Snack Healthy on Road Trips

by Adrienne Wilson on

Thanks to our sister site, That’s Fit for being health conscious enough to supply the blogosphere and us here with some tips on how to snack healthy on road trips. I’m especially grateful considering I’m on the road at present and always looking for a word of advice on the topic. I’ve watched trips turn to “hell” for some people who input all the wrong goods into their bodies, sit on their butts, lounge in beach chairs and it ain’t pretty. Snacking is one of the easiest ways to kill time on those long drives and also an easy way to gain weight, but if you plan well in advance and think outside the box, or your vehicle your chances of fighting weight gain or just that nasty fatty feeling can be reduced.

For starters if you’ve ever taken the oh-so-scenic Route 66 or any parts of America’s great Midwest you can kiss most healthy pit stops bye-bye. I remember craving some edamame, sushi and a green tea smoothie with boba (specific, I know) on one long drive through Missouri somewhere. There were stretches of nothing followed by more nothing and then the great golden arches (McDonald’s) appeared, but the semi-healthy Japanese fare my stomach desired was never to be found. Tired, hungry and defeated, I gave into chicken mcnuggets. Planning ahead and packing your car with granola, water, trail mix, dried fruit, and fresh fruit that can survive the trip are good starters. The About.com article which That’s Fit references, suggests eating only salads and grilled foods from fast food joints. Also, all those rest stops we all tend to speed past – utilize them. Take a moment to let the car cool, step out the vehicle and do some stretching or light exercise. It may slow you down in the short-run, but in the long-run your body will probably feel 10x better. Let me not babble about it, go see for yourself.

Do you have any secrets for snacking healthy? Maybe a recipe for the road?

Photo of the Day (9/16/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Today’s shot comes out of Japan from vyxle. I’ve always been a fan of food and beverage shots. They give you a sense of place without even seeing the place. No sumo wrestlers, no geisha, no temples, or dizzying shots from a Tokyo karaoke bar. Just the Lemon drink bottles with a little bit of English and a little bit of Japanese.

Very cool and from the Gadling Flickr pool. Upload your own shots for a chance at the POTD.

Photo of the Day (8/5/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Now it is true I have eaten many a questionable dish and species in my lifetime, but looking at this South American plate I’m thinking probably not as much as some folks have. Um, yes. According to Morrissey who left this fine gastronomic shot in our Gadling Flickr pool the meat is delicious. What kind of meat is that you ask? Well it’s a Cuy (or guinea pig). If you stare a little harder you can make out a limb or two and yes, that looks like a head there too. Can anyone else see this? Would you sample this while hanging out in Peru? I would.

Stomach growling or turning yet?

Blogging New Orleans!

by Adrienne Wilson on

How sooo out of the loop I feel these days trying to get more Americans to walk and exercise! Perhaps I missed a memo that went out, but where and when did our sister site, Blogging New Orleans come around? Seriously? I was scrolling down just to see what has been happening on sister sites across the board when I discovered one I never knew existed!

Anyhow, Blogging New Orleans looks quite up-and-coming and focuses on everything you’d want to know about the city and more. After reading two pages of posts I’ve caught up on some of the latest Katrina updates, the current road conditions, places to dine, places to hang and other Nawlin’s ramblings from Heidi, Kelly, Steve, Henry, Jay and all the rest of the bloggers on deck. If you’re working up a summer time vaca to New Orleans you’ll want to check them out. I’ve already found one place I’d like to visit on my next march through the town – the Audubon Aquarium.

Thanks a mil and welcome!

Word for the Travel Wise (05/17/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

After my first experience at a Tibetan restaurant I figured I’d share some of the delicious vocabulary I plucked off the menu for today’s lovely lingo lesson. Since most of the items were names of dishes I won’t bother throwing them out there, but here’s one you can surely use in Tibet beyond meal times.

Today’s word is a Tibetan word used in Tibet:

Tashi delek – Welcome

Tibet is the type of place I’ve always heard tons of hoopla about, but never truly took the time to figure out what all the rage is about. I’ve already got a lot on my plate and I’m not talking about the veggie-style tsel thupek I had for dinner. Without going into politics I’ll pass on what I’ve found in regards to the language here and some cool notes to note on the country name itself.

According to the Wikipedia the English word for Tibet is derived from the Turkic word Töbän meaning “the heights.” The Sanskrit name for Tibet is Trivishtap and Tibetans call their homeland Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect. To learn more about the Tibetan language visit Tibet.com where you can find an audio guide, exhibition of Tibetan calligraphy, places to study and various other links. Your most extensive source for information on the web is probably going to be the Tibetan Language Institute site, which you’ll want to check out for yourself if genuinely interested in learning further.