If you’ve ever taken a road trip, it can often be difficult to find healthy options when you are traveling and truck stops are your only option. Finding some low carb options can sometimes be a challenge, but can be done. I did it with my family for our 1 month USA Cross Country Road Trip and survived!

This post today is everywhere we visited so fair warning, it’s a long post with lots of pictures of our destinations and snacks thrown in between!

We bought this cute little USA sticker map for keeping track of our locations, the kids loved it!

We started out trip in Rhode Island and you can check out this post for what I did to prepare and make ahead some snacks and food we could keep in our freezer and fridge in our camper we were pulling. Our first stop was to Lancaster, PA overnight to visit friends of ours then we headed to Knoxville, TN the next day.

Brought my Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins and froze them! Easy to defrost and enjoy with some butter!

We stayed overnight right in a Walmart parking lot after a long day of driving. But having that option was perfect because it was free and we could stock up on supplies we needed!

Like these for a quick snack in the car!

We then headed for Nashville and stayed at Two Rivers Campground about 20 minutes to downtown Nashville, TN.

We ate at Demo’s Steak & Spaghetti House! Everyone’s food was fabulous and I forgot to take a pic of my Grilled Salmon!

We loved Nashville!

My daughter and I bought our first ever cowgirl boots!

Our next day destination was Memphis!

We enjoyed dinner on Beale Street at a BBQ place called Pork with an Attitude!

We drove through Arkansas on our way through to Waco, Texas.

When you’ve got a cooler these yogurts are helpful to have on hand in case you really can’t find anything for breakfast or a snack.

I had so much fun browsing at the Silos from my favorite show, Fixer Upper!

Our next drive was to San Antonio, Texas. The heat was torture just walking around at the River Walk, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

I didn’t eat the taco shell but I was tempted!

We also made a visit to the Alamo and Buc-ee’s!

You’ve not been to Texas if you haven’t made a visit there!

AMAZING store with lots of great low carb food options! I stocked up on snacks for the road!

The Alamo!

Quotes from the Kids after 1 Week on the road:

14 yr old daughter:  “It’s been good other than Texarkana!”

11 yr old son: “It’s Really, Really Warm”!

17 yr old son: “I’m dying from the riding!”

Husband: “On the road again!”

Me: “Thank God for Frizzease and AC!”

My hair stayed curly without Frizz!

Our next stop was Fort Stockton, Texas at a cute little desert campground and dinner at the Road Runner Cafe.

On some mornings when we were at a campground and cooking breakfast was an option, we almost always chose eggs and sausage.

For other breakfasts,  I had frozen my Coconut Flour Pancakes  from my cookbook and that worked well!

Carlsbad Caverns, Mew Mexico was a short trip away, about 3 hours but driving up a cliff with a 30 ft camper was not my idea of fun! Well worth the trip though, the caverns were amazing!

I had a fantastic salad at their cafe!

Tent Rocks in New Mexico was also pretty amazing, but again getting there wasn’t easy, all these destinations were cliffs! It was a beautiful hiking trail though and I loved it!

Of course one of the most important places the kids requested was the Four Corners!

Standing on 4 states, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico!

Then we headed to see the Petrified Forest in Arizona and the Meteor Crater.

I’m really trying to smile, but the heights got me!

Brought these for a snack!

Next Stop the Grand Canyon!

We hiked and hiked and it was exhausting but exhilarating and breathtaking!

Pictures don’t do it justice!

Having a fear of heights wasn’t easy for me and made my skin crawl to see my kids close to the edges, but I survived!

We enjoyed a yummy Mexican Dinner in the Grand Canyon Village called Plaza Bonita!

I did not eat that taco shell but I sure wanted to!

Lake Mead, Nevada was our next stop. It was over 105 degrees! Felt like a hot air dryer on your face with the windows open!

Hoover Dam was incredible to tour!

Las Vegas was a bit sketchy at first because we didn’t find the south end right away. The north end was a bit scary with many things I wish my kids didn’t see!

We made it to Planet Hollywood for a buffer dinner with many options for veggies, seafood and other metas. We took in a Variety Show which was fun.

The next day was Utah to see Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park.

Bryce Canyon was on our requested list by our daughter and the hike was awesome up to see Thor’s Hammer. Very Steep and tiring but well worth the trip!

Not easy for someone afraid of heights!

The kids seemed fine!

We ended up just driving through Salt Lake City because although I had hoped we could stop there and let the kids actually go in the lake, the time of year (early June) meant it was too cold really so we drove onward towards Idaho Falls. We ended up in a scary situation with a blown tire but thankfully a Good Samaritan called the police to stop us before our camper went up in flames or we flipped over. We felt nothing at all and drove on this tire for over 10 miles we were told!

I can only Thank God for His protection on this trip!

Our next stop was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  We drove in through the East Entrance which also brought us through Montana. I was ready for the bears with Bear Spray! Thankfully we only saw a few at a very far distance!

We saw Old Faithful which was very cool but we were really chilly as it was about 50 degrees and we weren’t prepared for it considering we had just left about 85 degrees!

