Trying harder to eat healthy on the road

I don't want to be a shill for Starbucks, but I have to applaud the recent additions to their menu. I had noticed their offerings seemed to be getting healthier, but a Rewards e-mail I received tonight confirmed that this strategic move is in direct response to customer feedback: "Starbucks customers consistently request more delicious and nutritious options for breakfast."

Not just for breakfast, my friends. As someone who spends a lot of time on the road -- and recently recuperating from month-long chest congestion, which eliminated exercise from my routine until today -- I've been much more selective with my in-car eating lately, doing my best to choose healthy, on-the-go options. As any road warrior will tell you, though, eating decent while traveling can be quite a challenge, never mind eating healthy.

So in that vein, I've been choosing Starbucks over Burger King/McDonalds/Wendys of late, and much to the company's delight, I'm buying more than just coffee. Whether it was the new Fruit and Nut Bar I bought in lieu of the free lunch at Inbound Marketing Summit I recently attended, or the egg salad sandwiches on multigrain bread I've wolfed down while logging onto the in-store wifi for a quick e-mail session between hither and yon, I've been able to meet my renewed on-the-road dietary goals.

To be fair, Panera is also a favorite for much the same reason: Free wifi and healthy sandwiches. But when I recently asked if I could order a sandwich on a rollup (so I could eat and run), I was out of luck. I wish they had more portable healthy choices -- especially the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, which would be just as good in a rollup as it is on regular bread. That alone won't stop me from going to Panera when I have time to dine in, but I will choose Starbucks when I'm in a hurry if only to grab another Fruit and Nut Bar with my coffee to go.