Eating on the Road

With most roadside rest stops only offering fast foods loaded with sugars and empty calories that may make your child a little too wiry, packing a cooler full of food ensures your travelers will have nutritious and filling snacks and meals along the way.

Here are tips for eating on the road:

• Protein-rich tuna, cheese or nut-butter sandwiches, on whole grain breads, make for simple and delicious lunches.
• Avoid treats such as candy bars and chocolate. They have no nutritional value and will serve only to rev up your child's engine.
• Use cut up fruits and veggies as snacking alternatives. Raw or lightly steamed vegetables combined with a yoghurt dip provide an excellent snack. Cut fruits, such as apples and pears are also good.
• Drink water, not juice. Juices may give kids too much of a sugary high and the contents of juice boxes tend to spill. Water is ideal for thirst quenching and avoiding these messy spills.
• Your own homemade trail mix (granola, raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds, cereals) is a great on-the-go snack. Throw in a few chocolate chips or goldfish crackers for a treat.
• Bite-sized muffins are easy to make. Consider oatmeal raisin, zucchini or carrot muffins, for a little healthier flair.
• To avoid a mess, try specially designed snack bowls with one way tops for little hands to get in without snacks falling out. Or, try stringing together a chain of cheerios to nibble on while protecting against spills.

By Rochelle Strauss