Eating healthy while you are traveling gives you more energy to enjoy your trip. Fueling your body with nutritious foods helps you to avoid jet lag, and you’ll find it easier to return to your normal habits when you get home if you’ve been practicing them all along. Staying on track with your healthy diet can be harder when you travel, but you can take these steps to make it easier to overcome temptation.
Remember to Eat Breakfast
Rushing to get out of the house on time might cause you to consider skipping breakfast. Unfortunately, having hunger pangs set in as you arrive at the airport can cause you to make poor decisions. Instead, plan for enough time to eat a healthy breakfast before you leave. Ideally, it should be full of hunger-satisfying protein. If nothing else, at least grab a piece of fruit that you can eat on the ride to the airport.
Pack Plenty of Snacks
Being off schedule can cause hunger to strike at random times. Keeping healthy snacks in your travel bag or purse gives you a better option than hitting the vending machine. Nuts, granola bars and fruit are all great choices that you can eat anywhere and feel satisfied.
Carry a Cooler On Road Trips
Long road trips often come with the additional temptation to stop off at a roadside dinner that is bound to have meals that are filled with fat and calories. Or, you may try to grab a candy bar for energy at the gas station. Carrying a cooler gives you more options for keeping healthy snacks handy. Try packing some cut up fruit and cheese to enjoy on pit stops.
Bring Your Own Airplane Meals
Airplane food is notorious for being unhealthy. Although the menu may advertise a chicken and veggie meal, it is likely that the food is filled with preservatives and sodium. Consider making yourself a healthy wrap or sandwich that you can eat when the dining cart makes its rounds.
Plan to Grocery Shop Upon Arrival
Most lodging options have at least a mini refrigerator that you can fill with healthy foods. Just make time in your schedule to do a quick shopping trip. If you have a kitchenette, then that is even better. You can skip dining out more often and create your preferred healthy meals.
Commit to Ordering Vegetables When Dining Out
Ordering vegetables at every restaurant meal helps you to cut out the fat and calories. You can request a salad before your main dish to help you feel fuller. You can also ask for substitutions such as broccoli instead of fries with a burger.
Split Big Meals In Half
Most restaurants serve huge portions. You can opt to share your meal with your dining partner if you are close. Or, you can cut the meal in half as soon as it comes and have it boxed up. You’ll save calories and have something to eat at your hotel later.
Look for Healthier Desserts
You deserve to live a little on vacation, and having a splurge now and then keeps you from caving into every temptation. To keep desserts from ruining your healthy eating plan, just look for ones that are healthier. For example, a fruit tart is far better for you than a huge slice of chocolate cake.
Depending upon where you are traveling, you can expect to be faced with challenges such as a harried schedule and tempting restaurants literally lurking around every corner. Take some time to plan how and where you will eat during your trip. While you may change a few things, having a solid plan in place helps you maintain momentum for sticking to a healthy diet.