Whether you are traveling for work or pleasure, it can be quite challenging to maintain a healthy way of eating. Despite your best intentions your diet tends to go for a toss and you arrive back with a few kilos extra.
I am a big proponent of enjoying great food, especially when on a trip, and I do believe it is possible to do so while at the same time maintaining your health, weight and energy levels. It can be done with some easy preparations and by following a few basic principles while eating outside.
I will share some of my tips for eating while on the move below but first let’s have a look at some of the compelling reasons to make that extra effort to stay on track:
- Traveling can put extra stress on the body. Especially long distance travel disrupts your natural routine and your sleep rhythms. Think jet lag, muscle stiffness, more free radicals, etc.
- When traveling for work you are often faced with longer hours, hectic schedules which leads to additional stress.
- While your body is adjusting to different time zones, climates and environments you tend to feel hungry at odd hours which leaves you vulnerable to temptations.
- Unfortunately, most restaurants, airports, hotels offer limited healthy food options and whatever is on the menu often lacks nutritional value.
- Traveling often translates into a total change in diet, more alcohol and heavier foods.
All the more reason to take extra care of yourself. All in all, holidays and other forms of travel should be as enjoyable and relaxing as possible. You will get much more out of your trip if you have high energy levels, sound sleep and a positive attitude all of which are natural by-products of a healthy eating- and life style. Here are my tips for feeling great during and after your trip.
Before Leaving
1. Stock up on healthy snacks to take with you. Some healthy home-made or store- bought options are:
Nuts and seeds- Dried fruit & nut bars
- Trail mix
- Fresh or dried fruit
- Granola
- Good quality dark chocolate
2. Where possible, carry an on-the-road one pot meal: a salad (with dressing on the side), boiled eggs, any kind of buddha bowl, cut vegetable sticks with hummus, berries, avocado with crackers, etc. This way you are not forced to chow down tasteless airplane – or roadside restaurant food.
3. Leave for your journey with a full stomach, having eaten a nutritious and filling meal.
While traveling
1. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
2. Eat the healthy food and snacks you are carrying from home or
3. Choose the right food when ordering (see below)
At your travel destination
1. Explore local foods. They are most often the freshest, tastiest and highest quality options available on the menu. Visit local markets to buy fresh seasonal fresh fruits that you can keep in your hotel room for an easy and nutritious snack.
2. Go “Paleo” while ordering. This means a helping of protein in the form of chicken, meat, seafood, eggs with a good helping of vegetables, cooked or in salad form. Most of the carbohydrate options you find in restaurants are made with refined (gluten) grains: white bread, bread rolls, pasta, or white rice, etc. all of which are high in calories, have little to no nutritional value and give you only a short supply of energy after which you will have the urge to eat again. Avoid these high calorie “filler” foods and instead, choose to get your energy from the carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables.
3. Depending on where you are you may be able to find health food stores or restaurants that carry healthy meal options. Last year in New York Juice Press was my go-to place for healthy morning smoothies. At the moment I am near Philadelphia with a Wholefoods nearby and some wonderful restaurants like Sweetgreens and Hai Street that serve awesome salads and bowls.
4. Avoid desserts. Here is where a piece of the high quality dark chocolate you brought along will come in handy!
5. Don’t over-eat. Especially on vacations when the wine is flowing, the company is delightful and the food delicious it is easy to fill up a tad bit too much. Don’t I know.. I have finished many amazing holiday evenings feeling mildly uncomfortable. 😉
6. Travel with a blender. This is what I do and I love it. When I arrive I shop for fresh greens, berries and bananas, coconut milk which I combine with some basics I carry (like flax, collagen powder) in my Nutri Bullet and my breakfast is done.
7. Skip breakfast all together. Intermittent Fasting (which means leaving about 16 hours between dinner and your next meal) has been shown to have beneficial effects on detoxification, hormones, insulin, weight, longevity, neuronal health, cancer protection and more. It is not the same as calorie restriction, you just consume you calories in the remaining 8 hours of your day (for example between 12 noon and 8 pm). A word of caution here: this is not advisable for people who have blood sugar dysregulation.
Additional tips
1. Start your day with a mini detox by drinking some warm water with a squeeze of lemon if you have access to it. Plain warm water will do just fine if not.
2. Continue to get your greens in by drinking a glass of water with green powder every day.
3. A change in environment and diet can mess with your digestion. To sort this out, bring some digestive enzymes along as well as a probiotic supplement.
4. If you go crazy on occasion, don’t let guilt mess up your trip. Stress causes indigestion!
5. Most importantly: make the most of your trip!
Happy traveling.
