Eating Healthy While Traveling

People travel for all sorts of reasons. They may be taking a family vacation, traveling for work, or just visiting friends and family. While being on the road can be fun and all, it’s often difficult to eat a well-balanced diet when you’re always on the go.  Although sticking to a healthy diet may not be your primary concern if you’re taking a special trip or visiting a destination for the first time; it can often become a challenge if you travel on a pretty regular basis.

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice eating healthy just because you’re frequently on the go. Luckily, all you need is a little preparation and planning to ensure your health doesn’t take a hit when you set off on your next trip.

Tips for Eating Healthy While Traveling

Pack Snacks. The key to avoiding unhealthy gas station foods or frequent trips to fast food restaurants, is to pack plenty of snacks to hold you over while on the go. Assorted nuts (preferably unsalted), dried fruits, jerky, and veggie chips are all great portable snacks. Fresh fruits like bananas, oranges, and apples are also convenient and nutritious. Vegetables like carrots, celery, or cauliflower are also great snacks to keep on hand.

Conscious Dining. Trying out new restaurants can be part of the fun while traveling, but you don’t have to let yourself completely go just because you’re on the go. Try to stick to something sensible; and no, this doesn’t mean you have to always have a salad, but it’s probably a good idea to pass on that double bacon cheeseburger.  If you want to order something that’s more on the indulgent side, why not eat half for lunch and save the other half for dinner?

Dining In. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a refrigerator while traveling, stick to dining in. Even if you can’t cook where you’re staying, there are still plenty of other options to make. Sandwiches, lettuce wraps, a variety of different salads, and fresh fruits and veggies can be great options. The key is to keep variety in the mix.  Don’t just eat the same ham and cheese sandwich each day. Try specialty breads, fruit for salad toppings, or  adding nuts to your pasta salad.

Jen from Prior Fat Girl knows that healthy hotel living is possible! So the next time you get ready to travel, try planning a little further beyond what you’re going to wear.  Go into your trip with a healthy eating plan in place, and be sure to stick to it.  Try to convince the people you may be traveling or staying with to make an effort to eat healthy as well. After all, everything seems easier with a little support.  Healthy eating on the go truly is possible.

What kind of tricks do you use to eat healthy while traveling?

Prior Fat Girl is a blog written and maintained by Jen Emmert. Jen is one of Around the Plate’s Healthy Eating Champions and is a member of thePlate community. As a Healthy Eating Champion, Jen enjoys sharing her weight loss journey and building a community for other to be connected with those on a similar journey. Find other healthy eating champions, nutrition experts, and recipe gurus on our community blog network.