Blog Healthy Travel Tips

5 Tips for Eating Healthy While You Travel

Are you traveling this holiday season to visit family or friends? In addition to long lines at airports and unrelenting traffic, another challenge with travel can be the food. Airport and rest stop food can be one of the toughest blows to your healthy eating habits, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips for eating healthy while traveling:

  • Carry raw or dry roasted nuts and apples or mandarins with you – this is a great go to snack that will sustain you and sustain getting knocked around in your bag.
  • Chop veggies before you travel – take 5 minutes the night before your trip to slice a red pepper and chop a couple carrots or celery stalks. Put them in a Ziploc bag and pack along a travel size packet of hummus or almond butter for a crunchy, healthy snack.
  • Jerky has improved since the days of “slim jims” and there are now several high quality options available (be sure to read the ingredient label looking for things like “grass-fed” and no added sugar). Jerky is a great choice because it’s high in protein and doesn’t need refrigeration. Some quality brands: Nick’s Sticks, Paleo Valley, Epic, Chomps, Tanka, Krave all available on Amazon, sometimes at Whole Foods
  • Pack healthy sweet treats like homemade muffins, 70% or higher dark chocolate, and Lara Bars to avoid giving in to that candy bar or Starbucks baked good.
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate…with water that is! Aim to drink half your weight in water ounces every day. Many times when you feel hunger, you’re actually dehydrated. Staying hydrated also helps flush out toxins and keep your immune system strong.

If you get stuck having to choose something while you’re on the road, choose protein and veggies, something like a chicken salad or a soup would be a great choice. Most importantly, if all else fails, don’t beat yourself up about a poor choice, but do make a commitment to get back on track with your real food habits at your next meal or snack.

Best wishes to you for a healthy and happy holiday season! If you’d like some guidance and support to help reach your health goals in the new year, you can schedule a nutrition consultation HERE.