Travel can be an exciting and enriching experience, but it can also present challenges to maintaining a healthy diet. Whether you're on a road trip, flying to a new destination, or simply exploring a new city, making smart food choices is essential for staying energized and feeling your best. This article provides comprehensive healthy eating tips for travel.
Planning and Preparation
Plan Your Trip and Meals
The best way to plan for your meals is to plan your trip. When you’re out sightseeing or exploring, slot times for traveling, meals, snacks, and resting. Factor in everything; we might only have time for two or three activities. It’s a good idea to know where you’re going to have your next meal. Suppose you plan on visiting a museum. Find two or three nearby restaurants ahead of time, look at the menus, and make a healthy meal selection.
Pack with a Purpose
Don’t let your departure from home be a departure from good habits. Based on your daily itinerary, think about what times you have available to use the hotel’s gym or pool, meditate in your room or take stretch breaks. Block these times on your calendar.
The Importance of Planning Ahead
With a little advanced planning, you can steer clear of dietary roadblocks. Bringing your own snacks and small meals can make a big difference, keep you feeling your best so you can enjoy your trip more and be easier on your budget.
Pack Healthy Snacks
It’s easier to skip the fast food on a road trip when you’ve got nuts, apple slices, and celery sticks with you. Pack nutritious snacks and meals for on-the-go by prioritizing dairy, protein sources, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Road Trip Essentials
Pre-Packed Cooler and Picnic Basket
Instead of relying on pit-stop snacks, a pre-packed cooler and icepacks in the backseat can go a long way to satisfying your road trip cravings without breaking the bank or fueling your tank with empty calories. Grab a cooler and a picnic basket (or a canvas tote or other bag).
What to Pack in the Bag
- Applesauce
- Single-serving bags of veggie chips
- Single-serving containers of tuna
- Single-serving packets of unsalted nuts, like almonds or cashews
- Homemade trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit (add some dark chocolate chips for a hint of sweetness)
- Air-popped or bagged popcorn (stick to kinds that are low in salt and no butter)
- Low-sugar protein bars and powders
- Peanut butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread
What to Pack in the Cooler
- Fresh veggies, like baby carrots, celery sticks, bell peppers, snap peas, or mini cucumbers
- Fresh fruits that don’t make a mess, like bananas, apples, plums, apricots, or grapes
- Low-fat string cheese or cheese slices
- Single-serving containers of hummus or guacamole
- Whole-grain wraps with deli turkey or chicken, avocado, shredded carrots, and hummus
- Water
Remember the Ride Home
A lot of times, we’re really well-prepared and packed up when we leave, but we can neglect preparing as well for the ride back. But stopping at a store to pick up a few healthy choices for the ride home is just as important.
Shopping at Convenience Stores and Gas Stations
Sometimes, grabbing a bite from the gas station or convenience store might be your only option. You can typically find healthy road trip snacks even in corner stores, if you know what to look for.
Healthy Options at Gas Stations
Look instead for options like:
- Applesauce
- Low-fat Greek yogurt
- Hummus with veggies
- Fresh fruits
- Pre-cut veggies
- Oatmeal
- Single-serving bags of veggie chips
- Single-serving containers of tuna
- Single-serving packets of unsalted nuts, like almonds or cashews
- Air-popped or bagged popcorn (stick to kinds that are low in salt and no butter)
- Trail mix without candies
- Low-sugar protein bars
- Bottled water or canned sparkling water
Airport and Train Station Strategies
Navigating Terminals
You can find healthy food even in the airport and train terminals - sandwiched between the hot pretzel stands, cinnamon roll counters, and fast-food joints.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Healthy Options at Terminals
If you’re looking to buy food at the terminal or train station, look for options like:
- Low-fat Greek yogurt
- Hummus with veggies
- Fruit cups made with fresh fruit
- Pre-cut veggies
- Oatmeal
Bringing Food on Planes
Having some ready-to-go snacks can help to fuel you for the trip. You can’t take a cooler through airport security, but with some planning, you can still bring healthy food options along for the ride.
Packing for the Plane Ride
For a plane ride, particularly, it helps to keep your snacks low in sodium to help guard against retaining water on a long flight. Divide them into clear baggies to get through security.
