By Barb Derian | BRN 10826 | International Membership Chair
Amy Hanus | BRN 5402
One of my biggest challenges while traveling is how to stay on track with my health goals. I was lucky enough to meet a fellow Airstreamer, Amy Hanus (BRN 5402) who has a passion for health and has many ideas to help me achieve my health goals. Over the next few months, I’ll share an interview with Amy on how to keep Healthy-focused while on the road.
Amy, tell us more about yourself and your Airstream life.
Thank you, Barb. We bought our first Airstream in late 2020 and now have a 2021 25’ Flying Cloud Hatch. We love traveling to the beach and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Florida is our favorite spot so far. We love to help with the CanOpener Rally each January. I have a BS in Health Education: Exercise Science and an Exercise Physiologist certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. I’ve worked in health/wellness since 2001 and current work for a foundation, Ardmore Institute of Health, which grants money in the space of whole health. It also provides our Full Plate Living nutrition programs to anyone at no cost. It is literally 100% free.
I know from personal experience that keeping focus on healthy lifestyle habits is challenging on the road.
Would you share some ideas for how we can eat healthy on the road?
The No. 1 thing I do to make healthy meals on travel dates is to pack meals that are already prepared or require minimal effort with no “cooking.” I specifically focus on adding more vegetables and beans, and I always have little apples or clementines for a touch of sweetness to end the meal. I try to stay away from prepared “quick” foods you get from the grocery as these have lots of other “stuff” that can make me feel sluggish when trying to stay focused for driving days.
How do you stay focused on eating healthy when Airstreaming?
Meal planning is key! I have a general outline for all the meals we’ll cook when camping and eat out with some flexibility for other unforeseen fun events. You can write it out in a notebook or use a spreadsheet. I prefer a spreadsheet with the meals and ingredients listed I’ll need. This helps me pull together a shopping list.
What resources are there to create quick healthy meals that don’t require a ton of ingredients?
Google is amazing, and I’m a fan of Pinterest for filing my ideas away for future use. So many free services are available for healthy, fun, and delicious recipes. You can even ask AI, like ChatGPT, to give you a recipe with the ingredients you have on hand. Don’t get too caught up in needing a recipe to eat healthy. I like the KISS model — Keep It Super Simple. Focus on recipes with whole foods and limit processed foods. You can also add a bag salad, fresh veggies to throw on the grill, or frozen veggies to pop in the microwave to boost a favorite meal you always cook in your Airstream to up the nutrients and fiber to a meal.
Do you have a couple favorite items that are ready to eat?
My first is Veggie Wraps – Everyone can make their own wrap with their favorite veggies. I pre-chop all of the veggies so they are ready when we’re ready for a lunch pitstop. I like to stuff my wrap with:
▪ roasted red pepper hummus
▪ shredded carrots
▪ diced cucumber
▪ banana peppers
▪ feta cheese
▪ spring mix lettuce
▪ a splash of Beano’s Submarine Dressing
My go-to salad is Edamame Salad – I make this ahead of time, and you can eat off it for a couple of days. It’s also a pretty salad to take to gatherings. It’s a simple protein-packed meal.
Here is the recipe:
▪ 16 oz frozen shelled edamame
▪ 10 oz frozen corn
▪ 2 red bell peppers, diced
▪ 1 small red onion, finely chopped
▪ 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
▪ ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
▪ ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
Dressing
▪ ½ cup lemon juice
▪ ¼ cup Dijon mustard
▪ ¼ cup olive oil
▪ 1 teaspoon each salt & pepper
Instructions
▪ Prepare the frozen edamame and corn according to the package directions. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Keep refrigerated in an
airtight container.
▪ Recipe note: I’ve also substituted the parsley, basil, and oil for ¼ cup Beano’s Submarine Dressing.
What’s your go-to healthy cookout recipe when you’re camping in your Airstream?
