As we gear up for our family vacation, our first in years, I thought I’d take the time to share with you how we manage to eat healthy while traveling. It’s a lot easier than you’d think! With a little planning and preparation you can easily stick to your nutritional plan! Regardless of where you are, and all the yummy food temptations you may encounter.
Now in saying that, it doesn’t mean you have to be strict, you could be on vacation after all and you’re allowed to have fun! That’s what being on vacation is all about! So a little cheating is allowed, but by following these simple tricks you can find it a lot easier to watch what you’re eating.
During my transformation I traveled a lot for work, and I really had to take the time to figure out how to stick to my goals and eat healthy while traveling. I figured out that planning a head was the easiest way to keep myself in check. How many days would I be traveling? Am I going to have access to healthy restaurants? These are the questions I had to ask myself before I left home to plan things out properly. Then I would actually pick foods and snacks that I could take with me in my luggage. Now of course if you’re going on vacation you’re thinking “why can’t I enjoy myself?” Of course you can enjoy yourself!
Kate and I just got back from a cruise, The Beachbody Cruise, and trust me we REALLY enjoyed ourselves! We didn’t track what we ate, we didn’t care, and this was our celebration! But now we’re getting ready to go on another trip, with the kids, to Hawaii! But this time we want to keep track of our fitness goals because if we had two back-to-back “vacations” when it comes to food it would be disastrous! So this time we’re packing foods for on the plane, and once we land in Hawaii.
Check out our video for How to Eat Healthy While Traveling:
Planning Ahead Will Help You Eat Healthy While Traveling
For the plane we’ve decided on the small 100-calorie packs of almonds. Kate and I absolutely love almonds, and these packs are great! You can put them in your carry on bag, briefcase, or in Kate’s case, your purse or diaper bag. They’re small and convenient and you know that they’re only 100 calories! Plus they’re good, healthy fats.
Now once you land, it becomes a whole different ball game. A lot of the foods you’re going to get at events, or at a restaurant are loaded in carbs and fats, but very low on protein. So I always try to bring protein with me. Of course you can take with you protein bars. Like the P90X bars, Pure Protein Bars, or my favorite (although they are a little more expensive) the Quest Bars. But if you don’t have those on hand, take Whey Protein powder. I personally take both the bars, and the protein powder whenever I travel. Simply measure out the amount you will need into a labeled zip-loc bag and put it into your Checked Luggage. Not your carry on. As long as the bag is labeled “protein” and it’s in your checked luggage the TSA won’t think twice about it. I’ve NEVER had an issue bringing my Whey Protein with me on any trip when I pack it like this. I also bring beef jerky, which is a perfect quick protein when you’re on the go.
Of course you should bring along your Shakeology as a meal replacement. It’s a great source of protein and carbs! So don’t forget to pack your shaker cup! Pack your large bag of Shakeology into your checked luggage, and the individual packages into your carry on. This way regardless of where you are in your trip you have a great meal replacement, and an alternative to that terrible airline food.
Now I have to take a second here and plug the Cuisinart Smart Stick! This hand held blender is a lifesaver! It fits perfectly in you checked luggage (don’t put this in your carry on the TSA may not like that) as it comes a part and this makes it super easy to clean! The best part is it’s perfect size for your shaker cup. Now I’ve had a lot of people buy knock offs of the same type, but they splash all over and tend to conk out really quickly. So the $30 you’ll spend on Amazon for the Smart Stick is money well spent.
I always bring my supplements with me as well. I never take the whole bottle, just in case it may get confiscated, instead I count out exactly what I need and take that in a baggie. This way I know I have the exact amount of my fish oil and other supplements I’ll need for the duration of my trip.
I also pack fruit in my carry on. It’s perfect for traveling! It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and it’s always nice to have nature’s candy with you when you travel and need a snack. You can even purchase it when you get to your destination! Just head to a store and buy your favorite fruits so you always have some on hand. If that’s not an option, you can try the Go-Go squeeze. I’ve started seeing more and more of this type of product recently and they’re small, and easy to travel with.
The one thing I always bring with me now is instant oatmeal. No matter where you go, you will always have access to hot water. Almost every hotel room comes with it’s own coffee maker these days, so having a few packages of oatmeal with you ensures you’ll have a quick and healthy breakfast every morning!
A Healthy Strategy Leads You to Eat Healthy While Traveling
When you’re thinking about strategy how to eat healthy while traveling, try and eat ahead to take the edge off your hunger. For example, on this trip we’re going to a Luau and I’m GOING to eat the food there. I’ve planned ahead to make that my cheat day. But I will make sure to eat fewer calories earlier that day, and if I get there and all the food is loaded with carbs I’ll make sure and have a whey protein drink when I get back to the hotel just to balance things out. And then go for a run to work those carbs off.
Another great idea is when you’re going out to eat at a restaurant is not only to order a salad as your side, but also to ask for the side first! And make sure to ask for the dressing on the side! This way you can control the amount of dressing goes onto the salad. A great trick to control the amount of dressing is to dip your fork into the dressing then get the salad on your fork. This way you are eating ¾ less dressing, but still getting that great flavor!
So these are just some of the foods we take with us, and some of the tricks that we use when we travel. This has allowed us to navigate the craziest of waters in terms of eating healthy while traveling. These ideas will definitely get you through the longest of plane rides, and even once you’re there. Ultimately a vacation is about fun, but if you’re just traveling and trying to meet your goal these tips should get you through.
