We’ve just arrived for our yearly visit to the great state of Texas. After three days of travel, our horses and dogs are happy to be here too.
Before we left home, I packed our live-in trailer with as many groceries as would fit into our small refrigerator and limited cabinet space. No need for anything that requires an oven. Don’t have one. And since the propane stove sits under a cover that doubles as countertop space, we reserve its use for special occasions.
We do have a microwave, however. Along with a George Foreman grill, coffee pot and the cute little toaster I found at a garage sale last year, we’re pretty well set.
Animals come first when traveling. So we limited our daily travel time and stopped each evening at a horse motel with comfy corrals and a place to hook up our live-in trailer to water and electricity.
Breakfast on the road needs to be easy, portable and as nutritious as possible. Good thing I threw in the frozen egg and cheese burritos from home. A little over a minute in the microwave wrapped in a paper towel and we were happy travelers.
Bananas and easy-to-peel oranges make a great midmorning snack when you’re tempted to stop for doughnuts. Just make sure you’ve got napkins.
After three days on the road, my husband bragged that we hadn’t yet given in to fast food. And then, when we stopped for gas, we saw the Dairy Queen. Hubby just ordered a cheeseburger. Me? For the same price, I couldn’t refuse a junior size burger and kids fries. And the meal just happened to come with a small chocolate sundae…
Sometimes we need just a little something sweet. Or that’s how my grandmother used to rationalize it. That must be why a small bag of individual chocolates has joined us on the trip.
And now it’s time for Valentine’s Day. Some say chocolate is like a love potion, probably because it does contain chemicals that experts say can boost our mood. Other experts say the pleasure we get from eating this treat is more about the satisfaction we get from the taste and creamy texture of really good chocolate.
Is chocolate good for us? It can be, according to a 2021 review in the journal Nutrients. These authors concluded that moderate amounts (no more than 1 to 2 ounces a day) of dark chocolate may help protect the heart. But those benefits are reversed with higher intakes of this high-fat food.
Another 2021 systematic review on this topic in the same journal looked strictly at the results of randomized controlled trials. Again, these researchers confirmed the heart-protective properties of dark chocolate products “when consumed in moderation.”
Guess my grandmother was right. Sometimes we just need “a little” something sweet.
(Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist and syndicated columnist. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition: The Uncomplicated Science of Eating.” Email her at barbara@quinnessentialnutrition.com.)
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