Fast Food and Travel: Stops to Avoid

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If you plan a road trip that is under four to five hours, most likely you may stop for at least one meal at the maximum. The choice of food whether healthy or not does not really matter as you are only sacrificing one meal of the day during a short trip On the other hand, if your destination is several hours away which involves numerous meal stops, you will need to consider a sound meal plan to avoid numerous stops at burger and pizza joints.
Each year we travel about sixteen hours when going from Chicago to Charleston. The excursion typically requires four meals (between the two days) before we arrive in Kiawah. We make it a point to allow no more than two stops at a fast food franchise whether it is McDonalds, Arby’s, etc. The kids seem fine with that plan so long as they can get at least one kids meal; for them it is all about the chocolate milk and the toy. Personally, I allow these stops to by my personal free pass at a tasty guilt meal that I actually look forward to while driving numerous miles.
Day 1
Since we usually leave in the morning, we typically pack our van with a cooler that includes healthy deli sub sandwiches, sliced fruit or fruit cup, and an unsweetened beverage. The fare is light and keeps the belly satisfied without any sluggishness that would occur from a fast food stop. We arrange the fast food stop as the final meal of the travel day which is usually Wendy’s.
Day 2
Day two is a healthy breakfast of bagels, fruit and juice. (I drink a large cup of coffee to avoid highway hypnosis). We usually stay at a Holiday Inn Express which includes a decent continental breakfast. The kids dig the yogurt and muffins.
We do make one final lunch stop before the final 200 mile leg to Charleston. We usually stop at a Subway and get sandwiches. I do like the healthy choices offered up at Subway. When you load up a sub with lots of vegetables (next to turkey or ham), the sandwich becomes quite filling without indulging in too many fatty calories. My kids are even big fans of the subway spicy Italian sandwiches so long as they are briefly toasted.
The total crime committed for fast food on this road trip down was only one guilt meal which I can live with. The keys are limiting fast food stops, considering alternatives, and packing healthy foods such as sandwiches in a cooler for the first food stop.