Do you have a hard time making healthy food choices while on business trips or have you resigned yourself to the idea that eating well while traveling is really just impossible?
Traveling and eating well can feel like an impossible combination. Business meetings are often held at subpar restaurants, workshops are stocked with sweet breakfast pastries, and a bag of fast food looks like the only option when you’re ready to catch a flight connection. Not to mention, food during flights is going to the way of legroom— there’s really not much there. So it seems easier to just throw your hands up, grab that burger to-go, and think, “I’ll get back on track once I get home.”
So here’s the problem with that kind of approach— as with so many things that have to do with our health, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. As a matter of fact, trying to do it all perfectly all the time is usually not sustainable and we just really can’t keep that up.
One of my favorite quotes is by President Harry Truman:
“ “Imperfect action is better than inaction.”
”
So I encourage you to take this approach when trying to make healthy eating choices on your next trip or at your next conference. When you’re traveling, you just don’t have access to the same things you do when you’re at home— that’s just the reality. With a little planning and creativity, we can take some imperfect action towards taking care of ourselves which is better than doing nothing at all.
Here are my favorite tips for making better choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks while you’re traveling or away on business.
Breakfast
Let’s start with the most important meal of the day— breakfast. If you’re at a restaurant, ask for two or three poached eggs instead of a fried egg. That way you avoid poor quality fats and oils. Order whole multigrain bread and, if they have it, get an avocado instead of butter. The healthy fat in the avocado is great for your brain and will keep you full much, much longer than just that plain bread and butter would.
When I travel, I like to pack Better Oats brand oatmeal packages. They come in little pouches so they’re easy to pack and the pouch even serves as measuring device for your hot water. They’re a really great, quick breakfast if you’re in a hotel because all you need is hot water. I even have them stashed at my desk at work for an easy breakfast or if I need a snack. So they are a great go-to to have.
Lunch and Dinner
If you stick to protein and veggies as much as possible, you’ll be doing really well. You’ll be ahead of the game. So for example, grilled chicken or fish with broccoli and a sweet potato. Ask to substitute any high carb foods like bread, white potatoes, and rice just for another vegetable. You might be charged more, but it’s worth it. Ask for all butter, dressings, or dips and things like that on the side that way you have better control over how much you use. Another way to control portion size is to have the chef or waiter pack up half your meal before they even serve it to you. This works best if you have a fridge in your hotel room or access to a microwave. That way you eat a bit less and you have food for later. And who knows, maybe that leftover would make a great really filling breakfast and better than the icky, watery eggs that they serve at the breakfast hotel buffet.
Snacks
When you’re busy traveling, it can feel like snacks are the only real meal we can get to until dinner time. If you have access to a car, consider stopping at a grocery store while you are away to buy granola bars, raw nuts, and fruit. Even some peanut butter can be helpful to have on hand. They make peanut butter in small packets, which are great to have. This and a banana or an apple makes a really delicious and filling snack. If you have it, you’ll reach that before something else.
If I’m traveling and I am going to check a bag, I usually bring a knife with me. That way I can cut peppers, carrots, avocados, and other vegetables that I want to snack on that I might pick up at a grocery store. Even a sturdy plastic knife can work well and you can take that in your carry-on luggage.
Snacks are key for traveling so if you’re unsure about what foods will be available wherever you’re going, some healthy snacks can help you feel like you’re at least doing something. It’s a little bit that you can bring with you.
Because remember— imperfect action is better than inaction!
Now, I want to hear from you. Do you try to make healthy food choices while traveling? If yes, how do you do it? I want to hear your strategies. We can never have too much information on this topic.
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