How to Stay on Track with Nutrition while Traveling
Can relate to this. Your nutrition has been dialed in for months and you have a vacation coming up where you want to enjoy yourself but are worried about ruining all of your progress.
Or maybe you have a work trip that will involve long days and lots of dinner meetings.
First off, let me assure you, that you are not going to ruin your progress with a work trip for a couple of days or a going on vacation for a week.
But if you do want to be super dialed or just make better decisions while traveling then you are going to learn some of my favorite strategies in this article.
Hit the grocery store
If you have access to a kitchen then you should take advantage of it and get to a grocery store so you can prepare a few of your meals during your time away.
If you are renting a car you can get the shopping done on your own but if not, you can take an Uber or order off of InstaCart.
Picking two meals and a snack per day that you are going to prepare at your hotel or Airbnb will be extremely helpful in staying on track with your nutrition while traveling. For me, it’s breakfast and lunch. This allows me to get in nutrient-dense foods during the day and I get a little more freedom at night during dinner.
Prioritize fiber and protein, more specifically, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, high-fiber cereal and bread, salad ingredients, pre-made protein shakes, cold cuts, rotisserie chicken, yogurt, and Fairlife milk.
I go to the grocery store as soon as I leave the airport and I grab bananas, raspberries, high-fiber cereal, a case of core power protein shakes, non-fat greek yogurt, high-fiber bread, frozen vegetables, and cold cuts.
For breakfast, I have a bowl of cereal topped with bananas and raspberries and for lunch, I have a turkey or tuna sandwich with a side of frozen veggies. Getting a good amount of protein plus two servings of fruits and two servings of vegetables makes it easy for me to stay on track with my nutrition while traveling.
Not only is this a way to eat healthy while traveling but it’s also going to be cheaper than going out to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
You will have more options if you have access to an entire kitchen than if you only have a mini-fridge and a microwave. In that case, you are more limited. Grab a few small cups of non-fat greek yogurt and some fresh fruit to throw in the mini-fridge. You can also grab a case or just a few core power protein shakes that come at room temperature. These are clutch because you can leave them at room temperature and grab one as needed.
In case you are wondering, the reason these drinks can be at room temperature is because the milk is ultra-pasteurized. This means that it’s heated to an extremely high temperature which kills any harmful bacteria and then it’s immediately cooled. If you open it and don’t drink it immediately or somewhat soon then it should be put in the fridge. But these drinks are perfectly safe and are an extremely convenient source of protein while on the go.
Meal prep services
This is probably the best hack for keeping your nutrition on track while traveling.
Before you go on your trip, look up different meal prep delivery services in whichever city you will be traveling to.
Most major cities have local businesses that meal prep healthy food options and a lot of them even deliver. You could order a few meals of choice and have them delivered to your hotel.
If they don’t deliver you can go pick them up yourself. Either with your rental car or with an Uber.
If you happen to be in a city that doesn’t have any local companies there are plenty of bigger companies online that deliver nationwide. These options may not be as fresh but at least you can control your calories and protein and it will still be cheaper than going out to eat for every meal on your trip.
As long as you have a mini-fridge in your hotel room this is 100% doable. Most hotel rooms have microwaves so if you have those two things you are good to go.
Going out to eat
Going out to eat while traveling is inevitable; honestly, I want you to be going out to eat. And I want you to enjoy it.
But there are ways that you can go out to eat on vacation while keeping your nutrition in check.
There are a couple of things to remember when you go out to eat that can help you control calories.
First of all, portion sizes are enormous. You are always getting more food than you need so you don’t have to finish everything on your plate.
Second, restaurants use a lot of butter and oil to make their food taste so good. With that said, there are usually more calories in meals or items than there would be if you are at home.
Lastly, menus usually have a lot of fried foods on them because they are easy to make. Try to avoid having fried foods in abundance. For example, if you get chicken tenders, order a side of veggies or a salad instead of french fries.
Try this for your menu items when ordering. If you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage or a soda go right ahead, but limit yourself to one. Empty calories from alcohol and soft drinks can be a killer, enjoy them, but in moderation.
Choose either an appetizer or a dessert, but not both.
That allows you to indulge a little bit without going overboard on calories.
Non-Negotiables
There are a few guidelines that I stick to to keep my nutrition on track while traveling, these are my non-negotiables.
Protein with every meal and snack
3 servings of fruit every day
3 servings of vegetables every day
Eat one big salad every day
I don’t track my food when I travel but these four rules allow me to make sure that I am prioritizing healthy foods that will give my body the nutrients that I want while keeping me full.
Wrapping up
It’s worth saying again, that you can’t ruin your progress by going on vacation for a few days. And at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay on your regiment while you travel.
I like to eat good food and I like to eat healthy but it’s a delicate balance when you travel. You are away from home, out of your element, and surrounded by temptation. Use these tips to stay on track with nutrition while traveling and your life will be much easier.
Enjoy your trip and safe travels!
