Can You Travel and Eat Healthy Too?

Going on trips used to be a license for me to eat anything that I wanted. It was my time to relax and enjoy myself, and food played a big part in that. Buying snacks to take with me on trips was exciting to me. Eating out at restaurants was also a big anticipation.

However, the excitement of eating anything that I wanted was short lived. When I got back home from my trips, I’d be, at least 10 1bs. heavier and not happy. My clothes fit tight and I, once again, would be on the diet roller coaster, trying to get rid of my vacation weight.

Now that eating healthy is my lifestyle, there is no reason to stop eating healthy just because I am on vacation. By doing a little research, I can safeguard my abstinence (no flour and sugar) and go back home the same weight as I left.

My husband and I recently flew to Houston, Texas for a family reunion. My preparation for this trip started about two weeks prior to us leaving. Why?  Because doing a little research goes a long way in helping me stay on track with eating right.

I would rather prepare for success now instead of defeat later!

There is no worse feeling than being caught off guard with no healthy eating options available, simply because I’ve failed to plan ahead of time. I’ve heard too many stories from people who did not prepare before going on trips and end up eating whatever is convenient. They end up eating whatever is around them, which is usually processed foods that contain flour and sugar.

These are the very substances that trigger uncontrollable cravings. It’s hard to get back on track when this happens because the food cravings are relentless. Just imagine what that does to my mental health. It creates a mental obsession. To avoid going down that path, it is so worth preparing ahead of time to be successful when going on trips.

Preparation for Trip

Preparation for our trip to Houston, Texas was easy. I looked online for the hotel website that my husband I had reservations at. I called the hotel and asked them about their amenities. They will have them listed on their website, but sometimes they don’t list all of them.

The most important amenities that I needed to know were whether they had a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker in our hotel room. This helps me to know whether I can store food in the room.

Next, I did an online search for grocery stores nearby the hotel so I can pick up what I need for my meals and store them in my hotel refrigerator. The refrigerator is very convenient to put my yogurt, cheese, fruit, and any left-over food that I bring back to my room. It saves me both time and money.

I also search for the restaurants that offer healthy options near the hotel because my husband and I will eat at the local restaurants. I review their menus so that I can be certain that they serve meals without flour and sugar in them. This affords me to have wider options.

During my travel experience, I’ve found that hotel restaurants are usually very expensive to dine on a daily basis. This is why I like to research the local restaurants around my hotel, which are more cost-effective.

The Night Before

When I travel, I usually book early flights. So, I will pack both my breakfast and lunch in an insulated bag.  My meals are put in plasticware and baggies for easy packing. The airlines will sometimes search my food bag after it is passed through the x-ray machine. The trick is to avoid putting anything in the lunch bag that’s liquid and something that is packaged from the store that is over a certain ounce. So, to avoid them throwing away some of my food, I make sure that everything is in either a plastic food container or in plastic baggies.

I hope this blog has helped you feel encouraged to know that you too can travel and still eat healthy!

Please leave a comment. Share your experience with travel and food.

Cynthia