Eating Right While Traveling

Sep 25th, 2008 | By Travel Snob | Category: Better Travel

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Eating Right While Traveling It’s difficult to get a healthy meal when you’re traveling. Most of the time, we’re so rushed at the airport that we succumb to fast food chains for a fast and cheap meal. It gets even worse if our jobs require a substantial amount of traveling…our meals become inconsistent and we fall prey to airport candy stands. Here are a few general rules I try to stick with to help me maintain a balance nutrition when I’m on the go.

Pack a few pieces of fruit. Leave some space at the top of your handbag or carryon for some fruit. They’re healthy and make great snacks while you’re waiting around. The ones that work best for me are apples, nectarines, and pears. They’re easy to eat and less likely to bruise from all the jumbling. Even though you can’t bring water past airport security — fruit is fine. Carrots and celery sticks also work great if you’re looking for veggies instead.

Pay the price for a salad. A lot of restaurants (and yes, even some fast food chains) now have salads on the menu. Granted, the price of a salad might cost more than a whole hamburger/fries/soda value meal — but it’s definitely more nutritious and won’t leave you flying with a greasy stomach. Just watch out for high calorie dressing. A good rule of thumb is to ask for half of what’s usually used in your salad.

Hydrate with H20. If you’re sitting around the airport with a lot of time to spare, go get a bottle of water to hydrate yourself. When our bodies aren’t getting enough water, we sometimes misconstrue dehydration with hunger and end up unnecessarily snacking. If paying $3 for a bottle of water is too steep for you, then consider bringing an empty, refillable water bottle in your carryon. There are water fountains at the airport and you can always ask airline attendants to help you refill as well once you’re on the plane.

Skip dessert and drinks. If you’re a lucky snob and you’re sitting in first/business class, skip the dessert. The quality of the desserts are generally mediocre anyway. And of course, forgo the the alcohol and sweet drinks. If you’re looking for a little fizz, sparking water is a nice alternative.

So next time you’re traveling, think twice about what you’re putting into your body. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to opt for healthier meals over unhealthy junk food.

Happy traveling!