Summer vacations are almost here.

I always get asked, how can you eat healthy and stay on plan while on vacation?

Most my vacations are in Branson, Mo at a amusement park called Silver Dollar City. They have wonderful home made foods!

I do not deny myself of the wonderful foods they have there! They also allow you to bring in your own food which I sometimes do for one meal. But, I've went and ate all my meals there before too. I mainly just walk and walk and walk! And I eat in portion control. I mainly eat the healthy selections (grilled turkey, corn on the cob, and veggies etc). But, I splurge at least once a day on some treat-a sugar free ice cream diet soda float! Or a chocolate dipped strawberry! But, I limit those splurges and count them into my daily food allowance as well.

The point is, I ALWAYS come home to at least a 2 lbs if not more weight loss.

My other tip is, most of the time on vacation we are (as people) eating out a lot, and most the food is more salty then at home. So don't weigh yourself till you have been home at least a couple of days. When I was pregnant the water weight did not leave for 2 weeks after I came home. And I was up more then I had ever been (14 lbs), however all in one day the 14 lbs, plus 2 more was gone after two weeks of being home. So it had to be water weight. That scared the drs, but then I explained I had been out of town and that was why I was up the 14, and it was water, and they concurred. But, when I am NOT pregnant, I'm usually only 2lbs up from water retention and it's usually gone with in two days of being home, plus the additional weight I actually lost during the vacation.

Here's a few of my favorite car snacks-

For the Car-
Bring your own snacks, there is rarely anything healthy at the gas stations, or rest areas.

Ideas for snacks?

100 calorie pack anything is pretty good. However, sometimes not enough for me.

My favorites-

Individual 50 calorie tubs of hummus (2 would be 100 calories! And very filling!). Use veggies instead of pita, or chips to dip in the hummus. My personal favorite is thinly sliced english/burpless cucumbers.

Small cans of v-8 vegetable juice. There's no bigger shot of energy to me then a small can of v-8.

Lots and lots of water!

Bring your own tea bags and coffee/tea mug with lid. Most gas stations/rest areas are very willing to give you hot water for free. I find a hot cup/mug of tea to be pretty satisfying when I'm craving sweets/carbs.

Fruit and yogurt. I love fresh fruit, like bananas and strawberries and fat free yogurt.

Fiber One Bars! Great source of fiber, and delicious.

Any Weight Watchers Bars. Again great fiber, and tasty.

Most slim fast snack bars are also really good.

Miss Meringue Sugar Free Cookies, you can have a ton of them for very few calories! 13 are only 35 calories! And they have fiber.

As for fast food. Mc Donald's has the best snacks. Fruit and Yogurt, their low fat frozen yogurt cone, and the apples and caramel sauce (skip the sauce if you can that's where all the calories are!).

Wendy's also has mandrine oranges that are pretty low calorie.

7-11 often has "diet" slurpees/icees!

For shows/movies-

Miss Meringue Cookies

100 calorie pack popcorn

Weight Watchers Fruities

Fun Dip! Believe it or not, all 3 packs (comes with 3 flavors) are only 100 calories!

Sugar Free Pop Rocks (15 calories!)

Baskin Robbins sugar free hard candy-chocolate mint, prailine, and cookies n' cream

Sugar Free Peeps! (these are great! 3 for 60 calories!)

For meals-

Visit all the restaurants websites you think you will be eating at, and read the nutritionals, print out the items that will fit into your food program from each restaurant and keep in your glove compartment.

A few of my personal favorites are Denny's light menu, Village Inn's Light Menu, TGIF, Apple Bee's Weight Watchers menu and Ruby Tuesdays.

If the place you go to does not have nutritional information, be sure to let them know via email you would like them to start showing their nutritional information.

If you must go some where (we all do!) that doesn't publicize their foods nutritional information, make sure to stick to grilled lean meats, such as shrimp, fish, & chicken. Lots of fresh salads with out dressing, or dressing on the side. And steamed with out oil vegetables. Beware of too much bread, make a mental note to keep track of how much bread, or other starches in each meal.

Personally I never order starches with any of my meals, as most restaurants give free bread, and I don't want a double whammy of the bread, and starch side dish, as it's too hard to say no to the bread most places! That way I know I have fresh/steamed veggies coming with the meal and I can indulge in one or two pieces of the bread put on the table.

Once a day I allow myself one treat. I keep that treat still calorie controlled, personally not above 200 calories. And I make sure to walk and exercise a lot the whole vacation. I always come home to a weight loss!

I'll add to this list as time goes on.