Almost everyone likes to travel. Whether it’s for work, a quick getaway, or a few months of backpacking, there is always something to look forward to when visiting other places. At the same time, there are so many things to consider when you’re moving around, one of which is your eating habits.
This can be tricky and challenging when you are used to eating well at home. If you don’t mind what you eat when you travel, you’re going to feel bloated, easily exhausted, or lack energy for your excursion.
Here are five tips to eating well while traveling:
1.Take time to plan
When you start preparing for your trip, it’s vital that you also consider your eating plans. If you don’t, there is a high chance that you’re just going to opt for fast food most of the time or skip meals.
You want to be physically and mentally while travelling, and eating well highly contributes to that.
Here are some ideas:
- Consider your location and accommodation. For example, if you have a trip for work, check if you can cook in the Airbnb room or what amenities your hotel room would have. If you’re on a long vacation in a place that you haven’t been to before, check if there are farmer’s markets near your accommodation.
- Think about your activities. For example, if you are going on a camping trip, there are lots of great cook sets available so that you can make your meals as you go. If your days are going to be jam-packed with meetings, you’ll have to find a way to get proper food than run to fast food chains all the time.
- Check your travel time. Look at how many hours you will be in transit. If it’s going to be a little long, you might want to prepare some healthy snacks ahead. It’s also better to eat before you head to the airport because there may not be many choices in the terminal and plane food are not the most nutritious.
2.Bring snacks – always!
Packing snacks are vital to make sure that you don’t starve when you don’t have immediate access to food while you’re traveling. However, the key here is to bring and eat healthy snacks to maintain your health. These will make you feel more satisfied, give you more energy, and lessen your cravings.
Some favorite healthy snacks travelers bring are:
- Almonds and other nuts
- Yogurt
- Fresh or dried fruit
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Energy bars
- Vegetable slices like carrots and cucumber
- Jerky
- Seaweed crisps
- Apple or banana chips
- Hummus
- Kale chips
3.Stay hydrated
Our bodies need water in order to function well. When you are traveling, don’t forget to stay hydrated and ensure that you still drink at least two liters of water daily.
Your body will need more than that when your travel involves more rigorous activities and warmer or more humid weather.
It’s often easy to forget or neglect drinking water, so here are some tips to make sure you will stay hydrated:
Bring your own reusable water bottle and make sure that you take it with you everywhere.
Drink fresh juices or green smoothie when there are chances so that you also add nutrients while meeting your hydration needs.
Download a mobile app that reminds you to drink water at certain intervals.
Avoid sugary drinks and consume alcohol in moderation.
4.Eat veggies
Getting the daily amount of vegetables you need can be quite challenging when you’re traveling. However, you need to exert effort in including veggies for at least 2 out of 3 meals a day.
Vegetables have adequate amount of fiber that will help your stomach when traveling, and they will also make you feel fuller so you can skip the junk food.
Some ways that can help are:
Ordering salad whenever you can with your grilled chicken or grilled fish.
If you are in a foreign country, head to the supermarket to check their salad options.
If you are staying at a hotel with a mini-fridge or an apartment where you can make food, buy vegetables in the market and prepare your own salad or meals.
5.Practice self-control
A common problem among us, even without traveling, is the inability to distinguish between hunger or just the thought of hunger carefully.
It’s crucial to eat only when you are hungry because overeating can cause uneasiness that you won’t like while you’re traveling. At the same time, you won’t have to worry about gaining more than the holiday weight that you anticipated.
We always feel good about food, and it can be hard to resist, but here are some tips:
You don’t have to finish everything. If you are full, you can take home the leftovers to give to the homeless or eat later.
Stop feeding your cravings all the time. It’s good to treat yourself once in a while, but you need to know when to stop, too.
If you’re in a foreign country and might want to try various dishes, have them in smaller portions and you can plan your trip around eating them in different days.
Final thoughts
You definitely want to stay healthy when you travel because you’re not going to enjoy it otherwise.
“You are what you eat,” isn’t a famous quote for nothing. If you eat well, you feel well, and you look well – which will enable you to function at your best while you’re on the road. Be mindful of your eating plans and eating habits, and learn when to stop eating even when it’s already very tempting. You’ll be feeling a lot better in your trip when you take heed of the food you eat.