How to Eat Healthy on the Road
Small Portions, Low-Fat Foods are Key
With a bit of careful planning and smart choices you can keep your weight down, feel better, and ultimately spend less money. Here are a few quick and easy tips to help you navigate the rough road of eating away from home.
Pack your own snacks and small meals whenever possible
This is especially important when you are flying. Buy snack size packages in bulk or divide larger bags of snacks into sandwich size or snack size storage bags. Only have one or two readily accessible for consumption so you don’t overeat. Bring along fruit that travels well such as apples, oranges, or banana, or try dried fruit mixes that contain apricots, cranberries, and the like. Vegetables such as celery sticks, baby carrots or pepper slices are also a good choice. Make sure that any dip containers you pack are smaller than the 3-oz. security limit. Sandwiches made of lean meat such as turkey breast or roast beef are a good choice for immediate consumption, as well as small salads. Just make sure you pack dressing packets separately.
For car trips, take along a cooler to extend the life of fruits and vegetables and to keep drinks cold. Bring along water or your favorite beverage in containers that may be recycled. Most hotels and motels have recycling programs so when you leave the containers behind, you won’t be polluting the environment. In an article for the Diet Channel in October 2006, dietician Heidi Reichenberger McIndoo recommends that you avoid alcohol and beverages containing caffeine because both promote dehydration through frequent urination. While hotel gift stores and nearby convenience marts may have some of your favorites snacks and drinks, they usually aren’t a good choice. For one, you’ll pay outlandish prices for the convenience factor. Secondly, much of what you’ll probably find has high fat, high sugar or high sodium content. Find a local grocery store to replenish food and find healthy, prepared meals that you can pop into a microwave.
Eat Larger Meals Earlier in the Day
Make lunch the main meal of your day. Eating earlier in the day gives you a better chance to burn calories. In addition, many restaurants offer a range of the same meals at lunch as well as at dinner, but at a lower price earlier in the day.
Ann Lombardi, co-owner of The Trip Chicks, promoted the idea of eating earlier in the day in an article by Paul Eisenberg for Fox News in March, 2009. "The closer you eat to bedtime, the more tempted you are to gorge,” she says, adding that a light dinner could even be a relatively inexpensive picnic incorporating low-salt, low-sugar basics you buy yourself.
Don't Skip Meals
Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do, particularly if you know you won't have a chance to eat for 4-5 hours, as you may possibly eat too much or make bad choices when you finally have the time. Eat a healthy meal before arriving at an airport. The same applies if you know you will be in a conference for a number of hours. Keep healthy snacks close at hand so you won't be tempted to eat high-fat fast food items. If you are bored, try walking, if possible, to avoid eating when you are not hungry.
Even if conditions are close to ideal, you won't eat as well on the road as you will at home. With a little planning, however, you can minimize weight gain as well as any difficulties you may encounter due to eating on the go.
Fresh Fruit is a Good Road Snack Choice
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