This blog post is particularly relevant to me right now because I am on vacation! More specifically, my wife, the first lady of fiber herself, and I are aboard a train heading west towards California.

We recently quit our jobs and are planning a move to GA to work in a retirement home. We decided to take a little time off in between and see the world a little bit. Neither of us ever been across the US before, and we decided it was time.

I have always loved trains, and since we had the time, we decided to hop aboard Amtrak for an awesome journey!

And what is a trip without a little blogging? We are currently in Nebraska and I am sitting at a table in the viewing cart watching beautiful scenery pass by.

I would like to chat with you, my awesome reader, about the steps I am taking to eat a little bit healthier on this train and throughout my journey. It is not easy to do, and the struggle is real, but preparation and a little bit of self-control go a long way.

Here are some easy tips to remember:

Pack Your Own Food

The easiest way to find healthy eating aboard a plane train or automobile is to pack food yourself. Load a bag with apples, fiber bars and other easy snacks to make it easier to pass up on dessert at meal times or too many trips to the snack cart to eat chips or candy bars.

We brought along with with us:

  • Apples
  • Kind bars and other breakfast bars
  • Crackers
  • Bananas (not sure how long these will last
  • Oreos (okay, maybe not the best thing, but we were given these to take with us!)

Admittedly not a huge variety, but it has been awesome to be able to snack on our own food when we feel hungry! It is also helping us to save money on the exorbitant prices of the dining and cafe car.

Pass on Dessert

It can be very hard to pass on dessert, but your stomach will thank you later. Eating too many calories on a train isn’t a good thing, because for the most part you are just sitting down and not moving much. If you are an active person normally you should be more cautious because you are probably used to intaking enough calories to give yourself plenty of energy.

If you are used to living a sedentary lifestyle:

  1. Stop being okay with that and walk more and;
  2. Still try to eat healthier on the train and you will thank yourself later!

Choose Healthier Dinner Options When Possible

Last night for dinner I chose the steak. Definitely not the best choice health wise, but it was delcious. Tonight I will be making the better choice and going for the chicken, or possibly even a salad if that choice is available. Amtrak has one menu with limited options. However, since Miranda and I in the sleeper cabin, all of our meals are provided to us free of charge!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

My last suggestion for you is not to beat yourself up over bad decisions. It is imperative to not dwell on the past, but to steel yourself and make better decisions in the future. Just like my decision to go for the chicken or salad after indulging on the steak, you too can make positve choice while on vacation!

Good luck in your journey and have a great time! Also, be sure to wish me luck too as we continue our journey!

-Jordan