8 tips to eat healthy while traveling
Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, you know that healthy food can sometimes be hard to come by. Or at least I should say that there are so many temptations out there that healthy options seem few and far between. Being prepared is 75% of the battle when it comes to eating healthy on the go. It definitely requires some planning and a special nutritional strategy. Fortunately, you can stick to your healthy eating plan with a little extra work. These 8 Tips for Healthy Eating While Traveling provide some solid ideas for staying on track while traveling.
1. Location: When you choose where to stay, the most important thing is the location. Suppose you are traveling for work and will be in the same place for at least a few days. Finding a place that is close to healthy resources is key. Is there a grocery store nearby that I can go to for healthy snacks and/or meals? Are there healthy cafes or restaurants within walking distance where I can stop for a bite to eat? It’s easy to make the excuse that you can’t eat healthy while you’re traveling if there aren’t good options around you. Don’t make that your excuse. Choose as wisely as you can to set yourself up for success.
2. Accommodation with a kitchen or kitchenette: One of the best ways to ensure healthy eating while traveling is to have access to some type of kitchen. Extended-stay hotels, vacation rentals, and Air B&Bs are all great options if they’re convenient to your location. If a kitchen isn’t available, having a refrigerator in your hotel room for some healthy options is a great alternative. The point is, if you have a kitchen or refrigerator, you have the ability to stock up on great snacks and easy meals. Things like fresh fruits and vegetables, bottled water, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts, plain peanut butter, grilled chicken, and canned fish are all great options that are easy to store and don’t require a lot of prep work to create a quick meal or snack.
3. Ship Items Early – Another strategy would be to ship your favorite dry goods to your location early. Protein powder, beans, nuts, canned tuna, bread, and quick cook oatmeal are all items you could have shipped ahead of your arrival so you have some healthy options waiting for you.
4. Take a cooler: take your healthy food with you. Stock a cooler filled with your favorite healthy snacks, sandwiches, bottled water, and whatever you need for the day. This option works well if you can drive to your location and bring your cooler with you. If you’re going to fly, you’ll need a collapsible cooler to pack in your suitcase.
5. Research restaurants in the area: Do your research before you go. Even if you have access to a kitchen or refrigerator, you may still want or need to eat some meals. Find out what restaurants are in the area and what menus offer healthy options that interest you. You can plan any outing to one of these restaurants and know what you’re going to eat when you walk in the door.
6. Protein Powder: Protein is often the hardest thing to come by. Healthy eating on the go is made so much easier if you can take some protein powder with you. Even if it’s back up, you know you have a good source of protein to turn to if you can’t find a viable option. Sometimes your healthy eating strategy may require the use of a combination of options. For example, finding some fruits and vegetables can be easy, but getting a source of protein can be quite expensive. In certain cases, protein powder can fill in the gaps.
7. Supergreen Supplement – It is often very difficult to get the right amount of greens when traveling. This is the perfect time to incorporate a great supplement like Amazing Grass, Green Defense, or Greens+. A supplement is just that: a way to supplement your diet. While this shouldn’t be your mainstay for eating vegetables, it can always be used as a way to increase your micronutrient intake and include some greens in your diet.
8. Bring Homemade Snacks: Bring non-perishable homemade snacks. Homemade granola or protein bars, protein muffins, kale chips, and homemade granola or trail mix are wonderful options to take with you. If you have healthy food with you, you will most likely eat that healthy food instead of reaching for junk.
If you noticed (or maybe you already have), the common theme here is that you need to be prepared. Whether you’re committed to a weight loss goal, a health goal, or just want to make sure you’re eating good quality meals, you need to set yourself up for success. Eating healthy on the go is totally doable, but it takes a bit of planning and strategy to make it work.