Travel broadens the mind and opens you up to new places, new experiences, and new cultures. If you like to travel a lot, though, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Life on the road coupled with snatched meals in airports both has a detrimental effect on your health, especially if you’re traveling for a long time. It’s easier than you think to keep up a healthy diet, so here are some tips.
#1 Meal prep in advance
This is probably the most important tip of all. If you know that you’re going to be on the road for an extended period, do some meal prep the morning or night before. Prepare healthy salads, sandwiches, and unprocessed snacks. Don’t pack anything perishable, but prepare meals that will sustain you on the go. Pasta is a fantastic idea, as are healthy protein meats like chicken. Preparing in advance means that you won’t have to stop for unhealthy foods on the way.
#2 Smoothies are your friend
Smoothies can help you get your five a day in regardless of where you are. It isn’t always easy or even possible to carry fruit and vegetables with you, but blending them into a smoothie makes a delicious, easily transportable snack. Better still, bring some additional ingredients. Instant thickeners like Simply Thick can transform an insipidly textured smoothie into a thick, luxurious experience. Thickeners are tasteless and odorless, so they won’t alter the flavor of the drink, but they’ll certainly give it a more palatable texture.
#3 Avoid airport food
Airport food is generally synonymous with being extremely unhealthy. Pre-packed airport meals, fast food outlets, and snack bars all offer food that’s bursting with fat, sugar, and salt. Forgo these wherever possible. Time your meals so that you don’t have to eat at the airport, but if you must, seek out the healthiest snacks you can find. Eating at the airport can break your diet before you even arrive at your destination!
#4 Shop local
When you get to a new location, it might be tempting to head for the bigger food chains like McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. These offer familiarity and usually have staff that speak your language. They’re also extremely unhealthy. Instead, seek out local alternatives in the form of fresh fruit, vegetables, and local cuisine. This tends to be prepared in a far healthier manner, and it’s often cheaper too. You’ll also get the benefit of soaking up some culture!
#5 Take non-perishable snacks
These come in many forms and essentially equate to anything that won’t spoil when kept in a backpack for long periods of time. Fruit generally isn’t suitable (it will turn soft after a few hours in a warm environment), but there are plenty of healthy alternatives. Nut bars are a great protein-packed snack that will never spoil. Trail mixes and wholegrain snacks like pretzels and crackers also rank highly on the healthy eating scale. If you do want some additional fruit in your diet, dried fruit is your best friend. It’s dehydrated, so it won’t spoil but still retains much of its nutrient content.
#6 Don’t forget the water
This is especially true in warmer climates, but it’s applicable everywhere. The human body can’t function for long without water. No matter how healthy your diet is, you’ll be worn down if you don’t drink enough. Dehydration causes everything from headaches to muscle aches and extreme fatigue. These can be acute if you’re traveling between locations, so always pack more water than you think you’ll need. If you take a reusable water bottle and stop off anywhere, ask the staff if they can fill up your water bottle to ensure you always have access to water.
