Road Trip and What We Eat!

One of the reasons we moved from Chicago to Atlanta was for the possibility of more travel. When ya live in the south, there are neighboring states with nature adventures. TONS of different sites to see that you can't find in the midwest. This weekend we went to Chattanooga, Tennessee! 

Our motto is "less stuff and more adventure" AND I LOVE THIS WAY OF LIFE. 

A little blurry... us at the Ruby Falls!

A little blurry... us at the Ruby Falls!

It was so gorgeous and worth the drive! The cavern is hundreds of feet under ground, and they have no idea where this water comes from. Whoa.&nbsp;


I wished for a boat!

I wished for a boat!

Yeah, can you believe I did one of these!

Yeah, can you believe I did one of these!

All around, it was a fun trip only a 2.5 hour drive from us. Can we talk about the food we ate? 

Usually people say this to me:

"I'm on vacation. I'm not eating diet food."

"We live once. Everything in moderation."

GIRL. I get it! I'm with you. I'm serious on this.

Who goes somewhere in the south and doesn't pick up some BBQ? 

Who goes to the beach and doesn't get a mudslide?

Who goes to a bar and doesn't grab a drink? 

We DO only live once. We should be allowed to experience life and vacation with no guilt and no dieting. 

But let's talk about the Monday after a vacation. How ya feel? Tired? Heavy? Lethargic? Probably like you haven't eaten anything green in years?

Anytime we go on vacation, it IS harder to make healthier decisions. There ARE a lot of temptations. 

I am all for moderation and balance.

Here's what that means for ME. 

1. I don't bring snacks for the road that can be purchased at a gas station. That means Combos, Twizzlers, Pringles, Vanilla Coke, Red Bull, and Gatorade have no place in my car. I actually specifically listed these because those are exactly what we used to buy for road trips. It was exciting and thrilling to spend $15 on snacks at a gas station and to devour those snacks in the first 2 hours of driving. And then we'd feel tired the rest of the drive. I've learned from my mistakes. I don't bring quick snacks like that on the road anymore.

2. I DO bring water. Two 25oz protein shaker bottles full of ice water so that we don't have to spend $2 on a bottle at a gas station.

3. I bring my own breakfast. Usually bread, peanut butter, banana, and plant protein powder. Can we talk about how eerily similar these photos are.

This is my breakfast from last summer's trip to Florida.

This is my breakfast from our trip to Tennessee this past weekend.

I like habits and routines. I skipped all the free food in the hotel. Sugary cereal, packaged cinnamon bun, fake scrambled eggs. I know it's free, but it's not going to taste good. I know that ahead of time!! If I am going to have a cinnamon bun on vacation, I want to get it from a local bakery and really enjoy that dessert. A packaged one just ain't that special. 

4. We bring our own snacks! Plants. You know you aren't going to find many on vacay, right? Apples, bananas, carrots, hummus, and plant protein powder.

5. My goal was to eat my own lunch! I did this at a personal development conference last summer. I had a salad with canned beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and hummus on lettuce leaves. This trip didn't really allow for that. I had a sandwich at a local deli. Is what it is!

6. Dinner is usually my treat meal. It helps save money by only eating one meal out. AND I love BBQ. I couldn't pass up. 

And for full transparency, I got one of my favorite vacation drinks: a frozen White Russian. 

7. And as my hangover cure, 3 ingredient brownie bites:  plant protein powder <--- made from plants and the BEST hangover cure, peanut butter, and a little almond milk. THAT'S IT. Super tasty and easy. I hate eating a greasy burrito and feeling even worse from the grease.

Grab your copy of my go-to list of items to bring on a road trip!