We saw a few cool places in Yellowstone like Midway Prism Basin and Painting Pots which looked like boiling mud!

So much wildlife in Yellowstone!

Next stop was Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and Crazy Horse!

After this we visited a friend for a quick visit in Iowa, warning us to leave soon as a tornado was headed their way. We continued on through Missouri and saw the Gateway Arch from the car.

We never stayed more than one night anywhere except Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Too many places to see and only 1 month to see as much as we could!

When all else failed as far as any good choices for pit stops and food, I had my fridge stocked with avocados, salami and cheese!

Continuing on the road through Illinois, Indiana and finally our stop in Kentucky to see the Arc Encounter! It was amazing and a must see in Kentucky!

We stopped at my brother’s home in PA one night then drove to one last campground called, Tri-State, which was 3 states, New York, New Jersey and on the Delaware river.

I can’t say it was easy to stay low carb, in fact it was quite difficult when in the car a long time to not munch on snacks, low carb or not, too much munching and not enough exercise makes for gaining weight. The last week was the hardest because of being on the road 8-10 hours to get home.

And Finally the The BEST item that saved me car sickness was this SeaBand I wore EVERY DAY!

I did find these in almost every gas station pit stop we made!

If you ever have a chance to set off across our great country I would highly recommend it! I wish we could have been gone longer than a month, but we did as much as we could in 28 days seeing 23 new states we’d never been to before! It was a once in a lifetime trip of memories our family will never forget!

Stay Tuned this Week and I will be sharing my Country Fried Steak inspired by this month long road trip!

The post Low Carb Eating on a Road Trip appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

This recipe was originally published on January 11, 2012 and it sure is a very popular recipe to date, but since then I discovered my allergies to wheat, so I wanted these to easily be adapted for a gluten free life style. Now you can make these whole wheat or gluten free and of course without any sugar added!!

My more popular brownie recipe on my blog is the flourless brownie recipe, but sometimes I run out of that secret ingredient. When I made this recently for the kids, they fell in love with them all over again and dare I say think they are better than my flourless recipe?!!  Either way this recipe is a winner! You can make both then decide!

Of course my other motivation for making these wasn’t just to make my kids happy, I wanted to get rid of the horrid pics I took back then!! But I did leave one below for you to laugh at. 🙂

If you can’t find sugar -free chocolate chips you can use the highest grade of cocoa  you can find in chocolate chips or even a candy bar and break it into pieces. I use Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips because they are sweetened with stevia.

SO now after you wipe the drool off your chin you can laugh below at the horrid and sad pictures I left just to amuse you today!

(OLD SAD PIC)

(OLD SAD PIC)

 I have tried making a bunch of sugar free brownie recipes and really love how these came out. I had guests and never shared they were sugar free, in fact one guest actually ate 3!!!

See its not that because I choose a sugar free life style that I have to give up chocolate! No its just that I need to make it more pure and  more wholesome than boxed brownies without refined sugar that causes ….well…. you know  the after effects of sugar highs don’t you?  If you haven’t read my post about the sugar-free sweeteners I choose to use you may want to read, Top 3 Refined Sugar Free Sweeteners to get more info.

Embrace the chocolate I say!

Its not your enemy.

Now refined sugar THAT is not my friend! It causes me too much grief to allow it back in my life. You can read about my sugar free journey here.

You won’t feel awful or get a spike in blood sugar after eating one of these scrumptious brownies, but I guarantee you may not be able to eat just one! A nice addition to these brownies would be to add some chopped walnuts. Unfortunately my boys are allergic but I can only bet they would be even more yummier!

Brenda’s Notes: (Updated April 16, 2014)

• I adapted the temperature in the original recipe reducing the time to bake these.
• I added an egg as one was not in the original, but if you have an egg allergy you can sub a flax egg or leave it out entirely.
• I also subbed butter for the coconut oil in the gluten free version, but either will work.
• To make this gluten free: Remove the whole wheat pastry flour and substitute it with your favorite gluten free four blend. I used Bob’s Red Mill. Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum.
• Use 2-4 packets Sweetleaf Stevia (4 makes them super sweet) or 4 -6 tsp. of this powdered stevia by Sweetleaf.
• Pure stevia extract is used within the recipe so I could compare and because it is the extract it is much sweeter and you do not need as much.
• Nutrition info has been updated to include sugar free chocolate chips where the original was optional.
• P.S. I realize that the title of these is Sugar-Free brownies and applesauce is included in this recipe, But because it is only a small amount the natural sugar is still only 1 gram.

Print

Sugar Free Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 127kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 4 tablespoons milk 1%
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or see notes
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure stevia extract or 2 tsp Chocolate Liquid Stevia
• 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips
• Optional: 1/2 c. chopped nuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk together oil, milk, vanilla, applesauce and egg.
• Add cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt and stevia (xanthan gum for gluten free) and mix well.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Add optional nuts if desired.
• Line an 8 by 8 baking dish with parchment paper.
• Pour batter into pan and top with a few more chocolate chips if desired.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4*

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.8g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 8.4g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 102mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 1g

The post Sugar Free Chocolate Brownies Recipe appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Who loves fruit??? ME, ME and ME again! I love it because its good for you, easy to carry, and of course naturally sweet without adding anything to it!

