Tell me how to eat healthy while traveling

[Anonymous]

Both for family vacations and business trips.

We sometimes get places that have a kitchenette but mostly we stay at hotels. Everything from airport food to restaurant food makes me eat a lot more than I should. Please share your tips.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I also travel for work and go to meetings at restaurants where each plate is loaded with 6,000 calories.

[Anonymous]

I travel all the time. Sometimes I eat an orange, and an apple with pb for breakfast. Or a banana or a cup of fruit, and a veggie omelette or something.

I let lunch be the bigger meal. I often have a salad with protein be dinner. One thing you can do is order an appetizer as a main dish in a restaurant.

If there's a kitchenette, go to the grocery store and buy pre-cut veggies, hummus, fruit, yogurt, etc.

If others are drinking, don't feel you have to, also.

[Anonymous]

When traveling, we always try to make sure anytime we have a sit-down meal, we start with a salad or salad bar. The salad fills you with veggies to help you from overeating.

Also, when staying at hotels with the complimentary breakfast bars which are mostly all carbs, we try to make sure to take at least one piece of fruit (sometimes I'll eat one there and take one to go) for a snack.

Try for balance. If you know that there will be a very heavy dinner as part of work, then I try to eat a light lunch, soup & salad or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When traveling, we always try to make sure anytime we have a sit-down meal, we start with a salad or salad bar. The salad fills you with veggies to help you from overeating.

Also, when staying at hotels with the complimentary breakfast bars which are mostly all carbs, we try to make sure to take at least one piece of fruit (sometimes I'll eat one there and take one to go) for a snack.

Try for balance. If you know that there will be a very heavy dinner as part of work, then I try to eat a light lunch, soup & salad or something like that.

Pro-tip: any place with a salad bar can generally be counted on to be unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

Get the veggie option when eating out. It really helps when you have to eat out for an extended period. You will feel better.

[Anonymous]

I eat out every day for work and travel a huge amount too. My way around this is to know that I am going to order salad and protein anywhere I go. Because I *know* that, I don't negotiate with myself about whether or not I can have something much more calorie dense but appealing on the menu. I just look at the salads and then do that.

Breakfast: everywhere does eggs and you don't have to have them in the combination offered on the menu. Say no to the potato side and choose something with veggies as well. I often just ask for a boiled egg which any place can do. Or omelette with veggies (but portion control - I'd never eat a 3 egg omelette at home, so I never finish it out in a restaurant).

[Anonymous]

You have to train yourself that you're not on vacation every time you leave home. So I eat the same things I would eat at home: oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, soup or salad + protein for lunch, protein + veg for dinner. I go to a store (can be CVS, prefer a grocery store) when I arrive for healthy snacks: some nuts, whole fruit, yogurt for the mini fridge, pretzel and hummus, and bottled water.

I drink plain coffee (splash of cream, no sugar) instead of lattes, unsweetened iced tea, water. I limit alcohol--maybe one glass of wine with dinner.

I always pack my running clothes and I stick to my running schedule.

I'll get something indulgent once a trip (more frequently on vacation, because it's actually vacation)--about the same frequency that I do at home.

[Anonymous]

Definitely a salad bar. I once lost 5 pounds on a 12 day cruise. I had a huge salad for afternoon snack daily. I'm sure I was cruising all wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely a salad bar. I once lost 5 pounds on a 12 day cruise. I had a huge salad for afternoon snack daily. I'm sure I was cruising all wrong.

Salad bar works if you are making the right choices, and avoid the cheese, bacon, ham, mayo-based salads (potato, pasta, etc), croutons, and ladles of salad dressing. Most of the "salads" I see coming off salad bars are heavy on these items, and light on actual vegetables.

[Anonymous]

For work trips, I always try to find a grocery store upon arrival to stock up on things for my room: yogurts, cereal bars, bottled water, fruit, pretzels. I tend to have breakfast in my room, and also to snack throughout the day as I do when I'm home so as to avoid big meals. If I can, I also try to avoid work dinners, and pick up a salad or sandwich at a take out place to eat in my room (note: I'm a mom of three young kids, so relish the time to sit in my room eating by myself and watching tv!)

When we travel as a family and stay in hotel rooms, I again try to stock up on the above foods, and also add in things like peanut butter, bread, lunch meat, cheese, etc. for putting together small lunches. We usually eat out at least once a day for the fun of it, and we don't tend to restrict too much. But I usually order a salad for my main course and pick off everyone's less healthy options (this is usually what I do anyway, since my children don't always finish their meals).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely a salad bar. I once lost 5 pounds on a 12 day cruise. I had a huge salad for afternoon snack daily. I'm sure I was cruising all wrong.

Salad bar works if you are making the right choices, and avoid the cheese, bacon, ham, mayo-based salads (potato, pasta, etc), croutons, and ladles of salad dressing. Most of the "salads" I see coming off salad bars are heavy on these items, and light on actual vegetables.

Agreed - people always talk about "salad" as a healthy option, and it certainly CAN be, but not the way most people have it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I once lost 5 pounds on a 12 day cruise. I had a huge salad for afternoon snack daily. I'm sure I was cruising all wrong.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely a salad bar. I once lost 5 pounds on a 12 day cruise. I had a huge salad for afternoon snack daily. I'm sure I was cruising all wrong.

Salad bar works if you are making the right choices, and avoid the cheese, bacon, ham, mayo-based salads (potato, pasta, etc), croutons, and ladles of salad dressing. Most of the "salads" I see coming off salad bars are heavy on these items, and light on actual vegetables.

I am putting a tbsp of Parmesan or bleu cheese on my salad come hell or high water. ITA with you about the other ingredients, though.