How to Travel Healthier And Still Enjoy Your Vacation

Hi friends!  I had a reader/client suggest this topic and I thought with spring break travel coming up it would be good timing!  There are a ton of posts about healthier traveling out there, but most of them only focus on one aspect of your travel (the airport or the destination).  Today I thought I’d walk through some of my top healthier travel tips from start to finish. 

PS I cover most of this info in this facebook live I did a couple of years ago, check it out if you have time!

 

In the Air or On the Road

You’ve got to get to your destination and you’ve got to get back, most likely you are either flying or driving.  If you are driving, you have a little bit more control than in the airport (where they confiscate your stuff.) 

Either way, the actual traveling part of getting to and from your destination is all about planning.  Don’t forget to plan for the trip there AND the trip home!

If you are driving:

• Pack a cooler!  You can always stop for ice along the way.  Pack lots of veggies, fruit, water, and protein.  
  • Examples: Baby carrots or snap peas, lunch meat, cheese, apples, and bananas.  You could even pack a protein shake or homemade bars (like my pumpkin seed bars.) 
• Plan your stops.  Know where you are going to eat at each point along the way so you don’t get stuck somewhere with no healthy options.  
  • For fast stops, I like Starbucks feta wraps or chick-fille grilled chicken strips.  Hot bars at grocery stores such as Whole Foods are a great option as well!  (Not likely on the open road but if you drive through a city it may be an option!)

If you are flying:

• Decide whether you will eat on the airplane or at the airport. 
  • Whatever you do, avoid kicking things off with a bunch of sugar and carbs before you even leave the city.  Focus on protein and produce!  There will be plenty of time for treats!
    • • Overnight oats brought from home (I avoid dairy in when I travel with overnight oats because I’m never sure how long I can keep it cold) or oatmeal purchased at the airport with protein powder that I bring added to it.  
      • Egg-based sandwiches or wraps.  Love me a Starbucks Feta Wrap.  If I get a bagel sandwich, I usually eat half the bagel and eat the insides out of the second half.  
      • I always bring collagen packs to put in my coffee for added protein in the morning or anytime I need it.  
      • I also bring a slew of healthy travel snacks in case I get stuck on a layover or a flight gets delayed.  Don’t be at the mercy of the snack shop! (What I avoid snacking on when traveling.)
      • Big salads with the dressing on the side are good for lunch/dinner options.  (Yes, I know airport salads suck but remember you are indulging on your actual vacation not wasting your splurges on airport junk.)Some of my favorites:

At your destination:

• Use the rule of 3 (or sometimes 4), most of the time.  
• When not to use the rule of 3?  When it’s a place you’ve never been and will likely never go back.  If you don’t use the rule of 3, get back on track the next meal.  Not every meal should be a splurge, but you should have plenty of splurges when on vacation/traveling.  Maybe 1-2 a day?  Just not every meal.  
• Use your intuitive eating skills!  Remember to eat until your 80% full.  Enjoy your choices but monitor yourself and stop before you get full.  Was your last bite as good as the first?  If not, then it’s time to stop! 
  • Side note: you should be building your intuitive eating skills now so that you are better able to use them when they are really put to the test on vacation!  
• Track a day or two.   I don’t track macros/calories when I’m on vacation, but if it helps you then do it for a day or two!  Don’t waste your whole vacay doing it though! 

Water

Throughout your whole trip, you should be drinking half your body weight in fluid ounces a day.  Drink more water if you are consuming alcohol, eating out, exercising, driving or flying long periods.  Traveling dehydrates you, drink water all day long every day!  Bring a big canteen or whatever you have to do get it down. The first thing I do at the airport is go buy 2 one-liter water bottles.  

When You Get Back

One of the things I’ve done in the past is scheduled a grocery delivery to come the day after I get back or sometimes the same day I get back depending on mode of transport, time of arrival etc…  That way when I’m unpacking and trying to get sh*t done, I don’t have to worry about groceries. 

Maybe that means you make a meal plan while you are in the airport (or if you are a WTE? Meal Plan subscriber you use one of the meal plans from when you were gone.)  Whatever you do, prioritize making that meal plan and KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE!  

Example Meal Plan:

Breakfast coffee with collagen and avo or PB toast.  

Lunch – adult Lunchables. 

Dinner – One pan dinners, five ingredients or fewer meals, 15-minute meals, or meals from the freezer!

 

Those are my tips!  What are your tips?