Home
>
Nutrition
>
Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably already booked your flight and hotel room, arranged for transportation to the airport, set up meetings, planned your presentations, packed your clothes, and maybe even arranged for someone to feed your pet lama while you're away (lamas eat more than you think).

But what if instead you just woke up and left the house. No ticket, no reservation, you don't even know where the airport is or where you're going. I think you'll find this not to be the best method of getting that promotion you've been looking for. You may even find yourself working at Payless Shoes the following week (Not that there's anything wrong with working at Payless?. Payless sells fine shoes). My point is, without planning, your trip would be a disaster. Well, the same goes for eating on the road. If you fly by the seat of your pants, you'll end up not fitting into your pants.

So, let's put together a plan of attack. A roadmap, if you will. Eating well can take some effort but the results are well worth it. And once you get the hang of it, it will seem second nature.

First of all, accept the fact that you may not eat as well on the road as you do at home. There are just too many variables. Therefore, if I have a trip coming up, I do my best to eat correctly while I'm at home. I save all my splurges and irresponsible eating for while I'm traveling.

Hectic & Busy Travel ? The biggest trap that people fall into while traveling is definitely forgetting to eat. You get busy, you're running behind, or you're stuck in a meeting for 8 hours. Maybe you're trying to make a deadline so the company cancels lunch and orders pizzas. Here is where planning and portable snacks can really save you. Maybe you carry a briefcase, purse, laptop bag, or maybe you still wear a fanny pack, determined to try and make that cool again. Whatever the case may be, throw some snacks inside. Almonds, nuts, fruit, protein bar, a baggy of carrots, be creative. Just keep in mind that these are snacks to get you through a busy spot. Try not to eat a bag of nuts and 3 protein bars for dinner. Try to avoid the normal crackers and muffins. Many baked goods are loaded with trans fats that may not even be listed on the label. If you find yourself in a spot where the office pizza is the only food available, try to eat just one slice instead of 6. Just enough to get by until you can make more healthy choices

Speaking of Starving ? If you go 4 to 5 waking hours without eating something, your metabolism starts to slow down and your body may even go into "starvation mode". In short, in "starvation mode", your body may store extra fat and cannibalize your muscle tissue to use for energy. Your body actually starts to fear that it may not get nutrition again for some time. It doesn't know that you're just stuck in traffic and can't get home for dinner. A protein bar is the perfect failsafe in this situation. Here's my policy on protein bars: Never eat a protein bar if you can eat real food, but never starve yourself if you can eat a protein bar. Just choose your bar wisely. Many bars are just candy in disguise. Read the labels and look for bars that are lower in fat, saturated fat, and sugar.

Eating in Restaurants ? This is where some people really pack it on. Eating out, entertaining clients or just a simple business lunch can lead to a caloric nightmare. Here are some tips:

? Order double vegetables with your entr?e - Skip the starchy potatoes or rice. They're higher in calories and the complex carbs can store as fat if you don't burn them before you go to bed.

?Avoid pasta dishes ? They're always huge and loaded with calories and complex carbs.

? Ask for no butter/no oil - In restaurants, you never really know what they're putting in the food. But you can almost guarantee a pile of it is butter or oil. Don't worry about the special request. Unless you're doing business in a very small town, you're probably the 4th person that has made that request today. If you're still shy or embarrassed, you can always just say that you're allergic. If people fear that your hands may swell up to the size of a tennis racquet, they won't give you a hard time.

? Don't clean your plate ? What are you, 9? I promise your boss won't make you sit at the table until you finish your peas. Restaurant servings today are made for 2-3 people. Eat half and take the rest back to your hotel or tell the waiter it was disgusting and you want your money back.

? Eat grilled chicken breast or fish ? Almost always the best choice in a restaurant. However, try to choose the dish with a wine or tomato sauce. Avoid the cream based sauces.

? Order the dressing on the side ? Most restaurant salad dressings are horrific and they add way too much to your salad. Order it on the side and use a small amount or just use oil and vinegar if you like it.

? Desserts ? If you know you're going to splurge on a dessert, plan ahead of time and eat a lighter dinner. And eat a fantastic dessert. If you're traveling, don't waste your splurge on a Snickers bar or a bag of Cheetoes. Eat something that you'll really enjoy.

? Fast Food - Many fast food joints are starting to offer healthy options. Some even post their nutritional contents on a poster on the wall. You can almost always get some type of grilled chicken breast sandwich and many places are even offering wheat buns now. Just avoid the mayo, special sauces, cheese and fried foods. They rarely carry low-fat substitutes.

? Alcohol ? Here we go. A huge pile of empty calories with no nutritional value. But no one is saying you have to be a nun (Not that there's anything wrong with nuns?. Especially if they work at Payless Shoes). Just watch what you drink. Red wine can be the best choice. It's lower in calories and even has some qualities that are good for you. Try to avoid the sugary drinks or fruit juicy drinks. The calories in a margarita can triple that of a glass of read wine. If you have to drink beer, drink light beer, if you have to drink vodka tonic, try a vodka soda. Just try to make better choices and drink them in moderation. 2 is almost always better that 6.

Good luck and have a great trip....... pick me up a T-shirt.

You may reprint or publish this article freely as long as you include a visible, active link to http://www.shapeyou.com and the author bio.

Tony Hale is a certified personal trainer with 12 years of experience servicing clients in the entertainment industry throughout the Hollywood area. He is also the editor in chief for http://www.shapeyou.com

Train with Tony online at http://www.shapeyou.com

efficient cleaning crew Lake Forest ..

In The News:

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.

Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Bipartisan AI jobs bill from Sens. Hawley and Warner would require companies to report AI-related layoffs and hiring to Department of Labor quarterly.

Joe A. from Shelton, Connecticut, lost $228,000 to a ZAP Solutions cryptocurrency investment scam after his divorce, highlighting rising online fraud.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Waabi and Volvo target U.S. freight driver shortage with Level 4 self-driving technology and NVIDIA computing platform integration.

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

Nutrition