Wholesome Living on the Road

Summer is fast upon us! As you prepare for vacation — either a leisurely journey or a mini get-away — here are 5 tips to help you take wholesome living on the road.

1.  Take a Cultured Vacation

You might be surprised at how easy it is to sneak in a little culture on the road!

Yogurt is a great snack because it is filling and that good bacteria can help you amp up your immune response to combat the stress of traveling. (Even fun trips are stressful – even if it is good stress!)

Why not pack a tub of yogurt or some individual cups of yogurt for a wholesome cultured snack. If your family isn’t doing dairy why not try some coconut milk yogurt.

Siggi’s brand Icelanic yogurt sells some tasty, natural yogurts low in added sugar.  Their plain variety is thick, but not chalky like some Greek Yogurt can taste (and it boasts 25 grams of protein in just 1 cup!) You can even download a coupon here.

I also like the Dreaming Cow Brand of grass fed yogurt. I have found this brand at our local Sprouts and at Kroger stores.

Our Little Farmers like to select their favorite flavor of yogurt for the trip (and I mark it with a permanent marker so there are no disputes about whose yogurt it is!)

I like to buy a quart tub of yogurt and mix in my own sweetener and flavoring in the tub. (I usually add 2-3 tablespoons of Organic Dark Robust Maple Syrup and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract to the container.) We pack disposable cups and spoons and then I dish it out when we stop.

You can always purchase individual yogurt cups, freeze ahead of time, and let them thaw slightly while you travel. When it is time for a stop you have a refreshing cultured treat!

Why not top your yogurt with some homemade Maple Oat Crisp Cereal, chia seeds, and some fresh fruit (blueberries travel well!) for a light lunch!

Adults might like a Kombucha tea as a refreshing cultured thirst quencher! (You can find a bottle of GT’s Kombucha in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I love the gingeraid flavor!)

2. Conquer the Continental

No, not the Great 48 States– the continental breakfast.

“Hotel Breakfast” is the favorite part of a trip for my Little Farmer’s (we don’t go out to restaurants often, so they love eating breakfast at the hotel!) Last summer we traveled a few times for some family weddings and stayed at both a Hampton Inn and an Embassy Suites. We navigated the breakfast issue fairly well and still enjoyed the pleasure and convenience of “eating out.”

Pass up the pastries! Skip the sweetened cereals! Beware of the bagels! Watch out for the waffles! (I know, sorry!)

Just because it is “free” shouldn’t mean that you are obligated to eat your fair share of everything on the menu!

Most of those items commonly featured on the continental menu are loaded with simple carbohydrates and devoid of fiber, protein, and natural plant-based nutrients.

While most hotels are not going to provide a spread of grass-fed breakfast meats, whole grain baked goods, and organic produce, there are some options that are better than others. Besides, if this mama is going to get any rest at all I will have to rely upon some pre-made foods!

• Fresh Fruit – many hotels will have some assortment of apples, bananas, and oranges.
• Hard Boiled Eggs – complete protein
• Omelet bar – load up on the vegetables and skip the sausage and bacon
• Oatmeal – Sometimes there is hot oatmeal already available. If there are only oatmeal packets available at least choose the unsweetened instant variety and add your own fresh fruit and honey.
• Nuts – sometimes you can find chopped almonds or walnuts on the oatmeal bar. Add to your oatmeal or yogurt
• Yogurt Cups – choose the plain variety if it is available and just add your own fruit or honey. At least avoid the “Light” variety of yogurt — it would be better to eat a small amount of the sweetened yogurt! {*artificial sweeteners may raise your blood glucose more than real sugar! Even if you are not diabetic this is an important consideration!}
• Water – if you don’t see it, ask for it! Start the day out well hydrated! If necessary, add just a small splash of juice!

I sometimes let my Little Farmers choose one small treat – a tiny cup of sweetened cereal or a quarter of a waffle as their “breakfast dessert” after they have filled up on protein and fiber containing foods. I know that if we start off the day stuffed full of sugary pastries and waffles they will be cranky and hungry soon.

