Travel well, eat well: My top tips for eating healthy and feeling good on-the-go
Being away from your home kitchen while traveling doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on feeling good. Here are my main strategies to eat healthy on-the-go to make the most of your time away.
Traveling is more fun when you feel your best - but staying healthy on the road isn’t always easy.
Whether you’re heading abroad for summer vacation or traveling stateside for a work trip, being on the move is an experience like no other. Exposed to new ideas, sights, cultures, sounds, foods - that’s exactly what makes the experience so refreshing and memorable. Unfortunately, experiencing something new or different isn’t always comfortable for our bodies - jet lag, digestive issues, breakouts, and more.
Why feeling good while traveling matters
I want you to be able to make the most of your travel experience, so you can enjoy all you are doing and feel good doing it too! After many trips both locally and globally over the years, I’ve found a few key strategies that have helped me. These healthy travel tips have supported my body in feeling good and energized, and I want to share them with you so you can travel well without compromising on your health goals.
Do you struggle with eating healthy while traveling?
Without access to a kitchen or reliable transportation to get to a grocery store, it can be difficult to lean on your usual healthy dishes for a meal.
It’s not that you don’t want to make healthy choices to feel good while traveling, but access to healthy and nourishing options are often lacking. Whether traveling for work or pleasure, quickly grabbing a bite to eat from the airport grab-and-go or opting for the hotel restaurant, are often the easier options. Not only do these options not always have the most nutritious menu offerings, but they often seem to be overpriced and less satisfying that the usual choices from home.
After years of traveling for both pleasure and a corporate job that required monthly trips, I made an active effort to find healthy travel snacks and nourishing options while on-the-go. Whether packing extra snacks ahead of time or using a few tricks to make the most of the restaurants I visited, I am able to nourish my body and feel good while traveling.
If you read my previous post about the high-protein snack brands I discovered at Expo West, you may have noticed the emphasis on limited, high-quality ingredients which make up each product. Whether choosing dishes out or grabbing a snack to-go, I choose based on what I can pronounce, with minimal ingredients in each product. With intentional food choices, traveling can become even more enjoyable.
Don’t miss my healthy foodie guides at the bottom of this blog, so you can discover healthy & delicious restaurants at select destinations around the globe.
Top 5 healthy eating travel tips for eating well on the go
Pack nutrient-dense snacks
Choose nourishing restaurant meals
Indulge mindfully
Stock groceries or visit local markets
Prioritize hydration
1) Pack nutrient-dense snacks
As a former girl scout, it seems to be drilled into me to always be prepared, you never know where your adventure might take you. Whether you are traveling miles away from home or have a lot of errands to run, packing a nutrient-dense snack is going to ensure you and your fellow travelers can be well-fed and energized.
When looking for what snacks to pack, here are the questions I keep in mind:
Is it a balanced option that combines multiple macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, fiber)?
Are the ingredients simple, recognizable, and made from whole foods?
Is it easily perishable or will it last?
Will I enjoy it or want to eat it when I am hungry?
The best healthy travel snacks (non-refrigerated)
an apple + unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter
a banana + a handful of unsalted mixed nuts
LARABARs (they even have a mini version for kids!)
rice cakes with avocado
an orange with a mini Chomps stick
grapes with raw cashews
My go-to healthy travel snacks (refrigerated)
hard boiled eggs
carrots & celery with hummus
rotisserie chicken
pre-prepared chia pudding
2) Choose extra nourishment at every meal
Most of us can agree that one of the joys of traveling is experiencing the delicious cuisine offered at your new destination. Whether a change in flavors or a change in ingredients, trying new restaurants while traveling is a great way to expand your palate, try something new, and bring home a few new ideas for how you could cook creatively in the kitchen.
Since I want you to make the most of your time traveling, it’s important that you don’t stray away from all of your routines at home. If you are used to eating lots of veggies and fiber at home, the best thing you can do for your body is to stick to that routine. Eating well while traveling doesn’t have to be complicated.
Easy ways to eat more vegetables at restaurants
Add a side salad (hold the cheese & croutons, and opt for olive oil & vinegar as your dressing)
Swap the usual sides for two veggie offerings (remember restaurants know how to flavor all sorts of veggies well)
Order a nourishing bowl or salad as your main dish, and get a side of the more indulgent dish you are eyeing (like a hearty pizza or pasta dish)
Request for your dish to be cooked in olive oil (you may be surprised how accommodating many restaurants are)
If you are at a build-your-own option, add in 2 - 3 extra veggies (spinach, peppers, and tomato work well in a soup, salad, pizza, or sandwich)
3) Indulge mindfully
Whether you are traveling for vacation or for work, you are bound to see a delicious dessert platter or decadent and hearty meal at a local restaurant that you just have to try. An important part of living a healthy life is remembering that balance and sustainability are instrumental to supporting your health.
