Healthy Foods to Eat While Traveling
Do you struggle to eat healthy or find healthy options when you travel? Well, this post I will share with you some healthy foods to eat while traveling.
It can be difficult to find healthy alternatives when you are on the road for a few days or traveling for work. There aren’t exactly real food options when you go to fast food restaurants. There most certainly aren’t great options at the hotel continental breakfast. I find myself very frustrated when I am in these situations. Because of this I have discovered some helpful ways to stay on track while I am away from the house and my normal routine.
We need to have a different mindset when we travel. It is so much harder to eat healthy and exercise when you don’t have your home and your gym. Have the mindset that you are going to do the best you can, but it will probably not be perfect. That is okay. We do our best with what we can and that is all we can ask of ourselves.
Below I am going to explain the process that I go through before I travel and then I will give you the specific foods that I have found to be best while traveling.
PLAN
I feel like the first thing I need to mention is that you have to plan. If you go into a trip without thinking through what you are going to eat, you will end up starving and you will have to eat a hamburger and fries from Wendy’s. I know that may not be what you want to hear, but planning really is the only way you will succeed at eating healthy when you are traveling. I have created a meal planning sheet that you can download that is super helpful. Just click here to subscribe to my email list and it will be delivered to your inbox!
Usually I think through how long I will be gone and all of the meals and snacks I will need. For road trips, I think through snacks first because that is what I will need in the car. Then I will think about the meals I need to eat while I am gone. I try to have at least one meal in the car if I am on a road trip, rather than eating out because it saves money and is a lot healthier.
PREPARE
Once I have planned out what I will need, I prepare for the drive or trip. If you are driving it is a lot easier to pack a lot of food and bring a cooler. If you are flying, that is a different story but it is definitely not impossible to pack food for a flight.
If you are going somewhere that you have to stay in a hotel, make sure you get a room with a refrigerator. You can call hotels and ensure that you book a room that has a refrigerator if you will be gone for a few days without access to a kitchen. If possible, book an airbnb that has a full kitchen! It can be quite difficult to eat healthy foods without a refrigerator for a few days.
You can also do a quick google search and see if there are any local healthy food delivery services in the area you will be so that you can get healthy foods delivered to you. This can be a bit pricier, but if you can afford it, it is a good option. If you do not find any of those, find a local grocery store and pick up some fresh produce so that you will at least have those for a snack. If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room you can easily store fruits and vegetables in there. If you don’t have a refrigerator, buy some nuts, bananas, and avocados etc that do not require refrigeration. You can also buy dried fruit.
To prepare for eating out at restaurants do another google search of paleo or farm-to-table restaurants in the area. Even if you don’t follow a paleo diet and are not super hard core about your diet, these restaurants will give you the most nutrient dense foods you will be able to find.
During the planning process you might realize that every dinner on your trip will be eating out at a restaurant that doesn’t have many healthy options. In that case, plan for breakfast, lunch and snacks to be healthier so that 90% of the foods you eat during the day are on the healthier side.
PACK
Now let’s get to the specifics. There are several items that I make sure to pack and wanted to share them with you so that you will be prepared for your next trip! These include both foods that need to be refrigerated as well as foods that can be kept at room temperature. If you don’t have access to a cooler or refrigerator, you will need to be more strategic about what you eat and only bring foods that don’t require refrigeration.
Keep in mind with these options that you are trying to do the best you can while not in your own home. This list is going to include bread because that is a super easy meal and better than the alternative, fast food. While you travel you aren’t going to be able to eat as well as you do while at home, so you have to keep that in mind and just know you are doing what you can do with the resources you have.
You can use plastic baggies and/or mason jars for the items listed below. Also don’t forget to pack a trash bag (plastic grocery bag) napkins and silverware!
Proteins/Fats
|
Produce
|
Mains
|
Misc.
|
| Sample Breakfast:
Hardboiled Egg, Avocado Toast with Hemp Seeds, Banana, Almonds |
Sample Snacks:
Almonds, Cashews, Apple, Carrots, Hummus, Beef Jerky, Lara Bar |
Sample Meal:
Salami Sandwich, Avocado, Plantain Chips, Dates, Carrots |
Sample Meal:
Roasted Turkey Sandwich, Avocado with Plantain Chips, Apple |
IN THE CAR
Typically in the car I will snack on an avocado with plantain chips. La Croix (carbonated flavored water) is great if you want something other than water. You can use almond butter to go with your apple or banana for some added protein to keep you full longer. We don’t do this every time, but if we are really trying to penny pinch we will bring some bread (sprouted grains) and use some almond butter for a sandwich. You can also do a sandwich with salami and avocado! Yum.
AT YOUR DESTINATION
When you are at your destination and if you have a refrigerator in your room, you can buy most of these items and eat them while you are there. For a breakfast option, slice some avocado and throw on some bread with some hemp seeds. You can also eat some hard boiled eggs. For snacks throughout the day you can snack on Lara bars, bananas and nuts.
EATING OUT
You will most certainly have to eat out while you are traveling. This actually might be your only option. You may have to for a work related meeting, going out with friends/family, or you are unable to prepare your own meal because you don’t have a kitchen in your hotel room.
If you are in a bind, choose a place with dark leafy greens for salads. If you go to a nice restaurant you will have a lot more options than fast food. Sadly, most salads at restaurants are full of iceberg lettuce with processed cheese on top and some really sugary dressing. See why this is bad here. If that is your only option, you honestly might as well get a cheeseburger with some veggies on the side. You will at least be satisfied and will have gotten some protein. You can get the burger without the bun to make it an even better option. Look for items on the menu that you can be creative with. Most restaurants have chicken or beef that you can get without a bun and get a salad or vegetable on the side.
If you need to eat fast food, you still have some options. Subway has good salads and they have the option of spinach (you have to specifically say you want spinach). You can also top with a lot of veggies. I would not recommend eating ANY meat from Subway or getting a sub. They are really good at marketing that they are healthy, but they are NOT. Find places that have these kinds of options. I pack almonds and throw them on top of the salad for some protein. You can also put hemp seeds on top for some added protein/fiber. ANOTHER great thing to do is chop up an avocado to throw on top. I promise you will be satisfied after eating a salad with these toppings. For dressing, choose olive oil and balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette. WIN!
MEXICAN RESTAURANTS! If you are eating out and have access to a Mexican restaurant, they have great options if you are trying to eat healthy. The fajitas are perfect with just meat and veggies (skip the tortillas). Satisfying and yummy.
IT’S ALL GONNA BE OKAY
Be okay with a cheat meal. Acknowledge that it is just hard to maintain healthy eating while you are traveling. It is okay if you eat out and don’t eat 100% healthy. I most certainly like to have an excuse to eat Chick-fil-A while on the road! Ha. I know that 90% of the time I stick to my goals so that 10% of the time I can indulge in food that may not be the best for my body. Even though it’s not good for my body, it’s good for my soul to enjoy these foods! It’s fun to explore new restaurants and new foods. Enjoy yourself!
These are the best ways I have found to maintain my goals and healthy lifestyle while I am not in my own home with my normal routine. Again, these options are by no means the best foods for your body, but while we travel it is difficult to eat the most nutrient dense foods. We do what we can and that’s all we can do.
If any of you have any other things you have found helpful on the road please comment below so we can all benefit from those ideas as well!
That’s all for today! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list for weekly updates on my blog!
Check out my video about eating healthy while traveling!
