As we enter the spring season, a very practical question: how do you eat healthy when you travel?
I realize for many the answer is simply, I don’t, but this question takes on important meaning as I embark upon an extended journey this week.
With the exception of a very brief trip to Chicago for Frequent Traveler University, I’ve been home the last several weeks and been brutally disciplined in my diet and exercise. Folks, I cannot believe what a difference this makes…I’m feeling refreshed, sleeping better, the junk food cravings are gone, and I’ve shed fat and am seeing my abs once again for the first time in many years. For me, the low-carb, high-protein diet combined with exercise has always worked best to activate fat-loss and muscle growth.
I’m really excited! Heidi’s happy too…
But over the next few months, I’ll be on the road a lot, a time I greatly look forward to and look forward to sharing with you.
There will be all sorts of fancy flights and hotels, lovely meals out, and lounges at airports and hotels that will tempt me with food around the clock.
My predicament is particularly difficult because I am a travel blogger and therefore I feel compelled, in order to offer you a complete review, to actually try out all the food when I fly or stay in a hotel.
While I could theoretically order the food, photograph it, and then not eat it, I hate that as well: by principle I hate waste and I find throwing out food unconscionable (unless it is pastrami sandwiches on American Airlines).
Of course I will try to make healthy choices plus continue to exercise, and perhaps that is all I can do, but I’ll be visiting a region of the world with a rich cuisine that I find absolutely delightful…but goodness is it fattening.
So, any tips for avoiding both waste and over-consumption? I don’t want to forfeit the progress I’ve made this year, but part of me acknowledges that travel becomes much less fun if you cannot enjoy a croissant with breakfast or a bread or rice or pasta with dinner.
CONCLSUION
I want to eat healthy…I really do. But traveling and eating healthy are such a difficult combination. Even so, I am committed to striking the balance. At the very least, I’ll work it off.
For the avoidance of any doubt, that’s just a stock photo…
I was on a keto diet between jobs when I travelled a lot. I found that after being on the diet for a couple of months I didn’t crave whole bowls of pasta or rice. I’d eat the meat. A little pasta and be done. There are always good options. Order fish or chicken not the ravioli etc. half a piece of garlic bread. Breakfast is easy. And take a ton of good snacks. Peanuts. Jerky etc.
My wife also challenged me to work out half an hour a day for 6 months. So I’d land and go for a jog around the city etc
Still put on weight. Just not as much as if I’d gone whole hog
If I’m traveling domestically for business I find I’m actually healthier than I am at home. I don’t drink the plonk in domestic F or US lounges, hotels have made breakfast uninteresting, and I can order healthy food via Uber Eats.
It’s more challenging internationally. Any good advice would be indulge moderately and don’t break the workout routine. I find let lag makes working out easy. My kryptonite would be good wines and champagne everywhere. I guess stay on the wagon, but I know I wouldn’t personally, so I say good luck.
That man in the photo is not healthy. He is at greater risk for skin cancer with that deep tan over large areas of his body. Skin cancer is partly a game of chance. When large areas of skin are attacked by UV, there is a greater chance that one spot on the body will turn to cancer.
As far as healthy eating, I agree. During travel, I tend to eat at McDonald’s, those fries and fried foods, which is less healthy.
How much sun screen is he wearing?
SHOW! US! YOUR! ABS!
You misspelled ASS! But seriously, do what Tom Sietsema does. Only eat 1 bite of dessert.
Have been counting calories for almost a year now and lost 40 solid pounds. Going to Disney in a month for a few days and just plan to enjoy myself. At least I’ll be doing a lot of walking. But plan to eat what I want with the same not as much I had eaten in the past.
It’s tough. Different cuisines, different time zones. I take a bottle of Citrucel with me so I at least get sufficient fiber for a decent crap. When you’re meeting others it’s difficult, sometimes borderline insulting, not to eat what the locals are eating.
Clearly, ending a trip “with a lovely Double-Double animal style with French Fries at In-N-Out” will have to go! 😉
Sleepy Joe Biden just extended the mask mandate.
