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5 Ways To Eat Well When Travelling

In the last week I’ve been to four different states in Australia. Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. It’s not unusual for me to travel like this and it’s happening more frequently which is great because I love travel but it’s also crap because it’s difficult to keep on track with my life style when I travel. If I’m at home in Melbourne, I eat pretty much the same thing every day and my body chucks a full on tantrum if I try to do anything else while I’m away. There’s also a big difference between holiday travel and work travel.

If I’m on holiday, I relax a bit. If I travel for work, which is almost every week, I still need to stay on track. It’s unrealistic to expect to be able to make myself a high protein meal three times a day every where I go so here are 5 ways I eat well while travelling…

1. Avoid packaged food

Even if I make ‘healthy’ choices like protein bars or bags of fruit and nuts they’re more nutrient dense than I would consume in an every day snack. If I’m travelling, I make a concerted effort to snack on fruit and vegetables. It not only makes me feel better and keeps my energy levels at an even keel.

2. At least once a day order a salad

It’s inevitable when travelling that I eat out a lot – often for every meal. I usually order a salad for lunch to get those nutrients in because who knows what I’ll be eating for dinner.

foldable water bottle

3. Drink lots and lots of water

If I’m not sitting at my desk, I always forget to drink enough water. I carry around a foldable water bottle every where I go so I can keep hydrated. It’s not terribly pretty but it folds up inside my handbag when it’s empty so I don’t have to cart around a giant bottle. I also have a water reminder timer on my Apple Watch that taps me when I should be drinking water.

4. Choose 1 out of the ordinary food per day

If I travel, I’m presented with unusual to me foods all day and night. Biscuits at meetings, rich lunches, afternoon wine, fancy dinners. And while it’s all delicious and very lovely, if I say yes to every tasty morsel I’m offered, I end up feeling pretty dreadful. My tactic is to avoid all out of the ordinary foods and take the very last one offered up, which is usually a glass of wine with dinner or some chocolate for dessert.

5. Avoid over eating at breakfast

I tend to have lots of breakfasts out when travelling which is kind of annoying because I’m not really a breakfast person. I always order avocado on gluten free toast or an ommelette. If I’m not forced to eat breakfast out, I’ll have a porridge packet in my room if I have a microwave. A good rule of thumb is to try to only have one fancy meal per day.

How do you keep on track with healthy eating when you travel?

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11 Comments

  1. Awesome tips! I really need to start drinking more water, it really is my downfall. I will remember these for when i travel next.:)

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      It’s all about the water! I went to eat a protein bar this arvo but I realised I was actually thirsty!

  2. These are such good tips! I really like choosing just one treat per day… and like you, I’d be more inclined to save it until the end of the day so I could enjoy a glass of wine.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Totally. My best mate and I like to drink our calories.

  3. Jess Carey 9 years ago

    The breakfast thing is SO important!! Any time I travel, the first things I buy at the closest supermarket are some fruit, a bag of muesli and a bottle of water – cheap and healthy breakfasts! The one treat a day thing is what stuffs me up 😉

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Yeah that’s always difficult and I don’t always stick to it but I try! That’s why I try to be 100% perfect during the day so I can relax a little at night.

  4. I’m the other way round on the breakfast idea. When travelling I follow the breakfast like a king thinking. I fill up ready for a full day. It’s works really as I only need a small lunch and dinner and quite often never need the snacks either. The water tip is extremely important. Not enough and I end up with a terrible headache, so I will always have a drink bottle with me as well.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I’ve been doing the 5:2 on and off for about a 1 years and it’s made me realise breakfast isn’t really a thing I need every day. I’m almost better off not having breakfast! It’s all about the water though… which reminds I need a glass of water!

  5. my2morrows 9 years ago

    Awesome tips and perfect timing as I hit the road next week for work! Totally implementing these! Xx

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