Libby Weaver, Lexus Ambassador. Photographed in Auckland with her Lexus CT200h for Driven. 20 June 2014 NZ Herald photo by Ted Baghurst.
With school holidays starting this weekend many families will be taking road trips. Before you get behind the wheel, follow Dr Libby's tips for a safe journey.
• The best meal a driver should have before a long road trip is something that sustains you, so foods that contain protein
and fat such as eggs.
An ideal breakfast would be a cooked egg meal "because when you eat warm food your digestive system handles that really well".
• Don't forget the kids because a cooked breakfast is sustaining for them, plus the more stable their blood-sugar levels are, the less likely they are to get hungry quickly or to fight. "When blood sugars are low we can get a bit snappy and impatient," says Dr Libby.
• Snacks are important. Rather than having to rely on poor-quality roadside snacks, pack things that people like - but don't pack carrot sticks if people aren't going to eat them. An easy snack is nuts and raisins, or try Dr Libby's "brain balls" from her recipe books: ground-up nuts and seeds plus dates for sweetness and cocoa powder for chocolate flavour.
