Hi y'all! I just returned from a wonderful vacation with my family and some old friends to the Smoky Mountains in NC. This was our view from the house.... 
Imagine this sunrise with a warm mug of french roast coffee.....
We also had an awesome time white water rafting on the Ocoee River. Seriously, this was amazing... I felt like a kid again. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves water and can swim fairly well. Class IV rapids are pretty rocky, but fun, fun, fun.
But enough about my vacation.... and back to food. Our food choices(or lack of healthy choices) while out on the road are rather appalling. I felt like I was never more than a stones throw away from a McDonalds no matter where I was. The south feels especially limited in their healthy options. This probably explains why NC(where we stayed) ranks one of the highest in childhood obesity.
Anyhow, when I started this entry I was feeling guilty for not writing this week, but, then I realized that I have just been busy relaxing on vacation! Isn't that what wellness is all about? I spent 5 great days with my family. We ate well, we slept well, and we played. We had no WIFI or cellphone connection and we reconnected with each other. I felt totally rejuvenated when I returned. Everyone talks about the cool mountain air, but unfortunately it was 95 degrees up there last week. We were able to beat the heat splashing around in a cool swimming hole...
We also had an awesome time white water rafting on the Ocoee River. Seriously, this was amazing... I felt like a kid again. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves water and can swim fairly well. Class IV rapids are pretty rocky, but fun, fun, fun.
But enough about my vacation.... and back to food. Our food choices(or lack of healthy choices) while out on the road are rather appalling. I felt like I was never more than a stones throw away from a McDonalds no matter where I was. The south feels especially limited in their healthy options. This probably explains why NC(where we stayed) ranks one of the highest in childhood obesity. I find the best defense while traveling is to arm myself with lots of healthy snacks. I always hit Trader Joes before a roadtrip because they have so many great snack items. One of the best snacks is their frozen edamame. These are so good and filling. My kids like them because they have a hint of salt and are fun to pop out of the pod. A 1/2 cup provides 9 grams of protein which will help give you a satiated feeling. They also provide a healthy dose of fiber which is always a plus while traveling(be careful not to overeat edamame for this reason).
Trail mixes are also great. I love their Temptation Mix which has peanuts, cashews, almonds, dried cherries, peanut butter and chocolate chips. You could probably save some money by concocting this mix on your own, but, I wasn't that organized.
Peanut butter sandwiches made on whole wheat bread are also easy and satisfying when traveling. Mozzarella cheese sticks are easy to throw into the cooler. And of course, fresh, cut-up fruit and vegetables are also good options. Also, be sure to pack lots of water. I really like La Croix seltzer water if your craving that carbonation(grapefruit is my favorite flavor). These have 0 calories and no artificial sweeteners.
If you still need a restaurant fix along the way, I discovered this great website...http://heathydiningfinder.com/. You can plug in a zip code and price range and find restaurants with healthy dining options in the area. This is a cool website! Check it out. Happy traveling y'all. I think I'll keep this southern accent up for a few hours...
What a great post, I learned a lot! I was actually kind of impressed (& surprised) with the choices I saw in our stops throughout Pennsylvania. There were many more healthy items than I had ever seen before while traveling. In coolers, I saw little snack packs made up with cubed cheese and crackers. And lots of Kashi bars next to the candy bars. It was encouraging, I just hope people are choosing them!
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