3.  Keep it Clean

Bring your own natural cleaners!

I always go armed with a small arsenal of my own cleaners. When you move 6 people into one small hotel room there is bound to be mess. I also like to wipe down surfaces myself before we eat (or sit) on them.

Make sure to pack a roll of paper towels for easy clean up!

Here are my top two natural cleaners to bring along:

• Vinegar Cleaner – mix water and distilled vinegar 1:1 with water. (Add 1 drop of citrus essential oil per ounce if you like.) This will function well to wipe down any surfaces in the hotel room and can double as a produce wash if you like!

 

• Castille Soap – take along a travel bottle of Castile soap (like this one). You can use it for cleaning out water bottles, washing dishes, hand washing laundry, or even as a toothpaste or shampoo in a pinch!
  • I just ran across these castile soap towelettes as well! Might be handy for travel!
  • Take along an empty spray bottle and add 1 tablespoon of Castile soap for every 2 cups of water!

4.  Pack a Knife!

This is one of my top tips for eating wholesome on the road with a family.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often hard to come by when you travel unless you eat salad at a restaurant. Having a nice sharp paring knife (like my favorite variety here) means that you can stop and enjoy slices of sun ripened peaches from a roadside stand or you can cut up apple or pepper slices for hungry tummies.

Fresh produce provides flavor, nutrients, and hydration — the perfect snack! (Everyone gets a little fluid in the snack, but not enough to make you have to find the closest rest stop!)

Take a pit stop at a grocery store and pick out some fresh produce to enjoy as a snack! (I have been known to just pour bottled water over the container of berries or bag of peppers in the grass where we picnic and call them clean enough.)

Why not map out the closest Farmer’s Market and sample some of the local produce bounty? (You also might find some wholesome baked goods or lunch options as well!)

Store your knife safely wrapped in a tea towel and secured with a rubber band, or store inside of a paper towel tube enclosed with masking tape on the ends.

Produce Ideas that Travel Well:

• Apples
• Blueberries*
• Melons
• Mini Sweet Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Blackberries
• Grapes*
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Radishes
• Jicama
• Avocado
• Lemons
• Limes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Baby Carrots
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Clementines/Mandarin Oranges
• Naval Oranges

(*You can freeze these for mini ice packs!)

I really don’t like the smell of overly ripe bananas in a hot car so I tend to avoid packing those — or we eat them before our first stop and then discard the peels!

5.  Take a Picnic

Besides saving money, picnicking will allow you the chance to eat your own food and for everyone to stretch their legs a little!

We like to map out community and state parks on our travels. Sometimes we find pretty little gems tucked away that make for nice memories on our travels.

Too hot to eat outside? Why not pack a picnic that you can eat in the car or that you can bring into the food court of a local mall. Circle the mall once or twice after your meal to get your blood flowing!

One of our favorite places to stop for a meal is at a college campus (my alma mater) when we are traveling. Usually we are passing through during the holidays when school is not in session, so we have the place to ourselves! Our kids love to run around the campus green and we eat our meal in the vacant food court.

Sometimes if I haven’t packed a lunch we have even eaten in the college cafeteria. My kids enjoy the treat, and we at least have access to a nice salad bar and some healthy-ish entrees (a step up from fast food, for sure!)  The restrooms are also clean – a big plus!

Our Favorite Picnic Foods:

• Pitas and hummus + raw vegetables & fruits + Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese (grab our favorite pita bread recipe here)
• Sandwich buns + Nut Butter or Natural Lunch Meat (like this) + Raw Fruits & Vegetables
• Whole Grain Muffins + Yogurt + Chopped Nuts + Fruit (Berries are great!)

We would love to hear from you! What are your favorite ideas for taking wholesome on the road? Please leave a comment below to help our Ingrained Community!

Wholesome trails to you!

Bethany

Packing List Ideas: