Many of us tend to loosen our grip on healthy and timely eating when we are out travelling. But dieticians say that it is important to keep a watch on what you eat and how you eat even when you are away from home.
Here are some travel-healthy eating tips straight from the experts in-house. Read on to see what they have to say:
1) Chart Your Meal Before Heading Out
Not sure if you’ll be able to maintain a healthy diet once you’re out. Why not plan your meals? Before heading out, look up the web or open a common food app to see what restaurants at your destination offer some healthy and nutritious food options.
By doing this you will be able to plan a full-proof trip that has even your food taken care of. You’ll simply know which restaurants to eat at and what food to pack for eating while you are still on your journey.
2) Stay True to the Routine
Do you follow the breakfast, lunch and dinner routine including an evening snack? If yes, don’t break it even when you are out of home ground. We tend to overeat or skip meals while we are out travelling for work, vacation or simply at family get-togethers.
However, dieticians warn against this. They recommend following the same eating routine that we would practice if we were at home as this will keep us from overconsumption or otherwise, and the consequent problems.
3) Watch out for the ‘Unhealthy’
When you arrive at a restaurant and you’re offered the menu, look out for words including breaded, batter-dipped, confit, fried or sautéed.
According to NYC Nutrition Health Coach Jessica Krauss, these words mean that your food was layered with breadcrumbs and then tossed in oil, butter or animal fat.
Rather, Krauss suggests that we look for words such as baked, boiled, grilled or steamed on the menu. “This guarantees a clean method of cooking, with the simple addition of little to no oil and some herbs or spices for flavoring,” she says.
4) Do the Asking
Dieticians suggest that we simply ask while considering what to eat. It always best to ask the waiter about details such as cooking methodology, quantity of ingredients and additions or substitutions.
By doing this, you’ll get the restaurant to understand that you’re looking for healthy food choices and prepare your meal accordingly.
5) Look at the Portion Size
Nowadays, when restaurants dish out food they tend to serve you a large quantity/portion. And you are left with the half-hearted feeling of eating what’s in front of you. Dieticians have solutions to that too.
1) Ask for a to-go box
2) Try out different varieties of dishes
3) Share your meal with friends at the table
Now you won’t have to overstuff!
6) Replace Chips With Vegetables
Out on a vacay and eating at a restaurant? Don’t go for the chips, instead order veggies. Order for a plate filled with carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes or similar items to team it with some guac, hummus or salsa.
The incentive? Vegetables provide the same crunch as a chip does but with added health benefits.
7) Keep a Water Bottle Handy
Many of us suffer from dehydration while on a trip and this leads to severe health consequences. Therefore, dieticians suggest that one must always carry a water bottle with them while travelling.
Keep a reusable water bottle along with your travel essentials and make sure to drink water before every meal. Airports also have water bottle refill stations so you can rely on them too.
It is important for travelers to remember that travelling to different altitudes and climates and compression on flights can quickly dehydrate you.
8) Carry Lemon on Your Travel
We are highly reliant on restaurant food when we are travelling. And restaurant meals are found to have extra sodium.
Food experts opine that you should add lemon to your glass of water to counter this effect. Lemon as a natural detoxifying agent that cleanses any food additives and eases digestion after a heavy restaurant meal.
Also, chips, pretzels, and salted peanuts are the ideal choice of food when we’re on a plane but too much of them (rich in sodium) may leave you feeling uncomfortable and gassy on your trip.
Pack unsalted nuts from home before you head-out to keep you full and avoid any unnecessary discomfort while travelling.
9) Arrive at Your Destination and Hunt for Healthy
Once you land your destination, head out of the airport to look for stores that offer healthy snacks.
Walk up to the closest grocery store or market to buy healthy snacks including dry and fresh fruit, trail mix and nutrition bars. What more? You can also add hummus, milk, yoghurt and whole-grain to this list.
Now that you have a ‘Healthy Travel-eating rulebook’, make sure to compare your travel essentials checklist with it. Also, watch out for our next blog on Dietician-Approved Snacks to Eat While Travelling.
Download Fitness AppMore Articles:
- How Much Water Should You Drink When You Exercise?
- The Difference Between Organic And Non Organic Foods
- Exercising But Not Seeing Results? Here’s Why!
