On the road and the eating is good

Does anybody pay attention to those roadside rest areas anymore? Other than the need for restrooms, that is? These are actually little jewels that can make your road trips happier and healthier!

Last month, Robin and I set out on a cross-country road trip, with two cats! We were really excited and planned to take our time and take the opportunity to see some of the country because the last time we did this, we had a moving van deadline and weren’t able to dilly-dally. This time, we packed one of those moving cubes and set out all fancy free with a thirst for adventure! (I know, 2 cats…)

One of the things we had our hearts set on was healthy eating, which is not easy when you are traveling. This was only going to happen if we made a plan. So we started by packing the car with the necessary items: cutting board, sharp knife, and dishes. And Robin’s best idea was a large Mason jar for each of us. These could be used for morning coffee or tea, ice water, wine glasses, or martinis! We had hand knit “can cozies” to keep them colder or protect our fingers from the heat. And best of all, they come with a lid, so when the kitty knocked it off the bedside every night, no spills (as long as we remembered to screw on the lid…).

We visited grocery stores every few days and kept stocked with fresh vegetables, hummus, and cheese. Smoked salmon was also a favorite. We fixed salads, made canapés, and ate veggies with hummus. The hotel breakfasts (you know those free breakfasts), were often not to our liking, but sometimes they had hard boiled eggs and we would take a few of those. We were sticking to a vegetarian (meaning no mammal flesh) diet with lots of vegetables and avoiding sugar and grains. We were selective in our restaurant choices and were very successful. Even restaurants that seem unlikely to have what we wanted were quite accommodating. You just need to be polite and ask your server.

So here are some of our favorite roadside eats:

cucumbers and peppers to dip in hummus