How To Eat Clean On The Road
A lot of people have the misconception that it’s hard to eat clean and healthy while travelling or making a long commute. Over the last few years, driving from home to college (vice versa) keeps me on the road for around 3 hours one way. Forcing me to find a way to keep my calories and macros in check with the resources I have available to me. I am here to share and shed some light on healthy food choices that I recommend, whether it be from a gas station or a fast food joint.
If you’re reading this and are from the Midwest, you’re in luck. Kwik Trip has been my go-to for quite some time because of the vast selection of healthy food choices they’ve acquired over the last few years. If you’re in need of protein, they carry a large selection of protein shakes varying from 25g to 40g. If you want the most bang for your buck, I recommend Muscle Milk because their protein shakes also come loaded with vitamins and minerals.
So now that you’ve got your gas station protein fix, onto healthy carbs and fats. Kwik Trip surprisingly has an abundant selection of fruit and vegetables. My personal favorites are the pineapple spears for fruit and the baby carrots for veggies. For a healthy fat choice, my go-to are the flavored 1.5 oz. pack of almonds. Other healthy fat choices I alternate with almonds are cashews, peanuts, or pistachios.
If you’re looking for more of a snack at your Kwik Trip stop. I highly recommend the Lenny & Larry protein cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth. They’re also dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and certified vegan, all while not going too crazy on calories. If I am that desperate for calories, I’ll resort to a protein bar.
Now let’s get away from the gas station foods and take flight into some healthy food choices from a few select fast food chains. The 4 that I go to most frequently are Chipotle, Panera, Noodles & Company, and Piada. I listed Chipotle as number 1 because let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with whole foods. A simple trick I use to make my burrito or bowl more on the clean side is to replace the queso or sour cream with guacamole. Believe me, your stomach will thank you later.
Panera is number 2 on my list. They arguably have one of the best fast food sandwiches out there. That being the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds. It’s loaded with chicken and a full avocado and light on the cheese with a small serving of vegetables. Below is a picture I took on my long commute home from Winona!
At number 3, I have Noodles & Company. They offer a wide variety of lean protein sources from shrimp to grilled chicken. If you’re looking to stay lower on calories, my go-to is their Zucchini Noodle Shrimp Scampi, which I also add a serving of their grilled chicken.
Piada receives number 4 on my list because they’re harder to find, but they offer a wide range of healthy food choices like protein loaded salads, super-food power bowls, and wraps. My go to is their power bowl that is loaded with chicken, chickpeas, quinoa, and roasted broccoli and carrots.
I hope that these suggestions and recommendations are helpful for those of you stuck on the road for business or those who also need to make long commutes like myself! Below you will find a list of healthy snacks from Kwik Trip that I personally use to help keep my diet in check.
Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt from Panera.
Kwik Trip Healthy Snack List
Muscle Milk Protein Shakes
Wild Rice & Cranberry Bread/Turkey Swiss Sandwich
Almonds (Variety of flavors)
Cashews
Pistachios
Lenny & Larry's Protein Cookies (Soft or Crunchy)
Protein Bars (Variety of flavors)
Clif Bars
Fruit (Variety)
Vegetables (Variety)
Hard Boiled Eggs
Salads (Variety)
Light Yogurt Parfait