Healthy heart tips when on your caravan or motorhome holidays

Whether you’re out on the open road for the first time in your motorhome, campervan or tourer, or a seasoned pro, here are some tips from Heart Research UK to keep your heart healthy on your travels.

Prepare on-the-go snacks

When travelling to your destination or out on a daytrip, preparing some healthy snacks can be a useful way to maintain a balanced diet on holiday.

Try taking a bag of unsalted nuts such as cashews, almonds or brazil nuts for a boost of protein and healthy fats, or whip up some tasty breakfast banana bars before your trip. This recipe is alongside many more in Heart Research UK’s new Celebrity Cookbook, downloadable on their website.

Try a healthy picnic

A picnic is lunchtime solution when out at the beach or on a daytrip. When planning your picnic, consider the balance of foods that you’re packing as well as the quality of the ingredients. Aim to pack as much fresh, low-processed foods as possible such as wholegrain bread, a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy protein sources such as eggs, low-fat natural yoghurt, beans or pulses. Some dishes to try could include wholegrain wraps, pasta dishes, a three-bean salad, or hummus and carrot sticks.

Try a vegetarian BBQ

We know many of you love a barbecue when caravanning. Adding more vegetables can be a great way to add more variety to your barbecue whilst increasing the amount of fibre and reducing the saturated fat content of your meal. Try the griddled sweet potatoes with mint, chilli and smoked garlic recipe from the Heart Research celebrity cookbook, or simply add sweetcorn, sliced aubergine and courgette, or even some tofu as plant-based alternatives to meat.

Keep kids engaged

It’s important to keep children engaged with activities while we’re away. With the unrivalled access to the countryside that touring brings, setting small challenges on walks, such as counting the number of birds you spot or looking for different species of insect or leaves can be a great way to keep kids entertained.

Keep activities varied

It can be easy to get into a routine involving lots of sitting down, especially when there’s a spell of good weather. Break up your routine with periods of activity such as hiking or cycling, or taking along some sports equipment such as badminton or tennis rackets. If you enjoy walking, try planning different routes before your holiday to keep your walks interesting. You can use the Ordnance Survey app to find routes in the area you’re visiting.

Opt for low-calorie, low-unit drinks

A measured single spirit and low-calorie mixer will contain less than half of the calories and half of the units of a typical glass of wine or pint of beer. For children, swap fizzy drinks for sugar-free cordial mixed with soda water.

“Staying active and maintaining a healthy diet are important for keeping our hearts healthy. We’re excited to work with Caravan Guard to help people stay fit and active during their caravan, campervan and motorhome travels this summer,” said Simon Taylor, Health Promotion Coordinator and Physiologist. “With a little preparation, along with unrivalled access to the countryside, caravanning offers the perfect opportunity to keep active and unwind.”

Remember we donate £1 to Heart Research UK every time a new customer chooses to receive their Caravan Guard policy documents online as part of our Paperless Policies initiative.

Heart Research UK has a new celebrity cookbook full of fun and nutritious meals for all the family. To download a copy in exchange for a donation to the charity click here.

Over to you…

If you got any healthy eating or healthy heart hacks to share then we’d love to hear them. Simply add a comment in the box below and here’s to lots of healthy, happy caravan and motorhome holidays!