Tips For Eating Healthy When Traveling

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CES--Level 1 Certified Precision Nutrition and Certified Personal Trainer


Whether it’s a vacation, a day off, a trip to the mall, or some other reason to travel…

…there are certain temptations along the way that could throw you in a panic and send your weight ballooning.

But:

Before you start to get anxious about your next trip, you should know that there are plenty of helpful tricks that could keep you on track—no matter where you go!

In fact, here are THREE of my favorites:

1. Bring Your Snacks on the Road

Over the year, I have personally learned that you need to make sure you bring plenty of snacks on the road.

With three young kids in our car, snacks are a must when traveling for long distances or over extended periods of time.

Packing your snacks (or even meals) ahead of time could save you plenty of headaches along the way.

Plus, it could prevent you from stopping while on the road at a gas station where you may not pick the best snack option for your weight loss.

Now, when packing your snacks for the road, you should pack items that contain protein (helps curb your appetite), whole grains, and fresh fruit or veggies.

These should keep you full for the whole ride and could really help control cravings and your overall weight loss results.  Some great examples of healthy snacks you can take with you include: almonds, pistachios, hard-boiled eggs, granola bars, fresh fruit and veggies, protein bars, and protein powder (mixes easily with water or milk).

2. Know the Layout of the Airport

Have a long flight ahead of you?  Need a snack to make it through the long flight?

Well, here’s a simple way to do it: Know the airport that you’re traveling from.

You can find out information for most airports by looking online.  This way you can pinpoint where the healthier options may be.

Skip the doughnuts and pastries, and instead hit the coffee shop.

More than likely the coffee shop will have a wide variety of healthy snack (or food) options for your long (or short) flight

3. Make Smart Choices at the Continental Breakfast

There’s a pretty good chance your hotel may have a free breakfast or a continental-style breakfast available in the lobby or in the on-site restaurant.

Most often, they are free as well!  But free doesn’t always mean healthy.

Take a look around most continental breakfasts and you will find pastries, doughnuts, and lots of processed food options.

But, hidden amongst all the sugar, there are probably some healthier options.

Most continental breakfasts contain fresh fruit and yogurt, which could be a great way to start your day and keep you full for a few hours.

Remember, just because the breakfast is free, doesn’t mean you need to overdo it on the pastries and other fat-promoting foods.

4. Take Your Multi-vitamin Daily

One main thing that happens when you are traveling is you may choose unhealthier meal options—or even skip food groups altogether.

One food group that is often missed is fruits and vegetables—which provide vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform many different metabolic functions.

If you’re not taking fresh fruit of veggies with you, be sure you’re taking your daily multivitamin.  These will help bridge the gap between the foods you’re eating and the vitamins and minerals you’re missing out on.

And if you’re a woman, getting in your vitamins and minerals may be even more important!  It would be best to get your vitamins and minerals from natural sources, but if you can’t…be sure you’re supplementing every day.

Conclusion

Everyone loves to travel.  But everyone also loves to lose weight and keep it off.

And traveling makes it harder to enjoy your time away AND focus on keeping the weight off.

But worry no more!  The three tips from above could help take the stress out of traveling and sticking to your goals.

Just prepare healthy snacks ahead of time, find the place that serves the healthiest snack options at the airport, and make sure you make the right choices when eating the free continental breakfast served at most hotels.

If you follow these three tips, you could lose weight or maintain your current weight without taking the fun out of your vacation or time away!

Be sure to SHARE this article on your favorite social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.