Healthy eating while traveling is an ever growing issue for many people as more and more meals are eaten away from home. Unfortunately eating out and on the road can be very challenging if you are not prepared. Here are 5 tips to help you stay lean and healthy while traveling.
1. Always go low carb – Restaurant and packaged foods are always loaded with extra ‘hidden carbs’. Always choose the lower carb options when eating out – avoid traditional snack foods, breads, pasta dishes, etc. Stick to lean meats and vegetables when eating out.
2. Tell them not to bring it – A bread basket, french fries, or a side of potato chips are standard for many restaurant meals. Don’t temp yourself just ask your server not to bring it to the table or with your meal.
3. Know what you are going to eat – When traveling it is best to have some snacks with you and when you go out to eat have a general idea of what you are going to order. You’ll be less likely to be swayed by tempting calorie filled menu options.
4. Have a back up - Nothing is worse than being stuck in the car or in an airport with nothing to eat. You’ll get hungry and end up making bad choices (“There is nothing else around I guess I’ll have to eat the steak and cheese”). Keep a couple protein bars with you for back up. They travel well and don’t spoil.
5. Don’t Eat! – Seriously. This one isn’t for everyone. I’ve written about fasting for weight loss before, if you are someone that uses intermittent fasting to lose weight then you can follow fasting expert Brad Pilon’s lead and plan your fasts while you are traveling. Brad once told me that whenever he has to fly he always arranges it to be during a fast so he isn’t tempted by awful travel food.
Use some of these tips or use them all! Whatever you do don’t let traveling be your excuse for not staying lean and healthy.
-Mike
P.S. To learn the A-Z plan for eating healthy and losing weight permanently pick up your copy of Naked Nutrition today.
These are great tips for anytime and not just for traveling. Tip # 2: Tell them not to bring it, is a great idea. I love going to a certain restaurant just for their unlimited bread sticks. Which I’m sure I blow 500 calories eating them and that’s not even including the main entree. So the next time I go to my favorite restaurant I’m going to tell them no to the to the bread sticks, even though I know it’ll be tempting.
Tanya,
Exactly! ‘Unlimited’ anything is a recipe for disaster when eating out. Granted it is okay to treat yourself every so often – there is a local place that offering unlimited ribs
Making it the exception and not the rule is key.
-Mike