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Food as Medicine: Healthy eating while traveling 

Whether you are simply going “off island” for the day or weekend, or taking a well-deserved vacation, it is possible to enjoy your vacation and still maintain healthy eating habits.

Road trips can oftentimes lead to settling for fast food, and snacking in the car, but they don’t have to! Here are some suggestions:

• Stop at a supermarket. You can almost always find a salad bar or healthier choices to purchase, such as sandwiches, fruit, low-fat yogurt, nuts, single-wrapped cheese sticks, baby carrots, apples, whole grain crackers, nut butters, hummus, etc.
• If rest stops and convenience stores are your only option, you can generally find some healthy offerings. Look for snack bars high in fiber, low in saturated fats, nuts, and dried fruits. As a simple rule, check labels to find products with at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrates.
• When eating at restaurants, think about what you will order before you open the menu, so you are not tempted by unhealthy choices.
• Bring a refillable water bottle to limit the amount of soda or juice you drink.

As part of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s Food as Medicine initiative, Licensed Dietician Nutritionist Mary Gross offers these healthy tips. If you have a question about food or nutrition, please send an email to Mary at [email protected].