Last updated October 14, 2022
According to some surveys, nearly half of all business travelers indulge in unhealthy eating habits when traveling. Likewise, almost half report gaining weight during business travel as well.
In fact, many choose to attend weight loss and nutrition escapes as a result. Understanding this, it is important to plan travel meals ahead of time to better ensure you maintain nutritious dietary behaviors.
With a few helpful tips, eating healthy on the go can be accomplished with just a little bit of effort and preparation.
Eating Healthy Meals During Transit
One of the most difficult situations in terms of eating healthy while traveling involves those related to transit. Meals on airplanes, trains, and even car rides can often be less than healthy and throw your diet off-track.
In these situations, it’s important to pack plenty of healthy snacks to help you avoid getting overly hungry. Dried nuts, protein bars, and jerky are excellent choices in this regard. In addition, you can also choose to pack a healthy sandwich or other healthy travel meals.
For example, instant oatmeal and soups can be easily made with some hot water even during plane travel. By preparing to have these in advance, eating healthy while traveling becomes much easier.
Eating Healthy Travel Meals at Restaurants
When traveling, it is not uncommon to dine out at restaurants more frequently. Therefore, while traveling, you must also consider how to approach meals at restaurants.
For one, booking a travel destination with a kitchenette can reduce these excursions. And likewise, limiting the number of travel meals at restaurants each day to one or two can also help.
Other techniques that are helpful can include making sure half of all meals contain vegetables in addition to a protein. Lastly, portion control and monitoring the use of alcohol provide additional strategies for healthy eating success.
Other Tips for Eating Healthy While Traveling
In addition to travel meals during transit and at restaurants, other strategies can help improve your diet when traveling. For one, be sure to eat breakfast at home before setting off on your journey.
This ensures a healthy start to your trip in addition to one less meal to eat while away from home. Also, consider making a trip to the local grocery upon your arrival. This not only helps you choose which foods will be available but can save money as well.
Lastly, be sure to always have a reusable water bottle handy. Hydration is your ally when it comes to healthy eating when traveling.
Adjusting to Travel Pressures and Changes
Not every travel destination offers healthy nutrition classes or advice on how to eat healthy when traveling.
Therefore, it is important that you prepare your strategy for eating healthy while traveling ahead of time. Indeed, social pressures can exist that often undermine healthy diets. And travel meals are notorious for being less than healthy when dining out or socializing with larger groups.
But by employing the techniques described above, you can overcome these challenges and maintain the healthy diet you want. And the more you employ these strategies, the easier they will be to include in all your travel excursions.
