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Nutrition travel tips

Maintaining healthy eating habits while you’re traveling isn’t easy. Read on to learn about eating well while away from home.

Anthony Peters

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In the past, it seemed like every time I finally got into a really great rhythm with nutrition, I needed to travel somewhere. Then when I got to where I was going, my routine went out the window and I ended up eating far less healthy than how I would eat at home.

If you can relate, keep on reading! With a little planning and preparation, you can quite easily maintain a healthy eating routine full of nutritious foods, even while traveling. Below are some of my tried and true tips for eating healthy on the go.

Plan ahead 

Maybe it's just my Type A personality, but I like to plan nearly every aspect of a trip. Even if you’re not like I am and you prefer to go with the flow when you travel, I highly recommend planning out your food. 

Whether you’re flying or driving, you should plan out both the food you plan to bring with you, and the food you plan to stop and get along the way. 

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but planning ahead will ensure you make healthy food choices once you start feeling hungry. For example, when my now-wife and I drove 18 straight hours to Spokane, WA (which I don’t recommend doing), we packed a turkey and ham sandwich for each of us, a bag of pretzels, and a bunch of fruit. Then, we planned to stop and get a late lunch in Billings, MT on our way. It was a simple plan, but it kept us from making an impulse stop at a gas station to load up on unhealthy snacks. 

Be intentional 

When it’s time to grab food from a convenience store or restaurant along the way, making intentional choices to reach for foods high in protein, fiber, and nutrients is key. 

Here are some great snack choices that you might be able to find at a gas station or airport shop:

  • Meat and cheese snack packs 

  • Jerky 

  • Nuts 

  • Fresh fruit 

  • Yogurt 

  • String cheese 

  • Hummus and veggies or crackers 

  • A protein bar 

  • Water instead of soda or other sugary drinks

These choices will give you energy, help you feel satiated, keep you from feeling sluggish, and make transitioning back into your routine when you get home easier. 

Know and accept you won’t be perfect… 

And that’s ok! You don’t need to feel guilty for eating something "unhealthy”, especially if it’s something special that you don’t normally eat at home (trying new foods is one of the best parts of traveling!). Make good food choices when you can, but give yourself grace and the room to indulge while you’re traveling, as well. One indulgent meal or snack here and there won’t derail your progress, so please don’t fret! 

We are big believers of the 80-20 rule here, which is about eating whole foods 80% of the time, and enjoying your favorite not-as-healthy foods 20% of the time. If you're able, try to stick to this 80-20 rule even while you're away from home. At Rise, we are committed to the small victories of everyday life, including things like healthy nutrition choices or getting in workouts even while on vacation. 

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you establish and maintain a sustainable, life-changing routine of health and fitness, we’d love to sit down with you!  Get started with Rise today.