My First Real Food Road Trip

Going home! by zerobatsu, on Flickr

Being two states separated by both my parents and the in-laws, our lives are frequently punctuated by weekend road trips. In past years, these trips meant two or three days of solid junk food. You know you’ve overdone the junk when you can’t find a fast food joint the family can agree on because “we JUST had that!”

My husband’s side of the family had their reunion this past weekend and we made the trip up. In preparation, I packed some orange sections, a dozen boiled eggs, two loaves of artisan bread, some organic peanut butter which I premixed with homemade fruit puree, a whole bunch of carrot sticks and a big bottle of water. That was enough for the two meals we ate on the road getting to our destination. I also made up some vinaigrette dressing to take along so I could have a good, healthy dressing for my salads.

The next day was Saturday and with the help of Local Harvest, I was able to locate a farmer’s market just three miles from our hotel. I don’t sleep well away from home, so it was easy for me to be at the market when they opened at 8:30 AM. I picked up a half gallon of raw milk, a half gallon of fresh pressed orange juice (not local, but from oranges pressed on site), a quart of black cherry tomatoes and a pound of raw milk cheddar curds. That, along with the leftover bread from yesterday was a most delicious and healthy start to our day.

The reunion luncheon was held at a local steakhouse and we went off-the-wagon for that meal, enjoying all kinds of edible food-like substances from the buffet. The major chain grocery store provided the makings for our light dinner: organic lettuce, tuna, local goat cheese and blackberries in whole wheat pita bread. The continental breakfast served in the hotel lobby the next morning leaned toward white bread for toast, six kinds of cereal and lots of coffee, so I opted for a few leftover cherry tomatoes and a half a pita bread while I packed our bags and loaded the car. At the restaurant, I talked the waiter into asking the cook to scramble my eggs in BUTTER and bringing me some real cream for my coffee for breakfast. Before we checked out of our hotel room, we bought, washed and readied an organic bell pepper, head of lettuce and cucumber. That salad made for a delicious lunch on the road home. Dinner was fast food we could eat with a minimum of cleanup once we got home.

I learned a few things this trip:

1. It only takes a little junk to upset our tummies. I guess we’ve been “spoiled” by good food!
2. It doesn’t hurt to ask. You might not be able to convince the cook to make your eggs in butter, but it’s worth a shot. And, getting the waiter’s cooperation and help is golden and deserving of a big tip.
3. Meals that have a healthy portion of protein and fat keep us feeling full longer than meals that rely heavily on carbs. That’s important on the road where snacks might not be easily available.
4. The worst behavior from the kids came right after the non-food meals. Something I’ll have to plan around for our next outing, but good to know.