Let’s Go Brandon!
An off-topic, rude, and politicized response given that the President has nothing to do with the mask mandate being extended.
I lost 28lbs on the AA Turkey Pastrami Diet. Ask me how.
Good topic! Breaking my head on this conundrum as well.
It’s definitely a struggle to eat healthy when on the road. Kudos to United Clubs for making salads and wraps more readily available in their clubs.
When possible, go to a supermarket (or convenience store if it’s your only option) and get yogurts and granola for breakfast, cans of black cold brew, and try to eat a healthy lunch or dinner and maybe splurge on the other meal. 80% compliance is pretty good for a few days on the road. Alcohol is way harder on the body so try to skip it at all possible.
Finally, if possible, workout in the morning or evening. This helps drive accountability.
Keep up the good work!
Would you consider writing about how you’re eating healthy in your upcoming travels, such as meals/snacks on a plane & healthier lounge food options?
For sure!
I never eat heathy when traveling
Pick out the unhealthy junk that you want to eat ahead of time. Make sure you fit it in, if you’re going to Italy as an example and you know that you want a croissant for breakfast, have it, if you know you want a delicious and unhealthy pasta, have it. If you want gelato every night, have it. But don’t have the rest, the stuff that you don’t really want, the stuff that is your guilty pleasure. I find that if I know that I REALLY want something unhealthy, eating it gives me nothing to worry about. But if I fall to peer pressure then I drink a thick milkshake that I don’t really want.
Having spent the better part of 30 years on the road, I am in my 50’s now, I can say that I remain pretty much the same weight, clothing size, and body composition. My hair, well, that’s another story. I have managed to maintain this while being out in the trenches around 250-300 days a year. Here’s my tips:
1. Instead of a diet that is sporadic try common sense always.
2. Avoid snacks unless you are truly famished, not because you are bored. If you can, opt for healthy snacks like grass fed jerky, etc. I always carry jerky (with no sugar).
3. Choose liquor straight for drinks (over ice or neat or with a splash of water). Avoid beer, and keep wine and champagne to an absolute minimum. Sure, lots of sugar in straight liquor, but because of the alcohol content we tend to (hopefully!) drink less as a bang for the calorie buck in flavor and relaxation.
4. Avoid bread unless you are in a place like Germany where the bread is just too good to pass on. Otherwise it’s hardly worth the carbs (and sugar load) you get, especially in the U.S.
5. If forced to eat fast food, for example in a place like the Des Moines airport, order a sandwich with extra meat, pull out the meat, eat that and throw the rest away.
6. Interval training when traveling is my go to, with weight training thrown in on days when a hotel has a decent gym with actual useful equipment. On days when you can’t work out and are stuck in airports a fast paced walk up and down the concourse for a half hour while looking at planes and destinations will serve as a fill in…weight yourself down as much as possible by carrying your bags instead of pulling them.
7. At a fantastic restaurant? Or in Air France First? Just go with it, eat everything, have fun and let er rip!
8. On the road and driving between cities? Time your meals to stop where there are healthy options like Chopt or Cava. Bowls on the road with cauliflower rice are a big search for me. Chipotle can be good in a pinch but go without rice (darn them for getting rid of Cauliflower rice!).
9. Have a trip coming up to Europe or Asia and know you will let loose? Fine. The week before just go really easy and treat the next week to eat whatever you like. Again, let er rip!
10. Stuck in an Applebees in Texarkana? Steak and steamed broccoli alongside a martini is a fine meal in a pinch anywhere. Ok, not fine, or even “tasty” as Matthew likes to say, but it’s ok.
11. Hidden sugar is your biggest enemy. And places like P.F. Changs are the worst violators of this. Avoid them at all costs. If forced to eat at chains, again, go for simple meats and veggies and keep it basic.
12. Door Dash is your friend (or whatever service you use). If you arrive on a Sunday at 8:30, exhausted, and at a limited hotel. There are always healthy options. Flower Child in Texas is one of my favorite Door Dash selections as an example.
