Travel dietitians offer 10 straightforward strategies for enjoying your journeys without jeopardizing your dietary regimen
Eating Healthy While Traveling: 10 Practical Tips
Traveling can be an exciting adventure, but it can also challenge our dietary habits. Here are 10 practical tips to help you eat healthily, stay energized, and make smart food choices while on the go.
- Balance Indulgence with Nutrient-Dense Meals: Enjoy local specialties in moderation, but anchor most meals and snacks with protein- and fiber-rich foods like eggs, yogurt, fruits, and whole grains to maintain energy and digestion.
- Plan and Prepare Ahead: Research nearby grocery stores, restaurants, and healthy options in advance. Pack portable healthy snacks such as roasted nuts, sliced vegetables, protein bars, or even juices to avoid impulse eating.
- Stock Your Accommodation with Healthy Foods: Buy fresh fruits, vegetables, nut butters, hummus, or dips at a local supermarket to have nutritious snacks readily available instead of relying on restaurant food all the time.
- Prioritize Protein and Fiber: Protein supports muscle repair and satiety, while fiber aids digestion and stabilizes energy. Eating meals rich in these nutrients will help you feel fuller longer and reduce unhealthy snacking.
- Maintain Hygiene and Food Safety: Eating well-handled, cooked meals and practicing basic hygiene reduces the risk of foodborne illness, helping you stay healthy and energetic while on the go.
- Stay Hydrated and Avoid Dehydrating Drinks: Drink plenty of water during travel and avoid caffeine or alcohol, especially on flights, as dehydration worsens fatigue and jet lag symptoms.
- Adjust Your Meal Times to the New Time Zone Before Traveling: Gradually shift your eating schedule to align with your destination’s time zone to help your body synchronize and reduce jet lag.
- Plan Your Meals Weekly If Possible: For longer trips, plan your meals ahead to save time, money, and avoid unhealthy last-minute choices. Meal planning apps can be very helpful.
- Incorporate Physical Activity: Research local gyms, walking paths, or activities to stay active, which supports appetite regulation and energy levels even when traveling.
- Enjoy Yourself Without Stress: Control what you can by making smart choices but allow some flexibility to enjoy your trip’s cultural foods without guilt or stress, which improves overall travel experience and wellbeing.
Additional Tips:
- Manage Portions: Restaurant servings are often large, so sharing dishes, asking for half portions, or saving leftovers can help manage portions and avoid feeling bloated.
- Be Mindful with Treats and Alcohol: Being mindful with treats and alcohol can help prevent dehydration and disrupted sleep. It's still possible to enjoy local specialties in moderation, and pairing drinks with plenty of water is recommended.
- Healthier Options at Stops: Airports, railway stations, and highway stops increasingly offer healthier options such as salads, cheese plates, fresh fruit, and baked snacks.
- Carry a Reusable Water Bottle: Carrying a reusable water bottle and sipping water, fresh juices, or herbal teas throughout the day instead of sugary drinks is a good practice while traveling.
Pratiksha Kadam, Chief Dietitian at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai, suggests that small, smart choices can help eat well while traveling. Traveling can be challenging for maintaining a healthy diet due to irregular meal times and limited healthy options. However, with a little planning and mindfulness, it's possible to enjoy your trip while staying healthy and energized.
- Incorporating elements of the burgeoning 'defi' (decentralized finance) market, one could use digital platforms to research and plan for nutrient-dense meals and healthy options while traveling.
- Following the science behind healthy-diets and nutrition, prioritizing protein and fiber-rich meals, such as eggs, yogurt, fruits, and whole grains, is crucial when balancing indulgence with healthy eating while on a trip.
- Embracing a lifestyle focused on wellness and health-and-wellness, travelers can feel energized by maintaining hygiene and food safety practices, ensuring that meals are well-handled and cooked, and staying hydrated during their journey.
- To manifest a harmonious blend of local exploration and health consciousness, one can take advantage of healthier options increasingly available at airports, stops, and local markets during their travels.