This has been my “go-to” dessert to bring to many a party while I was on a mission to lose my weight.

I’ve made this recipe for years, but usually only in the winter, go figure! So its titled winter fruit for not only my winter addiction to making it, but because of its nice mix of dried and fresh fruits as well as other yumminess to be announced in a minute. Every time I make it for a gathering with friends, for a party and most recently the holiday coming, I wonder why it is I don’t make it MORE often! Absence makes the heart grow fonder and well, its just one of those things that make this dish even more special!

Super easy recipe, super quick, like seriously no time involved at all, except to make sure you bought all the items needed and you are pretty much done. You could even have time to make some sugar-free fudge and bring both to the party!!

If you are watching your calories or points this Christmas then this IS the winning dessert to bring. Even those who aren’t dieting will want a cup of this healthy dessert because its looks just as amazing as it tastes.

Nutrition Info

Servings: 8 cups* Calories per cup: 143* Fat: .4g* Fiber: 2.5g* Carbs: 35.6g* Protein: 1g* Points+: 4 Old Points: 2*

Ingredients

• 3 c. apple juice, no sugar added
• 1 c. orange juice
•  1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. dried apricots, snipped in pieces
•  2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 pear, chopped with skin
•  1 apple, chopped with skin
•  1/2 c. grapes

Directions

1.  In a large microwavable dish. combine the first 6 ingredients and microwave, uncovered for about 8-9 minutes. This process makes the dried fruit tender and plump while they absorb some of the fruit juices.
2. Discard the cinnamon stick and add the pear, apples and grapes. Cool slightly before covering and chilling. Enjoy!!!

This recipe is being shared at Melt in your Mouth Monday, Home Savy A-Z, Motivate Me Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Women Living Well.

The post Sugar-Free Winter Fruit Gazpacho appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Choosing nutritious snacks is the key to lasting weight loss.

Preparing ahead of time to make snacks for your day will be a worthy, beneficial task. Without being prepared you will most likely opt for whatever you can find around your work place to give you energy. Most times, those choices are vending machines or the employee good- bye party/ cake celebrations.

If you are at home all day with kids, their left overs will surely get the best of you if you aren’t careful.

Having delicious snack choices on hand  will help you steer clear of treats you didn’t really want to give into anyway.

These are my own personal snacks I eat on a regular basis. They are satisfying and delicious! Happy (Healthy) Snacking!

My top 10 Sugar-Free Snacks that are Less than 250 calories each:

1. 1 banana and 1 tbsp natural, no sugar added peanut butter.

• Calories: 208

• Fat: 8.6g

• Fiber: 3.8g

• Carbs:30.7g

• Protein: 4.7g

• Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6 (Previous Method 4)

2. 1 Chobani Greek Yogurt

• Calories: 140
• Fat:0g
• Fiber:.1g
• Carbs:20g
• Protein:14g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus:3 (Previous method 2)

3. 1 c. baby carrots and 2 tbsp hummus

• Calories: 103
• Fat:3.3g
• Fiber: 4.6g
• Carbs:17.3g
• Protein: 3.2g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3 (Previous Method 2)

4. 1/4 c. part-skim ricotta cheese mixed with 2 tbsp dry jello pudding, any flavor

• calories: 115
• Fat: 5g
• Fiber: .5g
• Carbs: 7.3g
• Protein: 7.3g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3 (Previous Method 3)

5. Tamari Almonds Recipe

• Calories: 210

• Fat: (Monounsaturated: 11.4 g,  polyunsaturated 4.3g, saturated 1.4 g)

• Fiber: 4.2 g

• Carbs: 7g
• Protein: 8.5g
  

• Weight Watchers Points Plus: 6 (Previous Method 5)

6. Newman’s Own Butter Microwave Popcorn, 3.5 cups

• Calories: 130
• Fat: 5g
• Fiber: 3g
• Carbs:18g
• Protein: 2g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus:3 (Previous Method 2)

7. 1 Sargento light string cheese and 1/4 c. dried apricots

• Calories: 128
• Fat: 2.7g
• Fiber: 2.4g
• Carbs: 21.4g
• Protein: 7.1g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus:3 (Previous Method 2)

8. Baked Apple Crisp Chips Recipe

• Calories:114
• Fat: .1g
• Fiber: 3.7g
• Carbs: 31g
• Protein: .4g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3 (Previous Method 2)

9.  1 c. celery and 2 Laughing Cow Cheese wedge spreads

• Calories: 89
• Fat: 3.2g
• Fiber: 2g
• Carbs: 6.4g
• Protein: 4.9g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus:2 (Previous Method  2)

10. Crispy & Sweet “Nut-Free” Garbanzo bean Snack Recipe (1/2 c. serving)

• Calories: 78
• Fat: 2.8g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Carbs: 11.7g
• Protein: 2g
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 2 (Previous Method 1)

The post 10 Sugar-Free Snacks (210 Calories or Less) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.