Here are a few things you might consider taking with you on your next trip. Whether you're traveling by plane, train, automobile or cruise ship, these innovative products could help keep you on track.

SALAD DRESSING PACKETS

Why: You think you're eating healthy by grabbing a salad on the road — but, oh gosh, that dressing can be a real diet buster. Some dressings are more than 200 calories for just a couple of tablespoons (yes, even oil and vinegar). Oftentimes you could be stuck with no healthful dressing options, which is exactly why you should carry your own. Just pack a few and put a few more in your pocketbook or briefcase and you're all set.

Where to buy: Many supermarkets carry salad dressing packets, such as Newman's Own Light Italian Dressing and Kraft Lite dressings. You can also look for individual-sized packets online.

EXERCISE BANDS AND TUBING

Why: You can get a full-body workout with just a few elastic resistance bands. They work by creating tension and stress on your muscles. There are loads of exercises on various Web sites including www.bodylastics.com, www.thera-bandacademy.com (free registration required) and www.acefitness.org/getfit/RubrBndWkout.pdf.

Exercise bands are portable, easy to use anywhere, anytime, quiet, and they work. The Bodylastic exercise tubes, made of high-quality clamp and surgical tubing, are the best I've seen.

Where to buy: Health and fitness retailers.

FIT & FRESH CONTAINERS

Why: Great storage containers help keep your food fresh on the road. My favorites from Fit & Fresh are Lunch on the Go, which comes with a removable ice pack, several compartments and a cover that can serve as a plate, and the Salad Shaker, which comes with a dressing dispenser, utensil box (includes a knife and fork), ice pack and a salad bowl that holds up to four cups.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.