Promised yourself that 2020 was the year you stuck to that new year’s resolution to stay healthy? It can be difficult not to succumb to all things sugary and sweet, and hard to say no to fast food – especially when you spend a lot of time on the road in your car. Hard, but not impossible.
We’ve put together our 5 top tips for staying healthy, even when you’re on the move!
- Don’t skip breakfast!
As the old saying goes – breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It does what it says on the tin, it breaks your overnight fast. Through the night, our bodies use up tons of energy growing and repairing, so getting a balanced breakfast in when you wake up helps your body replace that. It’s also widely thought by nutritionists that people who eat breakfast have a higher-quality diet, with lower daily calorie intake than those who skip their morning meal.
Breakfast doesn’t always have to be eaten at home – overnight oats, fruit and smoothies make for good grab and go alternatives to eating in work. Plus, lots of our favourite brands offer breakfasts now, meaning you can pick up your first meal of the day from your favourite place!
(PSA: Burger King offer breakfast now, and the hash browns are INCREDIBLE. Find out if there’s one near you, here).
- Fill the car with healthy snacks
Before every big journey, you’ll do all the vital checks on your car, and we’d like to add one more to that list. Before you put the key in the ignition, ask yourself… have I got anything healthy to hand incase hanger strikes? If the answer is no, pick up snacks to enjoy en route to stop you begging the driver to head to the drive-thru! Nuts, fruit and popcorn are all great, and M&S have just introduced pop chips to their healthy range – and they start from £1!
- Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water and keeping yourself well hydrated is shown to boost mental performance, boost your mood and boost your physical performance. Whilst there is much debate over how much you should drink in a day, keeping a bottle handy in the car is a good place to start. Motorway service areas are open 24 hours a day too, so if all that water sends you running straight to the loo, you won’t be far from a toilet anywhere on the motorway network!
- Check menus for healthier alternatives
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t eat out – many of your favourite restaurants and take-outs now offer healthy options. M&S have their ‘Balanced For You’ range of lean high protein , fuss-free meals (at Moto they’re currently 3 for £10). Greggs have their ‘Balanced Choice’ range of tasty treats, all under 400cals – there’s plenty to choose from if you know where to look.
- Limit your alcohol intake
As well as making you unsafe to drive, it’s also illegal to drive with 35+ mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in England, Wales and NI, and 22+mg per 100ml in Scotland. Whilst there are many reasons it’s not healthy to consume alcohol to excess, it’s not just the alcohol itself you need to consider. Many people find that the day after drinking their calorie intake is higher, leading to even more excess calories being consumed.
What are your top tips for staying healthy on the road? Let us know over on Twitter @motoway!
