Summer is the time of travel. Often long. And never as in 2020, Italians are using (and will use) cars and campers for the holiday. Driving is synonymous with attention, aspect that proper nutrition improves considerably. Moreover, if lightness and digestibility are worth every day to feel good, they are even more so when you have to face a trip by car that certainly does not help digestion as much as a good walk. Without forgetting that in some cases we must also think of those who suffer from nausea (children in the first place) or people who are already in an ideal form and who in any case cannot stay at home. Without undergoing special diets, some foresight does not hurt starting from the elimination of heavy things par excellence: fried, sauces too seasoned, sandwiches too stuffed. An idea to alleviate the problem is the food to take with you: if you organize well you can save time (no one loves queues in service stations, it being understood that Autogrill has just launched an App for its take away in 45 stores) and earn healthy.

Low sugars

On the day of departure, you have to take care of breakfast more than you usually do: no croissants and coffee at the bar, which will please but are not ideal. Better satiate yourself in a healthy way with bread with jam or honey, or with shortbread or cereals, preferably wholemeal, or even a ham toast, all accompanied by a little fruit. So you ingest few sugars but enough minerals and vitamins to cope with the heat. For those who suffer from nausea, we do not recommend drinking before getting into the car: it is better to sip a little water on board, but do not puff up your stomach with tea, coffee, cappuccino before traveling. On the street, an (we emphasize one) energy bar will not hurt while it is better to leave snacks, chips, biscuits.

Lots of water and fruit

On board it is right to bring thermos and coolers – not all cars have refrigerated compartments – with a nice supply of water (better smooth so it does not swell) while sugary drinks that stimulate the desire for sweet and induce to eat continuously are to be avoided. For the classic lunch break, it is better to ban the 'trays' with the inevitable parmigiana or lasagna, the fries, the desserts. When traveling, seasonal salads should be preferred that can be prepared comfortably at home: rice, chicken, vegetables is an ideal mix. Or a caprese with mozzarella and tomatoes, or even a pasta salad, with perhaps tuna or other white fish: the important thing is that it is accompanied by many vegetables and a minimum of extra virgin olive oil. Also never forget a good supply of fruit. Because on long journeys where water retention accumulates due to poor mobility, it is important to fill up with water, potassium and mineral salts that come precisely from vegetables and fruit.

Greedy choice or not

Bringing food from home doesn't mean you should never stop: on the contrary, a stop would be needed every two hours to stretch your legs. Today on many car models, the fatigue detector makes a cup or similar symbols appear on the display. The classic solution is a service area that in some cases aligns a rich and articulated offer, based on street food and signature pizzas, which is hard to resist … Free to give in but if we put it from a nutritional point of view , we should limit ourselves to a plate of bresaola, a salad and a fruit salad. And the slalom between the legendary walnuts of ham with pepper and traditional three kg breads has been a 'must' for generations but the purchase should be destined for the pantry at home and not for 'live' consumption. The best solution for those who are not in a hurry – or are passionate about gourmet – is instead to leave the highway and stop in one of the many places near the toll booth, often with good experiences. Obviously, if there is no way to rest, whoever takes the wheel you must not have drunk alcoholi (and also not having exaggerated with food) to feel in full form and to leave serenely. Beyond the rules, it is always a matter of common sense.