How To Eat Well While Traveling

Traveling, undeniably, is an incredible experience. It allows you to venture out of your comfort zone, expand your horizons, and enjoy new adventures – the perks are just infinite. But unfortunately, at times, it also breaks some healthy habits and good practices.

Do traveling either for business, work, or pleasure, lead you to take a break from a healthy diet?

Healthy eating during traveling, undoubtedly, isn’t an easy feat. And more often than not, the idea of following healthy lifestyles falls by the wayside. Whether you’re road-tripping or jetting overseas, your only go-to options are unhealthy gas station snacks or expensive airport food. 

Suppose traveling (for any purpose) places you in a downward tailspin position from your daily home food. In that case, you might want to consider preparing a food itinerary for travel. Remember, the idea of eating well during traveling shouldn’t fill you with dread while returning home. Or feel like you have squandered a great fun opportunity by keeping up with the healthy routine.

But this begs the question, how exactly can you eat healthy when away from home? Here, we have rounded some easy and practical tips that blend pleasure with wellness and help you avoid common mistakes that will make you go through a guilt trip later. All of these tips boil down to two rules – plan and prepare. You can plan nutrition-rich and delectable food and stay active with just a bit of preparation. So, let’s dive into them:

Choose the right restaurant

The temptation to indulge in unhealthy meals is real while eating at a restaurant. Therefore, search for casual and hospitable food outlets whose menu consists of a range of healthy options in tandem with fried food items. 

For instance, if you are traveling to enjoy a staycation at a mountain resort city, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In that case, all you need is to type restaurants in pigeon forge and hit the search to pick a friendly and cozy place with a relaxed ambiance. However, be sure not to overindulge in quantities, even if you’re treating yourself. 

Feel free to order smoking hot BBQ items or burgers. But try to make amendments to your dishes by asking them not to add an extra layer of cheese. Alternatively, you can ask for mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables as the dressing on the side of the dishes.

This way, you can ensure you aren’t missing out on the best authentic food this city in eastern Tennessee offers. And it’ll also help you keep up with your fitness goals.

Another viable strategy for eating well while on the move is exploring fine-dining restaurants. Opting for a  fine dining lunch  experience allows you not only to enjoy the local hospitality and cuisine but also ensures that healthier, high-quality ingredients are used in preparation. By choosing fine dining, you are more likely to find dishes that are both delicious and nutritious, making it easier to adhere to your health goals even while indulging.

Don’t forget to pack healthy snacks

Pack an assortment of healthy snacks well in advance so that whenever hunger pang strikes or a burst of thirst hits, you don’t jump to the nearest vending machine or ice cream stall. Packing healthy favorites not only helps to keep temptation at bay. It’s also an excellent idea to save money. 

Some good go-to snack options to pack in your bag, but not restricted to, are dried fruits, raw vegetables, homemade sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, and whole-grain crackers. Non-perishable food items are also good as such food doesn’t require any cooler. Any food containing high protein levels, polyunsaturated fats, and fibers is primarily suitable for healthy eating.

Airports often categorize gel-like or creamy food items such as applesauce or flavored yogurt as liquid snacks, so ensure to pack them in stackable containers or leakproof ones.

Drink an adequate amount of water

You probably might be walking and exploring throughout your trip, and chances are you might confuse dehydration sensations with hunger. Therefore, it’s critically important to carry a water bottle to maintain your energy levels. Drinking plenty of water also helps combat jet-lagged feelings.

If you wish to try something pizzazz, go for coffee or fresh juices with zero percentage of sugar. And yes, bring along tea bags, too. Many, but not all, airlines offer their passengers the option of black tea. Soothing tea bags such as peppermints are a good option at times like these.

While you are at it, try to skip alcohol as much as possible says this expert dentist in Leominster. Although long flights can indeed make the anxiety creep into the body and you might want to gulp down a glass or two of the cocktail. However, indulging in such drinks can increase dehydration and impair your appetite signals, causing you to make wrong food choices.

Don’t skip the breakfast

When traveling for fun or business purposes, try to wake up early to perform physical exercises. Also, be sure to eat breakfast, too. Unfortunately, most of us fail to squeeze in time for breakfast and overlook this vital part of the meal amidst the chaos of traveling.

A healthy breakfast not only fuels your body. It also lifts your mood for the entire day. A freshly cooked omelet can give an excellent start to the day. You can also eat oatmeal with a bit of sugar or mix it with various nuts and spatter an aromatic spice, cinnamon. However, if you are fond of fresh fruits, bananas and blueberries are the perfect breakfast options.

Try to avoid muffins and donuts no matter how convenient they sound to you. Such food items are rich in sugar and contain bad fat, thereby won’t help you much to stay fit and active.

Find the nearest grocery stores

Once you reach your destination, carve out some time to locate the closest grocery stores. The opportunity to buy fresh foods when visiting a new place can be a massive help for travelers.

Food items such as dried meat, avocadoes, olives, fresh fruits, veggies, and nut butter will satisfy your cravings. Yogurt is also great on-the-go food, and you can buy it if your room already has a mini-fridge.

And while a part of your traveling might be about dining out at local cuisines or restaurants; however, you can save some money and avoid redundant calories while cooking healthy whenever possible. Prepare a meal plan about what you want to eat and shop for the ingredients beforehand. This way, you can avoid impulsive decisions on food and get a chance to explore local delicacies.

Final Words

Traveling comes with a plethora of food options. Curbing your desire to eat something new because it isn’t strictly a healthy food item will make you crave that specific food more intensely. Not only this, but it also robs you of the opportunity to enjoy your trip. 

Also, there are times when things might not be in your control, and there’s nothing you can do about it. For instance, a business partner might pick a restaurant that only serves fast food. Remember, eating healthy while traveling doesn’t have to be a gloomy affair. 

It’s okay to have a few indulgences while traveling. If you want to try new food, allow yourself to experience it and compensate elsewhere. For example, you can make it up by cooking a healthy meal at dinner or consider skipping wine. All that’s to say is – stay motivated and remember to climb back on the healthy train at the end of the day.