“Summer means vacation, road trips, creating new memories with lots of get-togethers and unpredictable weather,” writes Nancy Yen from Omie Life. “It’s so easy to fall into the cycle of eating fast food + unhealthy snacks, especially when you’re away from home or visiting family and friends. But never give up! Although we may not be able to control rain showers and last minute change in plans, we can make sure that we’re prepared with wholesome goodness for our family regardless of what summer has in store for us. Keep eating healthy (as best as you can) through the summer with these easy tips.”

Pack healthy snacks for long car rides so you don’t end up buying snacks or fast food on the road. Easy things I do are popcorn in individual bags (I just pop kernels in an air popper), hard fruits that do well at room temperature (e.g. cut up apples, Asian pears, or mini oranges), or nuts for an easy protein pick me up. Homemade protein bars are always good to keep up energy all day long and frozen fruits are great for packing in ice chests. Sometimes, the kids grab their favorite snacks from our mason jars and make their own trail mix. I find they’re more likely to eat when it’s something they’ve made themselves.
For BBQ and picnics, shift away from mayo based sides such as potato salad or pasta salad and shift to something lighter but equally tasty. One of my easy go to is a quinoa salad served with room temperature roasted salmon (this delicious recipe is one of my favorites). Right now corn is delicious so it’s easy to put together a light corn salad instead of slathering tons of butter on a corn on the cob. Dips can be so tempting next to a bowl of chips. I like baked, whole grain chips and a dip made with fat-free sour cream. Nobody can ever tell the difference. If I’m in a hurry, I can always grab a veggie platter from my neighborhood store so I’ll know there will be something nutritious to munch on.
Always stay hydrated with a water bottle! My kids are always asking for sugary drinks when we forget to pack water and have to stop by the store. Nip the problem in the bud by packing a water bottle! We use vacuum insulated bottles (I’m obsessed with the Zojirushi ones- they’re super powerful and also ultra light weight) to keep water icy cold all day long. You can add a little flavor by squeezing in oranges or lemons.

Sometimes there’s nothing you can do except let it go. For example – we vacationed with three other families over the fourth of July week and during one breakfast, all the kids decided to eat cookies + popsicles. Certainly not one of my finest parenting moments, but we were able to resume our regular routine once we got home. And as for the kids, they had a blast and another great summer memory.

Eating healthy is a long term commitment. Fats and sugar are bound to find their way to our tummies at some point. We’re only human, but a little preparation can keep us fueled and fit and balance out those cookie + popsicles breakfasts.

Insert something here about how it’s a long game and as long as you average out pretty good then don’t stress about the day to day.

Written by Nancy from OmieLife.

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