Traveling doesn’t have to de-rail your diet.

Learn how it’s possible to eat healthy while traveling.

Traveling…that little word that brings fear and anxiety for anyone who is just starting to change their eating habits when looking to make a major lifestyle change. I ask this question; how do we handle fear? We prepare! The key to eating healthy while traveling for work, with family or taking the kids from one place to the next all weekend long is to prepare for that trip and to have a plan in place. When it comes to day trips with the kids, traveling via airplane for work and settling in at the local hotel, or staying over with family and friends during vacation, the basic principles of healthy eating still consist of the following:

• Vegetable
• Fruit
• Lean protein
• Healthy fat

Be sure to check out this blog post – Exercising Tips While on Vacation!

Travel for Business

Business trips can really wreak havoc on your overall health and nutrition goals that you’ve established for yourself. They have a common pitfall in terms of the poor food choices that are too easy to make. These include indulgent client dinners, unhealthy airport fare, to the temptation of room service. All can quickly derail your healthy lifestyle! Try some of the following tips to help you stay compliant and consistent with your lifestyle choices to reach your new goals you may have set for yourself.

• Pack a cooler (refreeze the ice packs when you arrive at the hotel, the staff shouldn’t give you any problems).
• Ask the airline ahead of time for a special meal, or bring a healthy salad with lean protein onboard if available from one of the restaurants outside of the terminal.
• Search out grocery stores, markets and healthy restaurants close to the hotel you will be staying in.
• Ship a box of healthy food ahead of time; it will be waiting at the hotel when you arrive.
• Request a room with a small fridge for healthy food storage.

Pack foods that don’t need to be immediately refrigerated, such as:

• Nutrition bars such as Quest bars, Clif Builder bars or Pure Protein bars
• Ready-to-drink shakes such as Gatorade Recover shakes, Boost, Ensure, Muscle Milk shakes
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits
• Jerky
• Greens or protein powder
• Oatmeal packets

Visiting Family or Friends

Whether you’re traveling with others or staying in their homes, you may run into well-meaning food pushers. A key tip is to give relatives and friends a kind heads-up to your expectations when it comes to offering food to your children. Help them find other ways to express love and warmth such as reading a story or taking your child for a special outing.

Food Tips for Summer Travel with Kids

The summer is usually the busiest time of the year for most families with kids. This can mean mom and dad become the designated taxi service which can throw off a healthy eating pattern very quickly. I suggest packing some of these travel-friendly foods listed below and to keep perishable items in a cooler with ice, so no one gets sick. If your child is at risk for choking, enjoy your food at a rest stop.

• Low-fat yogurt
• Cheese sticks
• Cottage cheese
• Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers or other easy-to-eat veggies
• Applesauce
• Dried and fresh fruit
• Popcorn
• Trail mix
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Whole-grain crackers
• Low-fat milk boxes
• 100-percent fruit or vegetable juice
• Water

Don’t forget portable silverware and plenty of paper towels and wipes!

Want more information about how to organize a meal plan for those busy weeks of travel? Contact me any time to schedule a free 30-minute consultation, so we can discuss your particular situation and goals.

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