When most people go on vacation, they throw all healthy eating plans out the window and just gorge themselves on unhealthy fried, fatty, and fast foods. There’s no reason you have to sink to this level. Next time you’re traveling with your family, use the following tips to keep your meals healthy and balanced.

5 Tips for Eating Healthy While Traveling as a Family

Find Hotels with Amenities

Don’t just pick the first budget hotel you see with a vacancy. Instead, do some searching ahead of time to find an option that offers a mini fridge or kitchenette. With these features, you’ll be able to store or cook your own meals just like at home.

A bonus would be to find a hotel near a fresh market or grocery store, as you’ll be more likely to actually buy healthy ingredients instead of stopping at McDonald’s.

Pack Some Snacks

When you’re driving in the car and start to get hungry, your first inclination will be to pull over to the nearest fast food restaurant or gas station to grab some food to satisfy your hunger. Even if you try to be healthy and order the salad, you could still be overdoing it. For example, a spicy Caesar chicken salad from Wendy’s is 720 calories, which is more than a standard burger.

Pack your own snacks to munch on. Foods like fresh and dried fruit, granola bars, yogurt, wraps, and vegetables all make great and filling choices for eating healthy while traveling.

Take Multivitamins

Even if you try your hardest, you still might not be able to stick to a healthy diet. To prepare for this, bring along some multivitamins while traveling as a family. They’re not a replacement for eating right, but they can help supplement some of the vitamins and minerals you and your kids are missing in your meals.

Track Macronutrients with an App

If you’re following a strict diet, you’ll want to track your macronutrients with an app. Rather than relying on calories, macronutrient counting adds up the grams of fat, protein, and carbohydrates you eat.

In most cases, you’ll want to stick to a low-carb diet that has higher amounts of fat and protein. This helps you to keep your blood sugar low, burn fat, and have more energy overall, which is something you desperately need on long drives.

Choose Restaurants Ahead of Time

On your road trip, you might be tempted to pull over to a diner when hunger strikes. However, doing so can leave you susceptible to over-eating and making the wrong choices. Instead, research your route ahead of time and find locations that offer healthy alternatives to French fries and burgers.

Find places that offer fresh salads, smoothies, wraps, and other natural foods. Keep this list of restaurants nearby so whenever you get hungry, you’ll have several pre-approved places to pick from depending on what you and the kids in the mood for.

Don’t let your diet get out of control on your next travel adventure. Keep your family healthy and happy by using these tips for healthy eating to plan out nutritious meals while on the road.