Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Where are the Veggies?

By

I’m back! Whew that was a long trip! While I was out of town and on the road, I missed having my stocked kitchen with fresh produce. All I wanted when I got home was a huge plate of veggies. I craved them. Therefore, I made myself a gigantic salad for dinner when I got home. Thank goodness the vegetables stayed fresh in the fridge while I was gone!

Hard-boiled eggs, purple onions, avocado, apples, celery, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pickles (yes they are  good on salads), pecans, and spinach. All drizzled with homemade Dijon Mustard Dressing: Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary.

While on the road, though, I managed to find some healthy eats. Sometimes it is difficult to find healthy food on the road. I try to stick to veggies, fruit, and meat, and then I supplement with the snacks I pack. Here are some of my favorite on-the-road restaurants and what I usually order:

On-the-Road Restaraunts

  • Fast-Mexican: Chipotle, Moe’s, Qdoba, and Panchero’s are my favorite. It is so easy to order a “Burrito Bowl” at any of these places. Rice, beans, meat, veggies, salsa, and guac! I love how Chipotle’s meat is hormone-free, and they try to use as many local ingredients as possible. I also really like Qdoba’s Mexican Gumbo: rice, beans, and veggies all topped with a spicy broth. $4.99-$9 depending on the meat you get and if you add any extras.
  • Subway: It’s hard to find lots of vegetables on the road, and I love how I can load up on bunch of them at Subway. I get their spinach salads with all the veggies (except jalepenos) with oregano and pepper. I suggest using oil and vinegar as the dressing, though, instead of their pre-packaged dressings loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. $5.
  • Wendy’s: Huh? Yep, you heard right! I love getting their small chili with a baked potato. Filling and inexpensive-only $2.49 for both! Their chili is chock-full of beans and tomatoes. I  would stay away from their sour cream and “butter-spread,” though (hydrogenated oil heaven). I am not a big fan of fast food “healthy” salads. The “salad” is basically a few pieces of lettuce wit some industrial chicken, shredded cheese, and a side of bad dressing. I don’t think the lettuce is very fresh, either
  • Local Supermarkets: Almost every town, no matter how small, has a supermarket. You can always go in and buy some fresh produce, nuts, or ingredients to make a pb&j! The supermarkets I visited these past couple weeks even had salad bars in them.
  • Panera: Yes, Panera sells a lot of cookies, bread, and cream-based soups, but they also sell salads and non-creamy soups!  My favorite salad is the Classic Salad, and I love the black bean soup. You can always ask for no cheese on salads that contain cheese, and again, beware of the dressings because they use sugar. Ask for no dressing or dressing on the side. You can always use lemon juice as a salad dressing! Also, skip the side of bread and go for an apple.
  • Cracker Barrel: Cracker Barrel is known for comfort food, but you can also find healthy options on the menu. I love the veggie plate (four sides) with green beans, pinto beans, corn, and boiled cabbage. Just a heads up-the side of carrots are glazed and sugared carrots. Also, the grilled pot roast is magnificent! It is a rather large portion of meat, but it is topped with wonderfully grilled onions and mushrooms.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Sugar-Free Challenge before June 1st!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you miss your veggies while you are on the road? Also, what are your favorite healthy meals at seemingly unhealthy places? I would love to see what other meals or restaurants I might be missing out on!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Thank you so much for the fast food tips—these are some of my friends’ favorite places to drag me! 😀 Now I know what to get.

    I have never had these, but KFC’s grilled chicken items are supposedly not too bad.

  5. Thanks for these ideas. It is hard to know what to order sometimes and where to stop.

    I have had the McD yogurt parfaits, and some of their salads.

    I am always craving freggies when we travel. Never seem to get enough.

    Whole Foods, Trader Joes’ have good deli depts too.

    • ehhh….McDonald’s parfaits are Loaded with sugar, but I love Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s…The problem is, they are only in certain towns! I passed one Whole Foods the entire trip, and it was waaaay off the highway. Ah well, worth it 😉

  6. I did a post just like this a little while ago and had most of this stuff on there! Great minds think alike! I totally agree about eating on the go…its hard to find healthy stuff but totally possible even in the unhealthiest of places! 🙂

  7. I’m excited about the sugar free challenge! I think I’m going to do it!! Although I’m going to Bonnaroo on the 9th and I’m not sure I’ll be able to stick with it there but I’m gonna try!

  8. I am SUCH a veggie craver when I get back from trips! [Well, actually all the time…] Great ideas about road trip stops for food. I love going to local grocery stores (mostly just because I love grocery stores though…)

  9. glad you had a good trip! taco bell has their “fresco meal,” kfc has grilled skinless chicken breasts, in n out will wrap your burger in lettuce!
    but … i’ll usually just go to a grocery store & hit up their produce/deli section – control freak in me wants to know EXACTLY what i’m eating!

  10. The local grocery store idea is a great one–why didn’t I think of that?! We tend to pack our lunch and then eat out for dinner when we are on the road. It’s tough to find good choices, but you’ve listed some fantastic options. It’s always a bonus if we can find a Chipotle on the road, but sometimes where we are going we can only find Subway. Not that Subway is terrible, just not my first choice. Welcome back, Alex! 🙂

  11. It’s funny when I’m on vacation and veggie deprived, after a few days of eating junk I crave veggies like a maniac!! That’s how I’m going to feel this weekend 🙁

  12. Wendy’s and Swiss Chalet are always my go-to’s when travelling or away from home. They both make decent salads with white meat chicken and I just skip the dressing and add hot sauce.

  13. I totally miss my healthy food when I am away travelling. I still try to eat rather healthy but I still eat out a lot on vacation so it gets thrown off.
    Glad you are back! 🙂

  15. I try to seek out supermarkets also. I can usually find a salad bar, and I’ll sometimes buy an avocado and a thing of hummus to add some more substance to the salads. I also love the mexican “fast food” places, starbucks oatmeal, and panera smoothies are also good options.

  16. While on road, I eat little or no veggies and I feel bloated from all the convenient foods (bread, cookies). I try to eat yoghurt on trip so I’m more hydrated.
    I can imagine you were missing veggies. Give them now a hug 🙂 or rather enjoy them in a dish 🙂
    One week to go for the challenge, yay!

  17. Wow, that is such a pretty salad!! I do miss veggies almost always, when I don´t have a huge salad a day, I get a bit nervous :))

  20. Asian restaurants are a great place to get a plate of steamed veggies. Oftentimes, you can even find some Chinese or Thai restaurants that offer brown rice. Baja Fresh is one of our favorite fresh-mex places. Applebees has some healthy salad options–as you mentioned leave off the salad dressing and use avocado, lime or salsa to dress your salad. I’ve been known to buy canned green beans with the pull-tab lid and a can of tuna when traveling and struggling for a decent option. I’ve devised many an interesting combination, but I feel better than I would have if I ate the fast food options. Yep, necessity is the mother of invention.