Tips For Eating Healthy While Traveling

One of my favorite things about traveling is eating delicious foods. One of my least favorite things is being hungry and eating something not that delicious or nutritious, just because it was there. Eating healthy while traveling can be a challenge, but it’s possible. I like to do the best I can, when I can, and not stress about the rest. The most important thing is to enjoy your travels and to get back to your healthy way of eating when you’re home. Here are some tips to help you eat healthy while traveling... If you’re traveling by car... Bring a cooler filled with snacks prepped at home. Try cut up veggies like carrots, celery, jicama, radishes and cucumber dipped in guacamole, celery or apples dipped in nut butter, cheese wrapped with nitrate and other preservative free lunch meats, peeled hard boiled eggs, low sugar full fat yogurt and olives. Refill your cooler with ice along the way. They even make coolers that plug into your car! Bring whole food snacks that don’t need refrigeration. Bring dried fruit (but don’t overdo it because they’re concentrated sugar) coconut flakes, nuts and seeds, avocados, berries, nut butters, fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, avocados, plums, grapes, 65% or higher dark chocolate, and low sugar preservative free jerky. Stop at grocery stores for snacks instead of fast food. Look for pre-cut fruits and veggies, nuts, nut butters, meal salads, hard boiled eggs, low sugar full fat yogurt, and string cheese. At convenience stores and gas stations you can usually find nuts and sometimes hard boiled eggs and string cheese. If you’re traveling by air.... Stay hydrated. Airplane air is dry and dehydrating. Stay hydrated by bringing your own refillable water bottle. You’ll have to make sure it’s empty before you go through security. Once you're through security, most airports have water bottle filling station at drinking fountains. Adding a pinch of unrefined sea salt (bring your own) adds trace minerals and electrolytes, helps you get the most from your water and helps you not have to urinate as much. On the plane, choose water instead of fruit juices, coffee and soda. They’re diuretics and will dehydrate you even more.

Pack non-perishable, easy to pack snacks. Being able to eat a healthy snack when you need to can prevent you from eating junk out of necessity. It can also help keep your blood sugar stable which keeps your energy and moods stable. Two of my favorites whole food snack bars are RX bars and Epic bars. Most Epic bars don’t have added sugar, but a few do, so read the label. RX bars don’t have added sugar. Seek out whole food options. If you’d like to avoid airplane food and you have time, eat before you fly. With a little effort you can probably find whole food options at restaurants, the food court or snack shops. Snack shops may have salads, hard boiled eggs, veggie plates, fruit plates, nuts, pre-cut or whole fruit and string cheese. At restaurants and the food court look for grilled meats and veggies that aren’t covered in a sugary sauce, meal salads and soups. Places that serve burritos often have a salad bowl option. You can usually order a hamburger without the bun on extra lettuce. At restaurants, you can often get it with a side salad or baked potato instead of fries. When you arrive...

If you have access to a fridge, go to a grocery store first thing and stock up on healthy snacks like the ones mentioned earlier. If you’re stocked with healthy snacks, you’re less likely to eat junk out of necessity. When eating out, look at the menu online before you go. There're usually many whole food options. Veggies are often offered as a side and you can usually swap them for fries or other fried sides.

I hope this post is helpful!

If you've enjoyed this post, join my e-mail list below and you'll receive a monthly recipe and info to help you eat your way to better health. You'll also receive a digestive health quiz & guide your next step to better digestion. You can eat the best diet, but if you're not digesting it, you're not getting all the benefits of it.