8 Healthy Eating Tips While Traveling
Figuring out how to eat healthy on the road may be easier than you think
Give yourself more time for work or fun with these tips for eating healthy on your next trip.
If you’re a steady business traveler or just headed down the highway with the family, it can be tricky to figure out how to eat healthy on the road. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of grabbing whatever is closest, from fried food and high-calorie snacks to coffee drinks that are really closer to a dessert. These options can leave you more apt to take a nap than tackle your itinerary. But, with a few small changes, eating healthy while traveling for business or fun can be delicious, convenient and easy.
1. Take a “small bites” approach to airport food
Piecing together a meal out of small portions of sensible snacks from airport convenience stores can be better for you than fast-food burger and fries.
What is it about the airport that automatically puts us all in rush? Here’s a great answer for how to eat healthy when traveling for work. Even with an hour to kill before the flight, it’s easy to justify a burger and fries from the closest fast-food stand. Instead, try getting creative by grouping together smaller items from the terminal’s convenience stores. There’s often enough available to create a balanced meal, like bananas, hard-boiled eggs or snack bars. Look for nutrition labels that offer fiber, protein or whole grains. You’ll also want to grab a water to drink and a mid-flight snack bar (better than mini-pretzels) for your carry-on. For frequent fliers, check with your airline on whether or not they offer a loyalty lounge. These areas can offer fresh buffets that provide healthier options than the average airport fare.
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2. Search for farmers markets while traveling
Healthier options abound at local farmers markets in cities across the country. Produce picked fresh from the farm is often better for you—and it’s hard to beat the taste.
If you have a little downtime on your trip, many popular U.S. destinations host a local farmers market. You can use farmer support sites like LocalHarvest or search online for markets in your area to shop for healthy meals when traveling. You’ll be able to select from several tables of in-season fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness—and be sure to grab fruit to snack on during your stay or for the drive home. Many of these markets also feature handmade items that make unique souvenirs. Another bonus of farmers markets is the opportunity to chat with the locals. Start up a conversation with a vendor and find out where they love to eat or shop—you might be introduced to a part of the city you otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
3. Get better-for-you quick meals at food halls
Healthier options abound at local farmers markets in cities across the country. Produce picked fresh from the farm is often better for you—and it’s hard to beat the taste.
With so many options, narrowing down a good restaurant in a large U.S. city can be overwhelming, especially for those trying to eat healthy while traveling for work. And it can be yet another situation where chain or fast-food restaurants end up winning out. That’s where food halls, found in several major cities, come into play—basically, they’re a mall food court (minus the mall) featuring a range of local food artisans. Menus and cuisine will vary based on the food hall, but the larger selections of fresh, delicious and local food will help you make healthier choices. For example, head to The Market when visiting San Francisco, where you can choose from purveyors of tuna poke bowls, calorie-conscious small plates and superfood smoothies. If you decide to travel to Minneapolis, consider Elevate Food Hall, where you can feast on fiber-rich salads made entirely from regionally sourced produce.
4. Choose “eat-in” options over fast food
Restaurant signs may be tempting, but don’t forget grocery store food bars if you’re looking for a quick bite on the road. This makes it easier to control your portions and the cost.
Instead of stopping for fast food or at a traditional rest stop while traveling by car, there’s a good chance a nearby grocery store has a pay-by-the-pound food bar. This is one of the best secrets on how to eat healthy on the road, because you can control what goes on your plate. Plus, you’re more likely to err on the side of less food when you’re paying by weight. Try this hack to lighten up your plate: Avoid loading up on cold bar pasta salad, which is often heavy, both in cost and unwanted calories. To save on both, serve yourself a smaller portion, then add lightweight veggies like shredded carrots, diced peppers or chopped greens. Mix together for a portion size that feels bigger but is without the extra calories.
5. Take advantage of light, fresh and vitamin-rich seafood options
High in protein and light on calories, steamed or boiled seafood is often a healthier choice while traveling.
Packed with protein and usually lighter on calories, seafood offers one of the best answers for how to eat healthy while traveling. If you’re headed to a destination on the water, you’re likely to find at least one restaurant with a menu featuring fresh catches. Stick to healthier fish like salmon, packed with omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins, and choose entrees that are broiled, steamed, poached, blackened or grilled. You could also go for oysters at the raw bar—just be sure to avoid anything deep-fried.
6. Prep good-for-you fare in your room
Hotel meal options don’t have to be limited or unhealthy. A small microwave, kettle or in-room kitchen can be used to prepare quick meals you can eat right in your room.
One of the biggest challenges you can face when planning how to eat healthy while traveling for work is late-night cravings, especially if you’re in a different time zone. Expand your in-room dining options by making better use of basic hotel room features like a mini fridge, microwave or electric kettle (ask the front desk, or pack one if you’re a frequent traveler). Instant oatmeal, packets of instant quinoa and low-sodium soups are standbys, but you can also get creative by boiling eggs right in the kettle (boil water, then pop eggs in for 13 to 15 minutes). You can also try a quick scramble in the microwave (crack an egg into a mug, add milk or half-and-half, toss in some thawed veggies, then mix and microwave for 30 seconds at a time until cooked). For morning cravings, don’t forget to check out the healthy options that may be available at your hotel’s continental breakfast, often complimentary.
Plus, here’s a pro tip for traveling chefs at heart: Book your trip with an extended stay hotel—like Mainstay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel® or Woodspring Suites®—and you can cook a meal away from home in a well-equipped kitchen.
7. Swap out the dairy in your go-to coffee drink
The often-early rise times while traveling may inspire a quick stop for an elaborate high-calorie latte. Ask for dairy-alternatives to cut calories or increase fiber.
Coffee breaks are usually a must for getting through a road trip (or a lengthy on-site meeting), but popular cafe menu options can have as many calories as a pastry. Whether you’re a fan of basic lattes or elaborate blended iced coffees, one of the most painless ways to lighten up your order is by choosing a non-dairy alternative in place of milk. Even large chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts offer almond milk (which has a fraction of the calories of whole milk or half-and-half). Another great alternative to dairy milk for healthy meals while traveling? Try oat milk, which offers more fiber at two grams per cup but less protein.
8. Prep snacks ahead of time for the road
Pack a handy meal-prep container with high-protein snacks to give you quick fuel for the road when traveling.
The easiest way to get around the challenges of how to eat healthy on a road trip is to plan ahead. Keeping a small cooler stocked with cold water, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, lean sliced deli meat, cubed cheese and yogurt makes high-calorie rest stop options a little less attractive. (Plus, you save plenty of money in the process.) If someone in your group insists on stopping for fast food, approach the menu as an indulgence. Instead of ordering the biggest burger, fries and milkshake (then eating it quickly), pick just one sandwich or side item and take time to savor it. You might just find that your hunger is satisfied, saving yourself hundreds of calories.
In the end, figuring out how to eat healthy while traveling goes beyond making slight changes to your routine. You’ll open the doors to new flavors and new experiences—things that make travel so rewarding in the first place.
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