13. Allow yourself a Five Guys burger once each week with fries. Unlike Matthew, avoid In’ n Out as it’s the most overrated fast food burger ever. 🙂
Those are my tips…take them for what they’re worth!
Basically: no carbs!
Other than when they are totally worth it!
Brilliant tips! I already take biltong with me when I travel so that I can avoid carb-heavy snacks but there’s certainly more I can do.
Two more things for a healthy male lifestyle: 1., Brush after every mean and floss at least once a day; 2. Daily orgasms, with or without assistance. Need to keep those fluids balanced. (Kidding aside I saw these tips in GQ a few years back).
@All (and especially Stuart): thanks for the tips! I’m going to share how I do on the road…
Can you feature a story of total calories of the meal served in the business class?
Dining at great restaurants is one of life’s most wonderful joys. I will never give it up and I will always wholeheartedly dive into the butter poached lobster with artichoke cream without ever pondering if it’s too rich & too unhealthy.
Having said that, I do feel physically & mentally sluggish at times, especially if I’ve been on the road for an extended period. My solution is a week-long break at a detox retreat, my favorite being Vivamayr outside of Salzburg. For the low, low cost of a few thousand euros, I am: starved, kneaded into submission, forced to drink nasty liquids, expected to discuss bowel habits with fellow victims (there is always lots to tell), forbidden to talk at “dinner” (rigorously enforced) and other atrocities the memories of which I have deeply buried. It’s an unpleasant week in gorgeous surroundings and I always leave totally refreshed, recharged and invigorated. I’m not exaggerating when I say I feel 20 years younger after a week at Vivamayr.
You know, Matthew, a review from you of Vivamayr or another detox retreat (I’ve been wanting to try Chenot Palace near Lake Lucerne) could be highly entertaining. Granted, you may have to dip into your children’s college funds to pay for it but just think of the joy it would bring to your readers. And I personally think it’s worth every cent in terms of the physical and mental health benefits.
Seriously, the comment of the year. I’m sold.
Can you give us an idea of how much it actually costs? The website mentions a price ‘from €2570’ for a week, which sounds pretty good, but I always worry about what ‘from’ actually means.
Total cost depends upon the specific program booked. Beware: program cost *does not* include accommodation; rooms are simple but still surprisingly nice. In the past, I have budgeted about 5500 euros (no euro sign on this ancient keyboard) for a week-long stay. I’m hoping (key word: hoping, this place books up quickly) to soon book a stay for the end of July. You could come along, Matthew! We could toast to each others bowels with the Vivamayr brew. It’s so disgustingly foul I’m surprised it hasn’t been added to AA’s first class catering rotation.
Seriously, this place is awesome.
I was looking at the website last night after your comment and it looks really amazing. Rooms are just ok, location looks beautiful, but the detox is serious and real. I could use this. Beats the monk centered retreat in California that involves hours of seated silent meditation each day. Ya know, I talk a lot.
Is that Matthew in the pic coming out of the pool?
I highly recommend Rancho La Puerta for a diet/health/mindset reset. $4000-$6000 including accommodations and delicious vegetarian meals.
Focus on reducing quantity so you can enjoy the quality food you encounter. Carbs aren’t that bad if you can minimise sugar and alcohol. Prioritise exercise every day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes of high intensity equipment-free exercises like burpees
“My predicament is particularly difficult because I am a travel blogger and therefore I feel compelled, in order to offer you a complete review, to actually try out all the food when I fly or stay in a hotel.
While I could theoretically order the food, photograph it, and then not eat it, I hate that as well: by principle I hate waste and I find throwing out food unconscionable (unless it is pastrami sandwiches on American Airlines).”
Yes, of course, eat SOME of it after photographing. But if you aren’t that hungry, you are doing nothing for people starving elsewhere by eating it all. “Better go to waste than to the waist” used to be a Weight Watchers saying. A few bites of something will tell you all you need to know. Especially with deserts.
Also, studies show starting a meal with a non-creamed based soup or a salad helps people take in less calories for the whole meal. If you watch the portions, you should be able to eat all you want while staying healthy.
Good luck!