Eating Healthy While Traveling

Eating healthy can be a challenge on a regular day, but eating healthy while traveling brings with it its own unique challenges.  When we are home, we are the masters of our eating fate.  We are the ones going to the grocery store, and we are the ones cooking.  It makes eating healthy a lot easier when we are in control of all aspects of the buying, preparing, and eating of the food.

Traveling is a whole other story!  Let’s start with the first part of traveling which is the actual traveling itself, on the way to our final destination.  If you are driving, you can pack healthy snacks to bring along in the car.  Even if you don’t want to bring a cooler, you can still bring along fruit and other healthy choices like popcorn (not loaded with tons of butter and salt) or nuts.  But, let’s say you are on a plane or train.  Yes, you can still bring snacks.  Sometimes that isn’t easy though.  Your bag may be full of necessities for your trip.  You may not have available space to store snacks.  You may need to purchase them.

Gone are the days when all airlines offered full, hot meals on flights.  Some of you reading this may be young enough that you didn’t even know they used to do that!  Yes, indeed.  They would bring you a cafeteria-style tray with a little meal on it.  It wasn’t gourmet, but it was a meal.  Some flights now have what they are basically deeming as snack packs.  These, unfortunately, are not free, but they are available.  They usually have a few to choose from, so this is where you have a modicum of control over what you put in your mouth.  There are usually at least a couple boxes with decently healthy choices like fruit, cheese, and crackers.  There will also be less healthy choices like a small can of Pringles potato chips.  Do we really have to tell you not to choose that?

Upon arrival at your destination, the amount of control you have over what you eat varies.  Let’s say you are staying at a hotel that serves breakfast.  It can be tempting to really load up when you don’t have to do the cooking or cleaning.  But, a plate of waffles, pancakes, bacon, and a bagel is NOT the way to start your day.  Chances are that you will surpass your carbohydrate and sugar limit for the day, and the day just started!  Instead, opt for a bowl of oatmeal sweetened with berries or ONE teaspoon of brown sugar, a Greek yogurt, and some fruit.

If you are staying with family or friends, you will probably have less control as they are probably preparing the meals.  In this case, portion control is your friend.  If they are serving high calorie, high carb meals to you, accept it graciously.  You are a guest and they are working hard to make you happy, but you don’t have to take a heaping plate of it!

Lastly, while traveling, chances are you will be eating out more than once.  Many restaurants now provide nutritional information right on the menu.  We love that!  But, even if they don’t, you can make good choices.  Remember that potatoes are pretty high in carbs, so opting for rice as a side would be a better option.  If you have the choice, choose salad or vegetables…even better choices than rice.  If it isn’t given as an option, you can always ask.  There may be a slight upcharge but not always.  And again, portion control is your friend.  Restaurants will almost always give you larger portions than you need.  Fist size servings of each item should be plenty to fill you.

We hope these tips on eating healthy while traveling were helpful to you.  We often think of a trip as a free opportunity to splurge.  A little splurging is acceptable.  Too much splurging leads you back to bad habits and bad health.  At Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute we care about your weight and health.  We hope you do too.  We serve the Melbourne and Merritt Island areas and specialize in rapid weight loss and weight loss surgeries.  If you think this might benefit you, then please call us today.  Let’s get you on your journey to good health!