Heading to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving? Child health expert and former bodybuilder Merilee Kern offers up some road trip survival tips to keep your kids – and you – healthier: pack healthy snacks, try to avoid those fatty fast food stops, and build exercise into your mini-vacation with post-feast strolls, laps in the hotel swimming pool and outdoor sports.

Among Kern’s snack suggestions: frozen grapes, fruit, popcorn, pretzels, roasted nuts, low-fat string cheese, cereal bars with whole grains, and plenty of water. And if the lure of fast food becomes irresistible, minimize the damage by steering clear of deep-fried, mayo-laced fare. Opt for a sub sandwich instead, or go for a plain burger, sans mayo, cheese and other heart-cloggers.

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- Jackie Burrell