Road trip! Those words can bring out the wanderlust in all of us with thoughts of the open road, new sights, new people to meet, new food to try and if you’re not careful, new pounds.

As you travel, do try all of America’s regional fare; BBQ, catfish and hush puppies, biscuits and gravy, gumbo, beignets, Maine lobster and on and on. Regional fare is part of our heritage and a good way to get to know new people and find out about other ways of life. These dishes however, are not to be eaten everyday and need to be balanced with foods with less fat/sodium/calories and more vegetables and fruits.

Here are some tips for you to maintain your health on the road:

• If you’re traveling with another person, share that dish you just have to try, but know it’s less than healthy.
• If you’re traveling in an R.V. or have some other way to prepare your own meals, then only go out for a meal two or three times a week.
• If you are not in a place where you can cook, then eat more raw foods, something we all need more of anyway. Purchase some already washed organic greens, chopped veggies, and a lemon. If you choose, purchase canned beans or perhaps tuna as a protein source. Add your veggies and drained beans and/or tuna along with some dressing, if desired, or simply the juice of a lemon. Shake up the container and eat. Simple and delicious!
• Healthy snacks can be raw nuts and seeds. They’re not messy, are easy to munch on and supply healthy fats and a good source of protein. Dried fruit can be mixed sparingly.
• Sprout seeds!

Sprouting is simple. All you need is a glass jar and a mesh lid or piece of cheesecloth and a rubber band. Place your seeds in the jar, generally a quart size, cover with pure non-chlorinated water to double or triple the height of the seeds, and soak for eight to ten hours or overnight. Place a fine-mesh lid on the jar, or use a piece of cheesecloth (something that will allow the water to drain, but not the seeds) secured with a rubber band, and drain out the water. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight and rinse at least twice a day. The sprouts will increase several times over in volume. If you have children, this can be their fun “gardening” task.

A suggestion is to begin with 2 to 3 tablespoons of seeds to see how you and your family like the various flavors and increase as desired in your future experiments. Keep them in the refrigerator after they have sprouted, for up to five days. Here is a chart with sprouting times for various seeds and beans:

Alfalfa: 3–4 days
Amaranth (do not soak): 2–4 days
Buckwheat: 1–3 days
Clover: 3–4 days
Garbanzo: 3–4 days
Lentil: 2–4 days
Mung: 2–4 days
Radish: 3–5 days
Rye: 2–3 days
Soybean: 3–6 days
Sunflower: 3–5 days
Wheat berry: 2–3 days

Have fun traveling and exploring–good for the soul, while eating (mostly) healthy food–good for the mind!