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RV trips are meant to be fun and worry free! However, they begin to not be as enjoyable when you start bringing home an extra pound here and there. No one wants to re-live their freshman 15, but after a summer packed full of RV trips, beer and all you can eat campfire food, you may start to notice a difference. We aren’t saying to cut the booze and junk food completely, if you so desire, but there are alternatives that you can consider to make your RV trip a fun, worry free, healthy and fit one!
A gym with a view!
You can sit and be lazy at home, with a beer in front of the television any day; so you may as well switch it up a bit when you’re RVing. You did just drive all the way to the great outdoors, so why not use it to your advantage. Enjoy the stunning views, scents and beauty of your surroundings, and get moving!
- Arm day: utilize different items around your campsite as weights, such as water jugs, wood for your campfire, or if your feeling ambitious fill your backpack with rocks and do a few reps before you head out on an adventure.
- Leg day: dust your bike off and bring out of storage! This is a great way to get to near by destinations and attractions, while still getting in a healthy workout.
- Full body workout: look up the different outdoor adventures that your destination has to offer. Local hikes, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming holes make for great family bonding activities, while getting fit at the same time. Intensive hikes not your style? Most camping destinations also have a variety of walking trails that will provide you with a stunning backdrop while you explore.
- Big group activities: instead of sitting around the campfire ALL night, organize some group games or activities. Most campgrounds will have an open field made just for this! Organize a game of softball, capture the flag or keep it simple and toss around a Frisbee Don’t have any sporting goods? Try out a game of good old-fashioned tag!
Bottom line – keep moving!
Create a Healthy Meal Plan
It takes more than just being active on your trip to be healthy and get fit, what you feed your body is important to! Creating a meal plan beforehand and organizing each meal will save you a lot of time and avoid the classic roasted hotdog campfire meals.
Meals: Breakfast is the most important meal of your day! This is nothing new, however when you are RVing it is especially important to make time for a good nutritious breakfast in order to set yourself up with the energy you need to last you through your day. Especially if you have an active day planned! The rest of your meals are just as important, but be sure to pick foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates to keep this energy maintained throughout the day. Here are some ideas of foods that are healthier choices, easy to portion out and will support your active lifestyle on your trip:
- Oatmeal packs
- Turkey Bacon
- Greek Yogurt
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Bagged Salad
- Homemade chili
- Chicken burgers, veggie burgers or homemade hamburgers
- Pre-cooked portioned rice
- Veggies
- Fish
- Chicken pieces
- Stew
Portioning: Being mindful to portion out your food before you leave, will save you a lot of time and prevent over eating and those bad camping trip cravings. This does take some preparation, but will make meals easy and healthier in the long run! Most of the items motioned above are easy to portion out into Baggies or containers and labeled for each meal. Larger meal items, such as pancakes or chilli can be fully prepared and frozen until the day you are planning on making them. Little mess, quick preparation and a nutritious meal – it’s a win win!
Snacking: This is important to maintain your energy level in between meals and well, sometimes you just need to binge! However, it is what you are bringing that will make the difference.
- Protein bars, or even better! Homemade protein bars!
- Trail mix
- Homemade fruit roll ups
- Carrots, snap peas or cucumber
- Fruit pieces
Dessert: this is the killer! You can have the perfectly balanced day and ruin it with this tempting meal. However, you are technically on vacation so it is okay to indulge! Here are a few ideas of more nutritious desserts that still have a bit of sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Bananas and chocolate chips wrapped in tin foil and warmed over the fire
- Puffed rice squares
- Muffins
- Oatmeal cookies
Shop Local!
There is nothing better than stopping along the highway and getting a fresh bunch of strawberries, apples or peaches that were picked yesterday. Depending on what part of the country you are in these stands will vary with fresh goodness. Shopping local is not only a healthier and yummier option for you, but you are also supporting the local economy of the community that you are in.
U-Pick Farms: many areas will have these especially in regions along the coast, where fresh fruits and vegetables are grown. This is a fun family activity for an afternoon and you are also supporting the local food providers
Farmers Markets: these are great places to find amazing varieties of fresh foods, try new flavours and to explore the area that you are in. You will find a level of quality that you won’t find in your typical supermarket.