Healthy Eating on the Road can be done!! Vacation and business travel are common excuses for stopping a healthy nutrition plan to indulge in fast food and vending machine snacks. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road, if you are truly committed. Here are some of my nutrition travel tips to help you stay on your plan!
-PLAN AHEAD!! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
-prepare meals for on the go (protein pancakes, muffins or bars)
-cook some chicken, turkey and or fish, separate out and place in individual bags. Freeze your protein and bring with you in a cooler
-always have your oats, rice cakes, almonds, nut butters (single serving packs are best for travel over a big jar!), protein powder
-believe it or not, I actually stock up on Baby Food to bring with me. They have sweet potato and yam purees and these are super convenient and great!! 🙂
-slice up some cucumbers, celery, jicima or bring some radishes to snack on and enjoy!
-don’t forget plastic silverware and a protein shaker!
-bring your cinnamon, calorie free sweetener, and other essentials
-bring healthy bars for traveling such as the Quest Bar 🙂
-don’t forget to pack your vitamins! 🙂 (mulit and efa’s!)
-when you get to your destination, be sure to load up on all your veggies and water!
-Most hotels will place a small refrigerator in your room for a nominal fee. Be sure to call ahead and check on this, and request one if available.
-If you do eat out, Try to eat out at “sit-down” restaurants – they are more than likely to accommodate your special requests for “chicken breast” and “dressing on the side”.
-If you have to find a fast food Restaurant, opt for Subway, they have healthy salads and sandwiches that you can have with grilled chicken breasts. They also have a new hearty wheat bread loaded with omega’s! Great fast food option!
-If you have to settle for something not on your “healthy list”, remember that you can still control the size of the portions!
-When eating out, trim your portion sizes up front. We are raised with the “clean your plate” mentality. Even if we know we are supposed to eat half of the chicken breast set in front of us, we end up eating the whole thing! Instead, cut it in half and stick the other half on another plate or push it to the side. Do the same with all of your food, and then just focus on what you chose to eat, not what the restaurant chose for you! (Split desserts with others at the table and order to-go boxes up front)
When you find yourself on the road, stay on plan and reap the benefits of living healthy!
Remember Plan to be Prepared: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Hope that helps!
MEMBER TRAVEL TIPS ADDED:
1. Write out a menu for EVERY meal of EVERY day. One of the members suggested this on an earlier post. This was KEY to ensuring I had enough food on me.
2. Stock up on protein pancakes, zucchini bread, pro dessert (if you like it), rice cakes, nuts…all very travel friendly foods.
3. Buy the biggest suitcase possible and pack 3/4 of that sucker with food. My bag was 66 lbs at the start of the trip, 45 lbs at the end.
4. Pack your scale! You can weigh out an extra foods while you travel.
5. Research where the nearest Whole Foods (or the like) and gym are located. Print out directions. Call gym ahead, sweet talk the manager to get a cheap or free drop in fee. I set up a new email address, changed around the spelling of my name, and got a free week at the local gym.
6. If you like pro dessert, buy a couple of boxes. Pro dessert is supper easy and a nice break from the usual pro shake. I should buy stock in the company I love this stuff so much.
7. Do not be afraid to send plates back if they are not prepared as you ordered. This seems like a simple one, but is a challenge when you are at a dinner with a potential client.
8. Drink water until you can’t drink anymore. This helped me stay full as well as rehydrated from the flights.
9. Order a fridge for your room in advance. There probably will be a fee, but it will be worth the cost. I actually spent less than my co-workers eating my own food.
10. If microwave isn’t available, the nearest 7-11 usually has one. I bought a bunch of bags of green beans at WF. The hotel charged $30/day for a microwave, which would have basically meant each bag of green beans were $33.00/day. Instead, I walked over to the 7-11 down the street and used their microwave.
11. At the end of each day, reflect and acknowledge your accomplishment. It is a huge challenge being away from your kitchen and a huge accomplishment staying on program. Don’t forget to be proud of yourself!