Healthy, Travel-Friendly Options
Healthy options that will travel well in your backpack and carry-on include:
- Applesauce
- Single-serving bags of veggie chips
- Single-serving containers of tuna
- Single-serving packets of unsalted nuts, like almonds or cashews
- Air-popped or bagged popcorn (stick to kinds that are low in salt and no butter)
- Homemade trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit (add some dark chocolate chips for a hint of sweetness)
- Peanut butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread
Stay Hydrated
Particularly important for air travel is to bring a refillable water cup. You’ll need it emptied before going through security, but filling your own cup of water at a bottle-filling station before your flight will help ensure you stay well-hydrated on the way. We tend to walk more on vacation than at home, we get thirstier and if we don’t have water with us, we will likely drink soda, juice or any other sugary beverage.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
Cleanliness on the Go
Carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. These come in handy for washing your hands or other surfaces when you’re on the go and don’t have easy access to running water. Clean your hands before you eat, to wash away germs you picked up in the airport or train station. On the plane, clean off your tray table with disinfectant wipes and never set food directly on the tray table.
Food Safety Guidelines
Keep Cold Food Cold
Place cold food in coolers with frozen gel packs or ice. Stashing it at 40°F or below prevents bacterial growth. Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another since you are likely to grab beverages most often, opening the cooler more frequently.
Two-Hour Rule
If you buy cold or hot food at the airport or train station, eat it within two hours of purchasing. After that, bacteria multiply. (In hot weather, the safe time limit is one hour.) Set a timer on your watch or phone to remind you.
Be Safe with Water
This also goes for anything made with water, such as ice or fountain drinks. Stick with sealed, bottled beverages if you have any concerns about the local water supply.
Making Healthy Choices While Eating Out
Resisting Temptation on Vacation
It can be tempting to “treat yourself” on vacation and set aside your healthy habits, but stick to healthy eating patterns as much as you can. Keeping your body healthy and nourishing it is going to go a long way. Eating healthy foods will help you feel your best to enjoy your trip. And keeping up healthy habits even away from home will mean not having to try to undo any changes in your habits that you got used to during vacation.
Restaurant Strategies
Keep up your healthy eating habits at restaurants and even fast-food locations by choosing options like:
- Veggie appetizers
- Salads (go for dressing on the side so you can control how much you use)
- Steamed vegetables
- Lean, grilled protein, like chicken or salmon
Look for Healthier Options
Check for meals that are grilled, baked, or steamed instead of fried.
Pay Attention to Portion Sizes
It might be harder to ask for food to-go when you’re traveling, since you may not want to carry around leftovers. If it’s a large portion, just eat some of it.
Stay at Hotels with Kitchens or Mini-Fridges
If you’re staying in a place with a kitchen or even just a refrigerator, you can bring along healthy breakfast options or find a local grocery store and stock up when you get there. At a hotel, ask for a room with a mini-fridge. Then visit the local market for grocery staples. That way you can keep healthful items on hand for snacks or breakfast.
Continental Breakfasts
Be cautious about continental breakfasts. It’s not uncommon for hotel breakfast bars to be stocked with cereals with large amounts of added sugar, pastries, and other suboptimal choices. If your hotel offers this complimentary meal, go ahead and scope it out, but look for whole-grain cereals with fat-free or low-fat milk, fruit, or yogurt.
Beware of Buffets
Before you grab a plate, walk around the buffet and decide which foods you'll choose. Steer clear of any food that's served at room temperature - that's within the temperature "danger zone" where bacteria can thrive. Aim to make half your plate fruits and vegetables, one-quarter lean protein, and one-quarter whole grains.
Choose Healthy Snacks
- Part-skim mozzarella cheese stick
- Whole-grain sandwich with lean meat, vegetables, and mustard
- Salad with lean protein
- Vegetable soup
- Fat-free latte
- Fruit cup
- Pre-cut veggies
Markets
Pick up pre-washed/pre-cut vegetables, hummus, yogurt, sandwiches, salads, and fruit with peels including oranges and bananas.
Sandwich Shops
Choose whole-grain bread, extra vegetables, and mustard instead of oil or mayo.
Drive-Thrus and Casual Restaurants
Focus on items that are grilled, steamed, broiled, or baked instead of fried or sautéed. Consider salads with lean protein and a vinaigrette-based dressing, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and eggs with whole-grain bread.
Mindful Eating and Lifestyle Choices
Eat Before You Travel
Airport food tends to be frozen, microwaved food sold at a higher price than at the grocery store. If you can’t eat before flying, prepare your meals and snacks before you leave. You can bring food through the TSA checkpoint but not drinks. You can eat at your gate before your flight or on the plane.
Mindful Moments
Watch out for times when you feel stressed or bored and you fall into the habit of eating mindlessly. Be mindful of opportunities outside of eating, it is easy to overeat when you are outside your normal life pattern. Make sure to have fun outside of eating. Maintain a healthy diet while traveling is about balance. You can find ways to enjoy the local cuisine and still keep your health in mind.
