Hey everyone! We’re back from our #epicfamilyroadtrip! Thank you to those who followed along on Facebook. We had a ton o’ fun on our first family trip despite the blips and challenges along the way.

It wasn’t easy keeping our rambunctious boy occupied and happy with all the driving we did. We’ve learned a few important lessons for next time, one of which is how healthy eating on the road impacted our vacation.

Easy Peasy First Week

We sank into our time off with ease the first week as we stayed in an ah-mazing Airbnb on Vancouver Island.

Seriously, using Airbnb to find accommodation was the best decision we’ve made in a long time. We had seven whole days to relax, unwind and breathe in the fresh, forest air. OLM was in day camp (which I highly recommend doing if you are in one place for any length of time) for three of those days so we could have some well-deserved grown-up time too. The rest of the time was spent at the beach and in the forest; our two favourite places!

So what was so hard, you ask?

Healthy eating on the road is hard!

It was easy to stay on track the first week as we had the entire place to ourselves which meant access to full kitchen facilities. We stocked the fridge with fresh food (and beer) and cooked all our meals except lunches. It seemed like our plan for healthy eating it was going to be a breeze until we packed up to go on the road to the US for our second week.

When it all fell apart

We knew we were in trouble when the only grocery store on our way to our first overnight stop had the most pathetic produce section I’ve ever seen. The fruits and vegetable were not only overpriced but wilted and uninspiring. The only bonus was the few apples we scoffed from the trees growing in the parking lot. I know, right?

We did our best to put the focus on healthy foods but without a kitchen to prepare foods in and limited cold storage available it fell apart towards the end of this week. Fast forward to the day after we got home I was literally sick to my stomach. It seems this poor body is much more sensitive to what goes in it as I get older. (I know this but I choose to ignore it from time to time.)

As the chief grocery shopper and chef in our household it was up to me to fix it. And being as bossy as I am it wasn’t long before I took charge of the situation.

The next day we kicked sugar to the curb and eliminated all sources including bread, juice, yogurt with added sugar for seven days. It wasn’t that hard considering it didn’t take long to start feeling better. Incorporating more greens and fresh food into our diet was the easy part but re-educating ourselves about hidden sources of sugar meant we had to start reading labels again.

Plan ahead with yummy treats

Seven days was enough to reset our cravings and our taste buds for sugar. Now it’s about moderation and planning ahead because it would be foolish (and no fun) to think that we have to eliminate sugar from our lives all together. What fun is there in that? With all that in mind, I wanted to share with you one of my favourite ways to incorporate yummy treats into our diet.

Healthy Snack Mixes

Snack mixes are great to take with you when you’re in a pinch for something healthy and fun to eat on the road. And having them on hand at home is great for those times when you’re running out the door to the beach. Need I saw more?

It just so happens that my latest favourite movie (we saw it on my birthday) is a big part of the recipe below. What are the yummy treats you ask?

Finding Dory inspired Goldfish® crackers!

Cuteness Alert!

OLM has been practicing crossing his eyes so it seemed appropriate that he’d try this after finding Dory in the snack mix. He’d nearly nailed it but ate up the Dory crackers before both eyes were fully crossed. You get the drift.  Snacking should be fun. And healthy.

Here’s my Finding Dory Snack Mix recipe which includes the limited edition Goldfish® crackers inspired by our latest fav flick, Finding Dory! It’s low in salt and chock full of healthy fat and fun to keep your little ones happy. Feel free to adapt it to suit your tastes.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.

[yumprint-recipe id=’5′]There you have it!

Would you like some more ideas on how to create smiles and memorable moments with your kids and Goldfish® crackers?

Go social! Use the hashtag #GoldfishSmiles and share your own special family moments with Goldfish®.

And check out Campbell Soup.ca  for more recipe ideas. Did you know that Goldfish crackers are always baked with real cheese and contain no artificial colours or flavours? Now you do!