When you're traveling, make sure you keep yourself properly fueled along the way. Eating on the road can challenge a trim waistline and good nutrition sense. We all know the hazards of too much fast food, candy and coffee â€" the trick is finding an alternative.

The first key is to avoid vending machines, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants or snack bars. The second is to follow the American Dietetic Association's "on the road" healthful eating tips: •Fill sealable plastic bags with vegetable finger foods like carrot sticks, bell peppers and broccoli florets. Vegetables are a good source of complex carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins A and C. •Pack different varieties of fresh fruit â€" they're low in fat and good sources of vitamins A and C. •Tuck in single-portion beverages. Take canned or boxed fruit juice, canned tomato juice and boxed milk. Keep beverages cool in a small, insulated container.

•Pack other portable, non-perishable foods. Good examples include crackers, pretzels, peanut butter, raisins, ready-to-eat cereal and dried fruit.

•Stock an insulated cooler with perishable foods like deli sandwiches, yogurt and low fat cheese. •Build physical activity into your daily plans. Get out of the car often to stretch or take a short walk. On overnight trips, find a local exercise club or jogging path.

•If you have no choice but fast-food restaurants, avoid high-fat, high-cholesterol meals. For example, order a chicken sandwich instead of the double-bacon cheeseburger.

Happy travels!

Holly Mlodzinski is a registered and licensed dietitian at Hilton Head Hospital.