How to Travel Healthy and On a Budget

So the family and I eat mostly vegan, while a little vegetarian on the side (especially for me with Baby G3 on the way) and a dash of meat for the mister (organic poultry or wild/caught seafood). 

We make the exception for travel and don't want to stress the kids with strict eating habits, but want them to enjoy more fruits and vegetables, plant based sources as much as possible, but still be able to enjoy food and different tastes.

So how'd we do it you ask? You know, with no fast food stops and pickings from the gas station every time we filled up?

I'll share a few tips that has helped us and can inspire you!

Trader Joe's! (Or your favorite grocery store).

For one, we know what we like and don't like to eat and to save money we bought a few items to last us for the meantime and until we knew we could purchase more by our AirBnB or the night before we got onto the road.

For example, our kids love dried fruit, so I got dried mango, which subs for candy because it is naturally very sweet and I don't have to worry about any added junk because it's
just plain ol' dried fruit.

You can also buy regular sizes, pack what you need in ziplock bags, and then 

pack the rest away in your luggage.

  

Salty, sweet, soft and/or crunchy.

I know when I'm in the mood to snack while traveling, this is usually my layout.

Salty in the form of nuts, tortilla or plantain chips, popcorn etc.

Sweet in the form of dried fruit, regular fruit (I prefer dried because it doesn't spoil and can be resealed in a closed container so you don't have to eat it all at once), dark chocolate, fruit died and cane sugar sweetened candies (if you're vegetarian or vegan there are tons of brands out there), and the same goes for cookies. 

 Soft can fall under the sweets category easily and crunchy for salty and/or sweet as well.

As long as I have those four things covered, my family and I are happy and fed. 

Google, Yelp, Instagram and family locals.

Be resourceful, research  and ask! If you know where you'll be staying, how long you'll be traveling from point A to B and you know you have to be weary of what you eat (whether it be, healthy (in this context I mean whole foods, not deep fried etc), low sugar/fat, vegetarian, vegan and the list goes on) look up in advance where you and your family can eat.

As excited as I was for our family summer trip, I started looking up restaurants on Google for location references, Yelp for reviews, and tags on Instagram for visual presentation and more reviews.

From there I was able to see what I did and didn't like and then added them to our little itinerary.

Gluten free waffles w/ fresh strawberries and bananas and tofu scramble from Reverie Caffe

If we knew we'd be driving a bit, fast food wasn't an option and we wanted hot and healthy food, we'd stop (where we already had to stop to sight see or get gas) and find the nearest Whole Foods. I grabbed fresh juice for the kids that was cheaper than buying several bottles at a gas station, some hot food to get us by, a salad for the mister and I to share and one or two extra snacks (to replace what we already had or to liven up our taste buds).

Remember vacations are supposed to be fun and not worrisome, so if you have health or diet restrictions or health goals, and a budget like the rest of us, you can still eat to your liking and enjoy yourself.

-xo Natasha