It’s the time of year when spring break and summer travel plans are being made.  You might be flying to grandma’s house or to the beach for a week.  Maybe you are planning a two week family road trip to the mountains this summer or a getaway to a north woods lodge.

Traveling upsets our schedules enough, especially when traveling with children.  How does one maintain a healthy level of eating while traveling to and fro?  Don’t road trips mean stopping at all the local dives and doesn’t flying mean eating whatever is served you on the plane?

Instead of packing the cooler full of the junk food on sale in bulk at the big box grocery store, think about how you want to feel while traveling and how you might feed yourself to get there.  If you know you’ll be spending hours (or goodness knows, perhaps days) in the car, it’s important to keep your digestion in sync with a normal day.  That might be tough to come by considering your body will not be moving-at all.

For road trips and travelling by car, stocking your cooler with premade sandwiches or mini homemade “lunchables” such as crackers, cheese, grapes, grape tomatoes and a little dip are easy to pull off when you purchase the lunch containers with all of the slots such as bento boxes or the ones made by large retailers for food storage.  Single serve yogurt containers go over well, especially when kids have small lap desks to rest them on.  Or make your own with yogurt and a spoonful of fruit jam or compote at the bottom in a small clear mason jar.  It’s both a delight to the eye and to the belly when sprinkled with a small handful of granola, which could also be packed in a mason jar.  Milk, juice or rice milk now comes in small juice box sized containers and everyone should have their own designated water bottle for the trip.  Purchasing water by the gallon or having a large water cooler in the back will assure everyone has fresh water to drink (and it’s available for the cleanup that may need to happen along the way).  Sliced veggies such as carrots, jicama and celery make for easy munching, as well as nitrate free deli meats.

Think about the activities you’re hoping to take on once you reach your destination.  Are you up for adventure such as hiking and camping, or are you going to snooze on a beach and take a leisurely walk in the afternoons?  What you eat will affect how you feel, and with liquor and soda being the only items stocked in that hotel refrigerator of yours, you’ll want to have exactly what you desire packed with you.

If you’re traveling with kids, specifically in a hotel, you may pack your favorite dry goods, such as gluten free crackers, rice cakes, cereals or protein powder to make your own quick shakes.  If you’re flying and staying in a hotel, chances are you will have a rental car.  As in the example above where you’ve driven your car, having mobility is a huge bonus.  Find the nearest grocery store and stock up on what you need.  Keeping yogurt and pre-sliced fruits and vegetables in your mini fridge is easy.  You can even request an extra mini fridge, which hotels are great about, especially when traveling with children.  Purchasing simple sandwich making materials is easy as well and doesn’t take up much room, considering the loaf of bread doesn’t need to stay cool.  Purchase only goodies you’ll need for around two days at a time.  Between munching in between meals or taking little picnics to the beach, you will dine out once or twice per day, so you’ll also save money on the third meal by taking it on the go or crashing in your room.

If you’re flying to a destination, renting a car and staying in a condo, you could grocery shop (with meals planned ahead of time for quick shopping and saving money ) for the entire stay in one fell swoop and visit the local market for fresh fruits and veggies as needed.  This allows you the ultimate flexibility, then dining out becomes a treat that happens when you feel like it versus it being the only option for a full meal.

Mostly what eating healthy while traveling takes is a little more organization and planning.  There are healthy alternatives to grabbing a quick fix, though it’s not at every intersection that you see a fresh smoothie joint or a gluten free bakery. If in a pinch, while putting gas in your car, grab a stick of cheese or a container of yogurt and a protein bar to buy you a bit of time.  Considering you could grab a back of Cheetos and a package of Nerds with a soda, the first option is just as easy and will have you feeling better in the long run, making your travels more enjoyable.