While I encourage you to find your own balance, I have discovered that the rule of 80/20 works really well for me. 80% of the time, I stick to what I know provides me with the nutrients I need to thrive. 20% of the time, I indulge in something that may not have much nutritional value, but it provides connection over a shared meal or a joyful experience to the taste buds.
Living a healthy life is not about a diet or restriction, but it is about having the freedom to make the decisions that best support you so you can flourish.
How to indulge mindfully while traveling
If ordering a fried dish, opt for the side dishes to be fresh.
If planning to order dessert, opt for a veggie-packed main dish.
If ordering carbohydrate-rich side items, choose a lean protein to pair it with.
If indulging in a big meal in the evening, ensure your plates are balanced and full of veggies earlier in the day.
The key is simply giving your body what it needs to stay resilient and well while traveling. It is not about restriction, but freedom to feel good while making good choices that support your overall goals.
4) Stock groceries or visit local markets
Personally, I am such a huge fan of seeking out local markets, especially if you are visiting a foreign country. You might just be shocked with a special ingredient they keep in stock or a new take on a salad dressing that you can’t wait to try. Even if you don’t have time to explore a local market, grabbing (or ordering) some groceries can help ensure your body is getting what it needs.
I have found that enjoying a breakfast in my accommodations has supported my body well, keeping it feeling good prior to departing out for a full day of sight-seeing or meetings.
Items I love to purchase at local markets
fresh fruits
mixed nuts and nut butters
pre-cut veggies
lettuce and spinach
hummus
bean salads
tuna or canned fish
rotisserie chicken
salad dressings with minimal ingredients
pre-made rice packets
Ordering groceries away from home 101
Call your hotel or rental ahead of time to confirm you have access to a refrigerator and/or microwave.
Choose a grocery local to your area such as InstaCart of Whole Foods, which offers delivery or pickup if you’re in the U.S.
Order easy breakfast options and a couple of snacks so you can stock up on what you will need for your time away. (Consider choosing items with little to no prep)
When marking the delivery information, be sure to include instructions such as ‘Meet me in the lobby’ or ‘Drop at the front desk’ to ensure the driver knows where to take your items.
Request for silverware and plates or bowls from the hotel front desk. Some offer disposables while others will provide dishes from the restaurant. (If your accommodations offers housekeeping will usually take them each day, so no worries about doing your dishes!)
Bonus meal tip for ordering groceries: If you don’t have time or space to cook, check out the pre-made meal options. Some grocery stores offer entire dishes cooked for you, such as the Whole Foods Paleo chicken, green bean, and rice platter.
5) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
While nourishing your body with quality ingredients is going to go along well in providing you with the nutrients, hydration is another essential piece of the puzzle. When you are on-the-move, it can easily slip your mind to ensure you are drinking enough water throughout the day. Here’s how I make it so easy that I never forget to drink water while traveling:
Tips for staying hydrated while traveling
Bring a reusable water bottle with you: Save yourself from the overpriced airport water bottles or the sudden hit of thirst that hits you when you are far from any access to water. I love my Stanley water bottle, which fits right in the side of my backpack and offers a handle if I want to travel light.
Drink at least a glass of water at every meal: Each time you sit down for a meal, pair it with drinking a glass of water until it becomes an ingrained habit. Whether still or sparkling water, getting water when you can is going to keep you hydrated throughout your day.
Add electrolytes to your water: If you are on the move all day or in a warmer climate, your body may need some additional nutrients. I love to add 1/2 a packet of LMNT to my water. Not only does it taste great, but it gives me an extra boost, helping my body acclimate to the change in temperature, elevation, activity, etc. when it comes to travel. I love the watermelon and lemon-lime flavors.
Make the most of your travel experience with healthy & nourishing choices
Traveling shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on your healthy lifestyle. I hope these travel tips help you stay energized and well, no matter where you’re headed.
If you are planning ahead with nutrient-dense snacks, opting for extra nourishment at every meal, mindfully indulging, ordering groceries or finding local markets, and hydrating, both your body and your travel buddies will be better for it. Also, remember the importance of staying active to support your whole body while you are away from home.
If you’re looking for more destination-specific tips, check out my healthy foodie guides - and stay tuned for more coming soon!
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out to me. You can also schedule time with me and we can walk through your travel well, eat well plans.
Whether you’re jetting off for business or pleasure, you deserve to feel good while doing it.
Safe travels,
Grace Barker
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