Anyone who travels a lot knows how difficult it is to eat healthy when you are on the go. If you travel by road, you are usually stuck eating fast food joints and gas station junk food stops; if you happen to travel by air, you’ll be feasting on slightly healthier but generally tasteless airplane meals, or you will be stuck eating fast food while waiting for your flight in an airport. And if you are on vacation, there’s always the tendency to pig out while eating out. Why is it so hard to stay away from the chocolate bars, potato chips and pizza when you are traveling? Is there any way to eat healthy while traveling? Keep reading to gain a few insightful tips on ways to stay healthy on the road.
Pack Your Own Snacks
Eating poorly on road trips is too easy to do. Driving long distances can be very boring and tiring, so people tend to eat to pass the time. So, the easiest way to avoid snacking on chips and candy, just pack your own snacks. Grab a cooler and pack a healthy sandwich, bottles of water, and a variety of snacks. Some tasty and healthy snacks include almonds, rice crackers, fresh cut veggies and fruit. You can also pack yogurt and healthy granola or protein bars as a quick pick me up when you are traveling.
Are You Really Hungry?
Eating is a very emotional thing. We eat when we are celebrating; we eat when we are mourning. If you pay attention to what you are eating while you are traveling, you will realize that you are probably not hungry most of the time. In fact, instead of eating when you think you are hungry, you should try drinking a glass or two of water. Often we are just dehydrated and mistake that for hunger. Once you drink the eight glasses of water that you are supposed to have every day, you will find that you are less hungry than normal.
Count Your Calories
Based on your size and level of regular physical activity, you can determine how many calories you should consume every day without putting on weight. Obviously the more activity you do, the more calories you can take in without gaining weight. But, when you are traveling, chances are good that you are not exercising as regularly as you might when you are at home. If you are driving long distances, you are probably more focused on getting to your next destination than on engaging in exercise.
To counter your lower level of physical activity while traveling, figure out how many calories you should consume every day and stick to those calories only. You will have to eat less or you will have to exercise while you are on the road. Eating light when you are traveling is the best way to stay healthy on the road. Instead of getting a Big Mac, munch on fresh vegetables or fruit or get a sandwich instead of a burger.
Keep Exercising
If your employer is putting you up in a hotel for work, find out if it has a fitness room or swimming pool. If you maintain some level of physical activity while you are traveling, you will be able to eat more than if you don’t exercise. Plus, it will help your system stay “normal” despite time changes, food changes, and other stresses to your system.
Find Out About Meals Ahead Of Time
Airlines take dietary and allergy considerations into account when feed passengers, so why not become familiar with their menus? If you are stuck being one of the last passengers served food, chances are good that they will run out of whatever food item you wanted, and you’ll be stuck eating a fatty dish that you don’t want to eat. Find out what your food options are when you book your ticket. You can opt for a vegetarian dish which will very likely have less fat in it than a meat dish.
You should also find out as much about your accommodations as possible. Do they serve breakfast? Is it a continental breakfast? Is there a restaurant in the hotel? If yes, look at their menu ahead of time to see what kind of food the restaurant offers. You can also try to get a room with a small fridge or kitchenette in it so that you can have some control over your own food. You can stock it up with fresh fruit as well as low-fat yogurt for breakfast. That way, you can avoid being tempted by the fatty sausages and bacon that you will no doubt encounter in any restaurant you find.
Finding The Right Restaurants
Another tip to eating healthy when traveling is to pick and choose the right restaurants for lunches and dinners. Ethnic restaurants often offer a variety of vegetarian options, and their dishes are often healthier than in “American” style restaurants where you get a steak the size of your plate. Also, try to avoid all you can eat buffet style restaurants where you can keep eating regardless of whether you are full. Seafood restaurants are often a good choice as well because fish is healthier for you than red meat and lower in fat.
Conclusion
There are lots of ways to stay healthy while traveling, so there’s no reason you should have to be stuck eating take-out pizza or burgers all the time. As long as you are vigilant about what you are eating and try to keep active while you are on the road, you should not have any trouble maintaining your weight and health while on the road!