Balance Fuel and Fun Foods
"Rather than good or bad, I like to think of food as being for fuel or for fun," says Kristen Wright, a dietitian at Houston Methodist. "These fuel foods contain the nutrients, vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function, and they help keep us feeling full and satisfied," explains Wright. "If you want to enjoy a fun food, that is totally OK," says Wright. "It doesn't define you in any type of way, nor should it. "We either want to eat fun foods all the time or we go overboard trying to avoid them altogether," says Wright. "Neither serves us well. Instead, we should be well equipped to recognize what's a fuel food, what's a fun food and balance them together at meals. Eat that burger and fries! But try to incorporate whole foods in your meal. Tomato, onion, lettuce, maybe even peppers - top that patty with plenty of veggies. "This way we're getting the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that fuel us while still allowing ourselves to enjoy something fun," adds Wright.
Portion Control
"Everything is super-sized these days," says Wright. "Perhaps we just portion control ourselves by ordering the smaller size instead.
Understanding Food Labels
Key to eating fuel foods is knowing how to avoid the fun-food traps set by the food manufacturing industry. "Keto Friendly," "Gluten Free," "Organic" - these claims don't automatically mean a food is healthy. For instance, the carbohydrates left out of gluten-free products have to be replaced with something, usually added fibers or fats. The same goes for keto items. "Everything taken away must be replaced, and 9 times out of 10 it's going to be replaced with something ultra-processed," Wright points out. The bottom line: Not all "healthy" foods are fuel foods. Be sure to do your own fact checking by taking a look at the ingredients list. Do you see any sign of the fuel foods mentioned above?
Limiting Alcohol Consumption
To limit your alcohol consumption, don’t drink on an empty stomach and have water after each alcoholic drink. “Specialty cocktails and mixed drinks are a fast way of adding calories to our meals. Make sure you limit these drinks.
Stay Active
If you’re flying, get in extra steps by avoiding the conveyor belt people-movers in the airport. Instead of sitting around waiting to board, how about walking around to get in some extra steps. Opt to stay in a hotel that offers workout options. Many hotels have a gym or a pool on premises or nearby that their customers can use. Explore your surroundings on foot. Go for a long walk or get in a morning jog. You’ll get to soak in the sights while burning the calories. Take part in local cultural and activities. Attend a dance class and learn salsa or give surfing a try if the ocean is nearby.
Make Time for You
Do some research ahead of time and make time for you. Indulge yourself at the hotel’s spa. Whether it’s a keynote speech that’s stressing you out, or the amusement park full of overexcited kids (including your own), a massage is a great way to calm down and pamper yourself. Try meditation. You have the time and a quiet hotel room. Stay grateful. Watch the sunset over the ocean or listen to the wind whistle through the trees in the mountain valley outside. Or enjoy the delight of simply being in a new place. Live in the moment - you might be somewhere that you’ll never visit again. Appreciate the opportunity to experience life away from home.
Food Groups and Balanced Plates
Variety of Nutrients
To eat healthy, you need to get a variety of nutrients from the five food groups: dairy, protein-rich foods, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Each food group offers a different main nutritional benefit, so you can get a spectrum of nutrients that support good health.
Examples of Foods from Each Group
- Dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt, lactose-free milk, fortified soy milk
- Protein-rich foods: seafood, poultry, eggs, peas, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products
- Grains: wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley
- Fruits: fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruits and 100% fruit juice
- Vegetables (nonstarchy): fresh, canned, frozen, or dried vegetables (raw or cooked) and 100% vegetable juice
Recommendations
- Making at least half of your grains whole grains
- Varying your protein sources and vegetables
- Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products
- Making at least half of your fruits whole fruits
Building a Well-Rounded Plate
To build a well-rounded plate, try pairing foods from at least two food groups to get a diversity of nutrients. Fill half of your plate with nonstarchy vegetables like spinach or collard greens. Then, fill one-fourth of your plate with protein-rich foods, such as chicken, fish, or navy beans, depending on your preferences. Lastly, fill the remaining one-fourth of your plate with grains like rice or quinoa. Pair a grain with a protein-, fat-, or fiber-rich food for snacks.
Avoiding Skipped Meals
Skipping meals may cause you to overeat at your next meal or load up on unhealthy snacks. If you find this tends to happen to you, you might find it helpful to have preplanned food ready to grab and go when you’re in a rush.
Post-Trip Recovery
Starting Over
Try to make good food choices while traveling. If things didn’t go as well as you hoped for during the trip, start over once you get home.