One of the most common challenges people face when changing their lifestyle is maintaining healthy habits while they’re on the road. It can be very overwhelming to try to figure out how to stay on track when you’re out of your element. I travel a lot for work (again, finally!) and I’m here to help with some of my go-to travel tips.
Here are my top 10 tips for staying on track while traveling:
1. Invest in a travel scale: Weighing your food is the best way to ensure accuracy when tracking. A compact travel scale can take the guesswork out. Here’s the food scale I use for traveling: Joseph Joseph Compact Folding Digital Scale (this is also our team's favourite!)
2. Pick a hotel or AirBnB with a kitchen: Self explanatory. This tip makes it possible for you to have more control over your meals. If you’re in charge of your own cooking, you know exactly what is going into each bite.
3. Pack some macro staples: Taking some simple macro staples along with you will help you fill any gaps you encounter. Save some room in your bag for items like protein bars, protein powder and a shaker cup, individual packets of nut butter, rice cakes, quick oats... these require very little (or no) effort to prep on the go. I usually pack tupperware of some sort and bamboo cutlery in case I find myself in a pinch with dishes. I’ve made oatmeal in coffee cups too many times to count!
4. Plan ahead: Have a plan for your itinerary. Look at what options you have near where you are staying. Check out restaurant menus ahead of time if you plan on eating meals out. You don’t have to plan out your whole trip, but at least knowing what your next day will look like will give you peace of mind.
5. Shop at the grocery store instead of going out to restaurants: Much like tip number 2, this tip helps ensure you know exactly what you are consuming. Restaurants tend to use more oil than we might at home, and pre-mixed menu items are nearly impossible to track accurately. This can be stressful, so remove the stress and cook for yourself.
6. Keep it simple: Don’t overthink it. When I’m on the road, I buy items like ready rice and frozen veggie steamer bags. A few minutes of microwave time and I have rice and steamed veggies. If you’re a meat eater, swing by the grocery store deli and pick up chicken that is already roasted. It’s not fancy, but you’ll feel accomplished when you prioritize your goals.
7. Don’t stray too far from your normal routine: If you eat oatmeal for breakfast while you’re home...then eat oatmeal for breakfast while you’re on the road. Travel can already disrupt so many other things like sleep, digestion, stress, etc. If you maintain your normal habits while you’re traveling, you will be less impacted by these other disruptions.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make requests at restaurants: I still find this hard to do, but if you’re at a restaurant, don’t be afraid to make requests. If you don’t want cheese, ask for no cheese. If you want dressing on the side, ask for dressing on the side. If you want something grilled instead of fried, ask for it. It never hurts to ask. You might feel like you’re being needy or demanding, but you’re not. You are worthy of achieving your goals and you are allowed to make requests.
9. Be willing to adapt: Inevitably, the grocery store you visit won’t have something you planned on picking up. These things happen. Do your best to find a suitable alternative. Maybe all the bananas look like garbage and you find medjool dates instead. No big deal. We roll with the punches.
10. When in doubt, don’t panic: If all else seemingly fails, focus on hitting your protein target and staying within your daily caloric goal. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to get it all 100% across the board if you’re out of your normal routine. These two smaller (but very important) targets can simplify the process and help keep you progressing toward your goals.
For more posts like this, check out the full blog (search under the nutrition tab) or view all the free downloadable Cheat Sheets too.
If you want to fine-tune your nutrition and take it to the next level, our team at CFL Coaching is here to help you. See our program details, meet our coaches and submit your inquiry form at courtneyforlife.com/coaching