Our favorite meal to grill is salmon, peaches, and veggie kabobs. If you have never grilled peaches, you need to try them! Our favorite meal to make in the Airstream is a breakfast feast of polenta, stewed Mexican tomatoes, black beans, and eggs topped with avocado. You can find many easy healthy recipes to grill or cook inside on the internet.
What are three tips for eating out with your health in mind when traveling?
Eating out can be challenging — particularly in areas where restaurant choice can be limited. I like to see if I can find the menu online — pick your meal before you arrive to help take away the impulse ordering when hungry. Try to fill half your plate with veggies and eat them first. The sides on a menu are a sweet spot for these. You can bring your own healthier salad dressing or ask for dressings on the side. Choose a lean protein like grilled fish and chicken or order a side of legumes/beans instead of fried items. Of course, it isn’t always easy to find healthy items on the menus, but more often than not, in a non-fast food restaurant, you can ask if they will prepare food in a different way (e.g. grilled not fried).
One of my challenges is snacking – whether during the long ride, in the Airstream or around the fire. What types of snacks can I have on hand that are more healthy alternatives?
This is a little bit of a weighted question for me in the line of work I do around healthy eating and health challenges people face. Snacks are necessary if…you are hungry! So often snacking isn’t about being hungry – it’s about boredom or social interaction. If you’re hungry, consider stopping to eat a meal. But if you just need a snack to get you to the next meal, aim to choose foods that add fiber to help you feel full and won’t add a lot of calories, fat, sodium, etc. A few suggestions: Raw veggies – carrot sticks, small sweet peppers, mini cucumbers and fruit – petite apples, pears, clementines, cherries, grapes (frozen cotton candy grapes are amazing!). Rally socials and fireside gatherings are a blast and with the craze of charcuterie boards, having healthier munchies can be easier. I love making a board and focusing on adding finger food-sized raw veggies, strawberries, nuts, grapes, etc. Grab a small plate and focus on filling most of it with these fiber foods. Keeping these stocked makes grabbing healthier snacks on the road easy too.
What are some of the pitfalls to eating while traveling?
I like to focus on what we DO need to eat more of, but it’s important to keep in mind what to avoid or minimize in our diets. Our food system in the USA is just not set up to make it easy to eat healthy. Fast food eateries and packaged foods and drinks are readily available, and let’s be honest, they taste great. But the truth is heart disease is still the number one killer, and our choices can greatly impact our health. It’s important to choose wisely most of the time. After all, we all want to Airstream as long as we can because there’s still so much to see! Plan your meals the best you can, choose eateries that serve healthier options like veggies, beans, and grilled lean proteins, and don’t forget to drink more water.
Let’s talk about water. Personally, we carry a filter system so that we have ready access to fresh drinking water, but it is hard to remember while driving and at camp to drink water. How can I make sure I get the proper amount?
Our bodies require water for our joints, tissues, organs, temperature control, bowel movements, and so much more. We get water in our bodies from more than the beverages we drink – the foods we eat can provide hydration. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 6-8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Your urine should be pale to light yellow. Plan to drink more when you’re exercising, in hot temperatures, and traveling. (I know…it will lead to more bathroom stops, but those are good to get us moving throughout the day. At least we don’t have to hunt for a nice clean toilet.)
I like focusing on eating lots of foods high in water and fiber – specifically:
- fruits – strawberries, apples, kiwi
- vegetables – carrots, broccoli, greens
- beans – black, navy, pinto
- and cooked whole grains – brown rice, quinoa, farro
While I do enjoy sweetened coffee and other caloric beverages that help contribute to my water intake, I focus on drinking mostly water throughout the day from beverages without calories, fat, sugar, etc. Plain water is always a good choice, but I also enjoy sparkling water and herbal teas. Kick your water up a notch by adding frozen pineapple or slices of orange. Be creative! Of course, if you have any concerns or questions about the amount of water you should drink, this would be a great one to ask your clinician.
Thank you, Amy. I love these ideas and am excited to talk again about how we can stay active on the road.
For anyone who wants to know more about Full Plate Living and to connect with Amy, be sure to check out Full Plate Living.
