Eating on the Road
Healthy food is easy to find when travelling in a city or large town as most modern cafes have a wide range of light choices. However, it can be difficult to find healthy choices when travelling on highways.
What to avoid
When driving, avoid high fat food, as fat takes a long time to be digested and can make you sleepy. Avoid foods such as fried chicken, fast food hamburgers, fish and chips, pies and sausage rolls.
Healthy alternatives
The best option is to pack your own food, such as a cooked chicken, sandwiches, salad and fruit. But if that is not possible, there are other options. Hamburgers and pizza can be a healthier alternative if they are prepared and cooked on the spot. Other light choices are Asian foods such as Thai or Japanese takeaway, especially seafood dishes with steamed rice, and sandwiches, rolls or pita bread stuffed with salad. Barbecued chicken is better without stuffing and with the skin removed. An even simpler option is to find a local bakery and fruit shop, buy crusty bread rolls, tomatoes, avocado and bananas, and put them together for a delicious and healthy combination.
When travelling it is important to stop every couple of hours and eat something to replenish your blood sugar levels which helps maintain concentration. Carbohydrate foods like fruit or bread are ideal. So instead of snacking on fatty food, pack some fruit and keep it cool with frozen plastic bottles of water. The cold water can then be drunk to restore fluids. Healthy food does require planning, however if you avoid junk foods when travelling, you will feel so much better when you arrive.
Further Information
For more of Rosemary Stanton’s advice on food and nutrition consult:
Rosemary Stanton’s Complete Book of Food & Nutrition (Simon & Schuster, revised edition 1995, rrp $29.95)
Eating for Peak Performance (Allen & Unwin, second edition, 1994, rrp $14.95)