So just how healthy are we going to be this Thanksgiving?  Well, we did go to the special grocery store down the road this morning to pick up a roasted turkey roll that came from a free-range, non-hormoned, not pumped up with solutions bird.  Does that count for healthy?  Oh, and does buying an already cooked roast help classify us as being green as well?

Not really but we’d like to think so.  We are also going to do the pumpkin cheesecake, the candied yams, the sausage-cornbread stuffing with oysters and turkey gravy and that’s all going to have to be heated up somehow.  This may not be a good example of healthy living. But it has to be healthy–we are leaving out the mashed potatoes and all that butter!!!

Well if you aren’t going to have the healthiest of feasts this Thanksgiving, then opt for a great and healthy travel day.

For all of you out there who are traveling this holiday to see family and friends, one of the best travel trips we can suggest is to take some healthy nibble food along because today is one of the worst (longest travel day, mostly late flights and crowded roadways) travel days of the year.  The only day worse might be the Sunday after Thanksgiving because it’s also the start of Hunting Season in many states as well as a major travel day.  Don’t be on the Pennsylvania Turnpike after 12:00pm noon that day if you want to get where you are going.

Now what do we mean by healthy nibble food?  Something we like to do besides take organic fruit is put really raw almonds (not the pasteurized ones), organic raisins and coconut chips, unsalted/raw sunflower seeds – all thrown together to give yourself a great trail mix.  This mix is a good way to curb hunger while flying and driving. 

There are also some great raw cacao bars being made these days (we plan to do a product review soon) that give you so many health benefits (read up on anything by David Wolfe) plus they taste great, impart that wonderful theobromine feeling of being in love and help maintain a high energy level.  Who would have thought there were healthy chocolate bars?  And I just heard about a new product–raw cacao brittle.  Have some of this on order – will let you know how it tastes after Dec. 15th.

And to get you through a long travel day, say your money and remain hydrated.  Checkout our earlier blog on how to have inexpensive and healthy water while in the airport (Click here).  Grab your filtering water bottle, your lemon or grapefruit essential oil and your liquid minerals and off you go.

So healthy flying or healthy driving and enjoy that maybe not so healthy Thanksgiving feast,

Mel

Healthy Drinks for the Road:

• Purified Waters or water purifying bottles for fountain water
• Unsweetened teas, take along herbal tea bags to add to your water bottles (like making sun tea only without the sun)
• Essential oils of lemon, peppermint, orange, grapefruit and stevia for flavorings and sweetness (there are flavored stevias as well)
• May be able to find V8 Juice but unless it’s the low sodium version, there will be excess salt contributing to additional thirst
• Avoid:
  • Sodas, juices or drinks sweetened with empty calories
  • Energy drinks loaded with sugars and caffeine

Healthy Snacks for the Road:

• Fresh fruit (organic if you can find it) and dried fruit that’s not been sugared or sulfured
• Unsalted raw nuts
• Carrot and celery sticks
• Raw almond butter or tahini for a dip, may be able to find raw walnut, pecan or cashew butter
• Veggie and fruit trays from the grocery if traveling by car or RV
• Salsas for blue corn chips and whole wheat crackers
• If allowing dairy: 
  • low-fat string cheese packs
  • plain yogurt sweetened with Stevia and/or no sugar-added jellies, jams or granola
  • veggie pizza
  • high cocoa content chocolate
• Avoid:
  • jerkies and leathers with excess sodium or sugar
  • Salted, toasted nuts
  • Chips and white flour crackers
  • Sugars, high fructose corn syrup and sweeteners

Fast Food, Convenience Stores and Restaurants on the Road:

• Fresh fruit or unsweetened fruit cups/fruit salads
• Green Salads, raw veggies
• Broiled or grilled veggies and meats
• Avoid:
  • candy bars
  • items to avoid listed above
  • high fat, cheesy breakfast sandwiches and potato cakes
  • burgers and fries
  • breaded nuggets
  • high fructose corn syrup sauces
  • milkshakes, ice cream
  • high salty, fatty meat pizzas

General Rules to Live by on the Road:

• Hold to your normal daily routine and eating schedule
• Set the example for your family, they will generally follow
• Plan ahead for take along drinks, snacks and supplies
• Take a cooler if traveling by car or RV
• Stop at a grocery rather than a convenience store for breaks (these offer more in the way of healthy food choices plus the bathrooms are usually much better) 
• Carry extra plastic bags and plastic ware
• Pickup or bring napkins and wet wipes either in a large container, small packets or individually wrapped for hygiene
• Avoid:
  • skipping meals
  • late night eating