Book offers tips for healthy road trip food By ALICIA CHANG,
Associated Press (Published June 20' 2004) WOODSTOCK, N.Y.
(AP) - If you're road-tripping this summer, chances are
you'll end up at one of those nondescript highway rest stops
that serve mainly juicy burgers, greasy fries and syrupy
soft drinks. But the way food gurus Nikki and David Goldbeck
see it, travel is no excuse for eating badly.
The couple, who penned several nutrition books including
the 1973 best seller "The Supermarket Handbook," like to
avoid the fast food chains that dot the nation's
interstates whenever they drive from their Woodstock home
to the warmth of Florida's Miami Beach every winter.
Although many places now offer salads and healthier
options like fresh fruit, the Goldbecks often find the
menu selections too limited for their vegetarian taste.
For years, they scoured the Yellow Pages for vegetarian-
friendly restaurants, and even kept a folder of old
newspaper clippings of restaurant reviews in their car.
The Goldbecks recently compiled their favorite eateries,
along with other listings discovered through their own
research or recommended by other health-conscious
travelers, into a new book aimed at giving travelers a
nutritious alternative.
"Healthy Highways: The Traveler's Guide to Healthy
Eating" lists about 2,000 health-oriented restaurants
and natural food stores in the 50 states - all easily
accessible from the exit ramp of a highway or a major
road. Telephone numbers and hours of operation are
also included.
While the book can help steer travelers toward more
nutritious food, health experts say those on the road can
also take their own simple steps toward healthy eating by
planning ahead.
"You don't need to find a specific restaurant to find
healthy offerings," said Tara Geise, a registered
dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic
Association. "If you follow some basic principles, you
can find healthy food pretty much anywhere you go."
For example, on long trips, take the time to pack a
cooler with sandwiches and snacks like fruit and
yogurt. At rest stops, keep portion size in mind and
avoid overindulging on junk food. If an entree on a
menu looks unfamiliar, ask for its nutritional content
before ordering.
When traveling in the summer, keep an eye out for
roadside fruit and vegetable stands that offer the chance
to stock the cooler with locally grown produce like
Georgia peaches, Geise said.
All the entries in the Goldbecks' book are vegetarian-
friendly, but not all are meat-free. The listings range
from health food chains to independent owners, from
organic style to fresh home-cooking, from juice bars to
sit-down restaurants.
The majority are located a few miles off the highway,
but others like the natural food chain Fresh City,
which sells fresh-to-order salad wraps and stir-fry
bowls, can be found along several stops on the
Massachusetts Turnpike.
The Goldbecks admit the book is not all-inclusive and
revisions and additions of new listings are made on a Web
site dedicated to the book. They choose the eateries
through their experience and also by mailing out 4,000
questionnaires to restaurants and natural food stores.
The list was pared down after they studied menus and made
follow-up contact.
According to Nikki Goldbeck, a 57-year-old nutritionist,
there are other perks to straying from rest stop food.
"Aside from getting better food, part of traveling is to
get the community experience," she explained. "You get
to meet local people and experience what the
neighborhood is like."