8B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2005
You're
cruising down the highway to your spring break destination and everyone's starting to get hungry. Don't look to the golden arches when you can tap into a trunk-full of delicious food options. Stock up on a variety of food and create your own healthy meals on the road. If you skip the sketch, in the middle-of-nowhere restaurant your body will thank you, and you'll save your cash.
thank you, and may
You must plan ahead if you are relying on your own food for meals. Eating from your car is a challenge, but with advice from experienced road-trippers you can pack food that will sustain your energy and help you avoid drive-through fast food and the omni-present gas station food.
A Road Pro
Jenny Wurtz, Topea senior, knows what food works for eating in the car. An experienced food-independent traveler, Wurtz says she almost always makes her own meals from food she packs. For the basics, Wurtz suggests bringing rice cakes, hummus, a bag of baby carrots, a
jar of applesauce, spinach leaves, avocado and sardines (her boyfriend eats them on rice cakes). Wurtz's favorite filling treat is the Oregon Trail mix - it has dark chocolate chips—from the Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St.
This spring break, Wurtz plans to head to a currently unknown destination in the southwest.
Gourmet To-Go
Another food-savvy traveler, Megan Boledovich, Naperville, Ill., sophomore, suggests preparing a basic pasta salad for the road. The day before you leave, cook some pasta, rinsing with cold water after draining. In a large plastic container, combine the noodles with chopped onion, green or red pepper, carrot or celery. Throw in some olives for more flavor. Drizzle with salad dressing—Boledovich suggests Italian dressing—and shake well. Keep in the cooler, and add spinach leaves for an easy salad. This easy-to-make dish will add zest to the abundance of raw foods that you'll be consuming.
Tuna salad is another easy option for a protein-packed, flavorful meal. In a plastic
container combine a pack of tuna, one or two mayonnaise packs from a gas station (if you accidentally forget to bring mayo), a handful of dried cranberries and some apple slices. This tuna salad is good alone or on bread.
One more suggestion: if you're a java-junkie or coffee-craver, a French press coffee maker could be your best friend on the road. To save yourself from stale, gas pressure, bring a French press and ground coffee beans. You only need to add boiling water. For more information see fantes.com/french_press.htm.
Take advantage of the warmer weather during spring break; jump in the car and head...anywhere. Just make sure your car is stocked with some whole foods to sustain your energy and help you steer clear of scary fast food restaurants. Save money and stay healthy!
bflorman@kansan.com
Stock Your Car:
Loaf of bread
Pre-sliced cheese
Fruit — apples, oranges and bananas
Peanut butter — make sandwiches with sliced banana
Packs of tuna (not the kind you need a can opener for, unless you are bringing one)
Dried cranberries
Spillover
A pack of Seitan — like beef jerky, but softer, and made from soybeans
Packs of yogurt
Several gallons of water
Salad dressing
Spinach
— Fill used plastic bottles two-thirds with water and freeze. Use as huge ice cubes and avoid a watery mess in your cooler.
Tips to stay cool
- Pack your cooler items in reusable plastic containers to keep out moisture. Also use them to combine foods like a spinach salad or turkey salad.
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Jayplay 03.17.05
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