If you are planning a road trip this summer with the family you are bound to find the back seat of your mini van covered with greasy potato chip bags and empty soda bottles by the time you reach your destination. Let’s face it, chips, soda and snack bars are among the tried and true go-to snacks on the road. They’re easy to grab off the shelf and there’s no thinking involved. The problem is that both you and your kids will arrive at your vacation destination feeling sluggish and bloated. Of course, your best bet is to pack snacks from home including the obvious choices like carrots, pretzels, sugarless gum and bottled water. But think back, way back, to your own childhood road trips and remember that the last thing you wanted to snack on was something that mom had packed in her old cooler. Half the fun of the trip is begging for some money to spend at the 7-Eleven on a Slurpee and a Twinkie.

With that in mind, Health.com has put together some great suggestions that will help make this Summer’s road trip healthful while still allowing your family the fun of snacking along the way.  Whether it’s a gas station, a rest stop or a fast food chain, these tips for what to grab on the go will even keep your kids snack-happy!

I can’t believe that since I started my blog some months ago, I have yet to share with you all my love…no my OBSESSION, with the big “O.”  Yes, that’s right, Oprah,  and I’m not afraid to admit it. From among her countless pearls of wisdom, it is near impossible to single out my most favorite but there are those that I have continued to refer back to over the years in my own daily life. Oprah says…”When we know better, we do better.”  This can be applied to so many things in our lives, but in the case of Oprah she often talks about this as it pertains to parenting mistakes and understanding and forgiving certain things that were “done” to us in our childhood because if the adults in our lives knew better, they could have done better. Well, as is often the case with me, I have applied this notion to food and eating,one of my most favorite topics!

We have been bombarded over the last several years with the grim statistics on childhood obesity but this recent New York Times article by Tara Parker-Pope indicates that the tide may be slowly shifting. I was an extremely overweight child, and later, an obese young adult until my early 20’s when I was finally able to get a handle on my weight. So this is a subject that I am very aware of with my own children.  According to a market research survey, “The eating habits of American children appear to be shifting. And for a change, the news is good.” It appears that as burgers, fries and chicken nuggets remain popular with children under 13, consumption of these foods at fast food chains is declining. Foods like yogurt, fruit, grilled chicken and chocolate milk are increasing. Many of the most popular chains are now required to list calories on their menus, and I know from experience that when I can show my children the differences in nutritional value of certain foods, it is easier for them to make  better choices.  When we know better, we do better.