vitamins always go with me anyway. They pack down small.

And yes...very true, but I can only take so much Subway on the road. On this last trip I hit McDonalds often, since they always had free Wi-Fi, which I needed as my phone didn't have service a lot of the time, and I needed the internet to setup lodging for that evening. I just don't want to be stuck eating this every day:



Sometimes on the road, I don't even feel all that hungry.

Thanks again for your help everyone. Any other ideas would be appreciated.