Traveling for work frequently can become a burden. You have fitness goals and want to stay on track, but breakfast buffets, late-night take-outs, and countless other indulgences make the process much more difficult.
While eating healthily at home is relatively easy, doing so on the go requires more effort. Having a nutritional plan and making healthy food choices are essential for staying healthy while traveling for work.
Luckily, in this post, we will explore four simple ways to eat healthy while traveling for work or pleasure and analyze the best diet options for business travelers. Let's dive in.
1. Go to a Grocery Store
One of the biggest challenges of eating healthy while traveling is relying solely on restaurants, diners, and fast-food chains.
While that is certainly one way to go about it, a safer alternative would be to visit a local grocery store, where you can find healthy options. Even popular chains like Whole Foods offer nutritious foods, but any grocery store will have options.
Focus on those options with simple ingredient lists. Feel free to take food off the shelf, check the nutritional label, and select items with fewer ingredients. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are great choices. While there is a debate on "Genetically Modified Organisms" (GMO) and non-GMO, a banana, for example, will always provide essential nutrients.
In contrast, avoid those foods with nutritional labels that resemble chemistry lessons. Processed foods contain chemicals, including preservatives, coloring agents, sweeteners, and more, designed for taste and long shelf life.
In some cases, food might come across as healthy because the label suggests it is "diet," "low-calorie," or "high-protein," but they can still contain unhealthy ingredients, so be cautious and do not fall for these marketing tricks.
2. Go to a Chain Restaurant
Finding yourself in a town without grocery stores would be difficult, but let us imagine it could happen. How will you find healthy food options in this scenario?
Finding a chain restaurant might be your only reasonable choice for some healthy meals. Despite being known for fast food, most restaurant chains are required by law to offer healthier, lower-calorie options.
With that in mind, here are a few examples of healthy and lower-calorie meals you can order at some prominent chains:
- Starbucks: Spinach, egg white, and feta wrap - 290 calories, 10g fat, 19g protein, 6g fiber
- McDonald's: 2 egg white delight muffins - 500 calories, 16g fat, 36g protein, 8g fiber
- Subway: Six-inch turkey breast sandwich - 280 calories, 3.5g fat, 18g protein, 5g fiber
- Burger King: Whopper Jr. sandwich with no mayo - 260 calories, 9g fat, 14g protein, 1g fiber
Okay, probably none of these are considered "healthy," apart from maybe Subway, but you have got options. You just need to know what to look for and what to order. Check out Eat This, Not That! for more meal options under 500 calories.
3. Ask the Server
Let's assume that you have found yourself in a place without grocery stores or chain restaurants. The scenario is unlikely but not entirely impossible. What do you do then? In that case, you will probably have most of your meals in one or more restaurants in the area.
These days, most places will have some healthy options on the menu. But your best option is to talk to the server and assemble a healthy meal for yourself.
For example, let's say that their standard menu offers chicken Parmesan and some form of vegetables. You can ask for a combined meal that includes some grilled chicken with a side of veggies. You might get some weird looks, but nothing beats having a healthy and delicious meal.
4. Be prepared
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to eating healthy while traveling for work is avoiding mindless snacking. When you are away from home and in unfamiliar surroundings, it is easy to grab unhealthy snacks throughout the day. However, this can quickly derail your healthy eating habits and leave you feeling tired and sluggish.
To avoid mindless snacking, it is essential to plan ahead and bring healthy snacks with you.
For example, you could pack some fresh fruit, raw veggies, or whole grain crackers to munch on throughout the day. Standard options include fruits, protein bars, and protein powder. You can also get creative with nuts, seeds, Trail mix, beef jerky, and other long-lasting foods with good nutritional value.
However, staying informed of the latest travel regulations is important, as some airports may restrict bringing protein powder in hand luggage.
Here is yet another idea you might have yet to think about: Prepare some meals, place them in containers, and store them in the fridge. Those will be good for at least five days, so why not take advantage of meal prepping? You can even ask to put them in the fridge of the plane, get them back when you land, and store them in your hotel room's refrigerator.
Rather than snacking out of boredom or habit, try to tune into your body's natural signals of hunger and fullness. This can help you make more mindful decisions about when and what to eat.
BONUS: Use Apps to find healthy Meal Options on the Road
Using apps or websites to find healthy meal options can help you locate healthy restaurants, grocery stores, and meal delivery services in the area. This is particularly useful when you are in an unfamiliar city and need help finding healthy food options. Some apps and websites can help you find healthy meal options.
For example, HappyCow can help you find vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the area. Similarly, Yelp and Tripadvisor can provide user reviews and ratings of local restaurants, helping you identify healthy options.
Additionally, grocery delivery services like Instacart can help you stock up on healthy snacks and meal ingredients without leaving your hotel. Finally, if you are staying in a hotel, ask for a mini-fridge to store healthy snacks in your room.
One of the most significant benefits of using apps or websites to find healthy meal options is that you can filter search results based on your dietary preferences or restrictions.
On the one hand, this makes the research easy and convenient; on the other hand, you have enough time to make an informed decision and locate suitable options on your own.
Eat healthy to stay healthy on the Road
To conclude Finding healthy food and eating well while traveling for work or pleasure can be difficult. It might even feel impossible sometimes, especially if you follow a diet like keto. You will feel like you are fighting a losing battle, but there is always a way to make it work.
Lastly, booking hotels with gyms is a great way to stay healthy and active while traveling. Many people struggle to keep up with their fitness routines while away from home, but booking a hotel with a gym makes it easy to stay on track. Eating healthy while staying in a hotel with a gym will prove to be a less challenging task.
Suppose you are looking for the best hotels with gyms. In that case, HotelGyms.com is an excellent choice as we specialize in finding hotels with fitness facilities and provide detailed information about each property's gym and fitness offerings.
Following our tips will make eating healthy on the go easier. As a result, you will remain on track with your health goals and feel better. In addition, you will become unstoppable when combined with a good (hotel) gym and a solid fitness app.
