Living Healthy on the Road: Part 1 – Diet
Do you have a job that requires a lot of travel and involves living out of hotel rooms for extended periods? It can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you’re living on the road and dependent on restaurants for every meal the majority of the time. On my last project, I found some simple ways to eat healthy. Here are some of the ways I structure my diet and lifestyle when traveling.
- Breakfast – As your mom probably told you, it’s the most important meal of the day. Luckily many hotels offer a full continental breakfast. This makes the mornings no different, or maybe even better, than the typical breakfast you’d have before a regular workday at home. If you are staying at a hotel that doesn’t offer breakfast, groceries are the next best option. It’s easy to stop at the grocery store on your travel day and grab some simple items for the mornings: yogurt, protein shakes, and fruit are my go to items.
- Lunch – It can be difficult, when you have to eat quickly and get back to work. Going out for lunch normally entails having fast food or something that’s quick and easy, which often isn’t healthy and likely to cause you to overeat and become tired for the remainder of the day. I have found that you’ll save time and have more energy if you pack a lunch. Packing something simple like a sandwich and an apple will be plenty to get you through the day. Packing a lighter/healthier lunch also helps keep you focused and energized. My go to lunches are PB & J or cold cut sandwiches, with some trail mix and granola or protein bars.
- Dinner – It can be very easy to go out and grab a burger and fries every night, but you may end up looking like the cow that the meat came from. It’s impractical to try and get groceries for dinner that would match the quality of food you can prepare in your own home- so eating out is usually the best When deciding where to go, check out the menus online first. This way, you can choose a place that has a few healthy options. Now, I don’t choose a healthy option EVERY night, but I do aim to make a healthier choice the majority of the time. Getting the large salad with some chicken breast or even avoiding anything fried can keep you from feeling bloated, overstuffed and exhausted. Another tip- beware of the massive portions that most restaurants serve. While it may seem wasteful, limiting the amount you eat from that ginormous plate of ribs and mashed potatoes will benefit you later. Finally, I’ve noticed that some places will have a “smaller portions” section of their menu.Keep an eye out for this.
Maintaining a healthy diet is particularly important when traveling for long periods but with a little bit of thought and some preparation, it’s easy to do.
I have a few more health road tips and tricks that I’d like to share in an upcoming blog part 2. Keep an eye out for it!
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