Eating on the Road

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend. We definitely did, even though it was tiring. As I said in my last post, we went to Houston for the weekend. We raised a lot of money for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and we also spent a lot of time with the family while getting some exercise in.

Houston is a six hour roadtrip from New Orleans, and we decided to leave Thursday after work. That led to a very long night on the road. Whenever we have a roadtrip such as this one, I plan ahead as much as possible. We ate dinner before we left and packed a sippy cup with water. I didn’t want to worry about how long the milk would be safe to drink. I packed snacks for all of us which included Craisins, apples, crackers, and a Larabar for myself.

We ate out a lot on this trip. Thankfully because we were staying with family (and not a hotel), we were able to make meals at home for Isaac. We did go eat some Mexican food one night though. Because of all the food that comes with an order, we decided not to order a separate meal for Isaac. Instead, he had one of his Nanny’s enchiladas and some rice and beans on the side. It’s crazy to see the portion sizes that even kids are getting served nowadays!

They served hot dogs at the birthday party so he ate one of those. When it came time for the piñata, he was more interested in playing with his cousins’ dog that he didn’t even collect candy. And although he passed on a cupcake, he couldn’t resist a homemade cookie .

On the way home from Houston we stopped to visit my dad and stepmom in Lafayette, Louisiana. There we stopped at a nearby market and scooped up some plums and bell peppers. Sometimes I get in a routine with buying the same fruits for Isaac. I forgot how much he loved plums until he pointed them out to me in the market.

When I use the word “moderation”, I’m referring to occasions such as these…birthday parties, trips, visitors in town, long day of errands. Somewhere along the way, “every once in a while” started meaning twice a week. I don’t think that forbidding food is a great idea because it may entice children even more. Instead, why not rethink your definition of “moderation?” If you know that you’ll be eating out when you reach your destination, opt for packing snacks or eating before you leave to avoid eating out once more.

It’s hard to head out of town for us. I’m in such a routine with our meals at home that when I don’t have a plan, I feel lost.   But even something as simple as packing snacks for the car helped us make healthier choices and save money. I think we did a pretty good job…at least for Isaac’s meals we did. I on the other hand, was guilty of some indulgence.

What kind of snacks do you take with you on a roadtrip?

Have a great week! Thanks for reading

Selene