Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 10:44 pm
It’s no secret – enjoying great food is a big part of the travel experience! Making healthy choices can be a challenge. But eating healthy when you travel is an imperative part of feeling good and enjoying your trip. From healthy snacks to making good restaurant choices, here are ten easy tips to help you eat healthy on your next trip!
Eating Healthy While Traveling
You can eat healthy and still enjoy fabulous food while on vacation. It’s not rocket science, but it does take a little planning and (in my case) a little willpower, too! Follow these tips to eat healthy while traveling, to help maintain balance, reduce stress, and ensure you don’t come home feeling like you’ve gained 10 pounds!
1. Book a Room with a Kitchen
Or at the very least, a room with a mini-fridge! Having a hotel or vacation rental with a fridge makes it easy to keep healthy choices on hand to keep what you and your family eats in check. Which leads us to Tip #2.
2. Eating Healthy While Traveling Made Easy
When you reach your destination, make your first stop the grocery store or arrange to have fresh food delivered. (Check out Instacart or AmazonFresh.) Not only will you be able have healthy foods in your room for easy access, but you’ll also save money by making your own breakfast, lunch and/or snacks.
Some good healthy options to keep in your room are:
- Fresh fruit
- Bottled water
- Cut-up vegetables
- Hummus
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal and cereal
- Lunch meats
- Milk
3. Start the Day with a Healthy Breakfast
Always make sure your family has a healthy, nourishing breakfast. Breakfast is the most predictable meal, and you will likely have the most control over what you eat in the morning. This is where that fridge comes in handy. Once you are out and about, it’s harder to find healthy breakfast options.
If you choose a hotel with free a continental breakfast, focus on having a good high- protein breakfast to help balance your blood sugar throughout the day. Also choose fresh fruit or yogurt over sugary carbs.
4. Choose Restaurants Wisely
I get it. You’re going to eat out. No need to order the salad with grilled chicken and fat free dressing every time, but there easy are ways to make healthy choices. Avoid fast food restaurants and opt for semi-fast places instead.
Panera and Chipotle are two where I can always find a delicious healthy meal. If you are going to a full-service restaurant, explore menus online first to ensure there are good choices.
The Cheesecake Factory has an amazing Skinnylicious menu that I would happily order from any day of the week. At other restaurants, order what you like but don’t be afraid to ask them to grill it instead of frying, or hold the sauce and butter.
5. Stay Hydrated While Traveling
When you travel, drink plenty of fluids! It is important to stay hydrated, especially on hot days when you are spending a lot of time outside. Choose water over soda or alcohol whenever you can.
Bring your own insulated mug or water bottle to use throughout your trip. This will eliminate the cost (and waste) of plastic water bottles and cups that can add up while traveling. If you’re flying, take an empty your water bottle with you and then fill it up after going through security.
6. Choose Wisely at the Buffet
Just like at a regular restaurant, buffets don’t have to be your downfall. You can eat healthy while traveling if you avoid buffet items that are fried, drowning in sauce, or heavy in carbs. Make a beeline to protein-packed items instead. Salad bars as great places to fill your plate with veggies, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses.
Even if you’re headed to Las Vegas – the buffet capital of the world – you can stay on track if you stick to certain areas of the buffet. One that tends to have healthy options are the international food stations, where there may be a chef cooking stir-fry to order. Get lots of vegetables and ask the chef to go easy on the oil. You can also typically find steamed vegetables and a carving station. Opt for sliced turkey or lean roast beef and go easy on the gravy, which is often loaded with salt.
Oh, and one trip only to the dessert bar, please.
If you are staying at a hotel with a complimentary continental breakfast or buffet, be sure to choose a healthy hotel breakfast.
7. Allow Yourself One Treat a Day
Sometimes food is the highlight of your trip. You are allowed to try new things, cheat on your diet. But going nuts at breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between will leave you feeling like crap. So make a commitment to stick with choosing one high-calorie item a day – like ice cream from that local creamery or a churro at Disneyland – and treat yourself.
8. Stick to a Schedule
When you travel, it’s not uncommon to get so caught up with the fun activities you forget to stop for a meal, and then then everyone is so hungry they stuff themselves silly with whatever food they can lay their hands on first.
Don’t do that. Plan your meal times and stick to the schedule. That way, you can avoid the urge to have a pizza delivered to your hotel room at ten o’clock at night.
9. Have Snacks, Will Travel
Carry healthy snacks with you during the day so nobody gets overly hungry or experiences low blood sugar. This will also help prevent overeating at meals.
10. Exercise!
Make sure you move every day. It’s easy to forget your workout routine when you are on vacation. So whether it’s doing yoga on the beach, riding bikes, using your hotel’s fitness center or just logging miles around a theme park, make sure you get that workout.
If you balance fitness and your food, there is no reason you can’t literally have your cake and eat it too!
► Planning to take a cruise? Read these Tips for Eating Healthy on a Cruise.
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Mick says
This is great, I’m awful at eating well as its so tempting to just try everything! Have stocked up on almonds for my bag to sate those snack pangs tho 🙂
sam says
this is something i really struggle with travelling or not! i guess once you get into a routine its easier!
Jennifer says
Thanks for the tips. It’s hard enough to find the right foods for oneself when out and about, well alone travelling. Your post reminded me of the time we were in L.A. We had bought a big bottle of water to use to fill our water bottles. And, we dropped it in the shopping centre. So, whilst one of us guarded it to warn others about the mess. The other found a cleaner to clean it up.
Rachel Newlon says
This is a great article! I am so bad at the exercise and hydration part. I go with good intentions, but they always seem to get away from me!
Valerie Linhoff says
Good tips. I always try to book a place with a kitchen. It just makes it easier to eat healthier without breaking the travel budget. And the “staying hydrated” part while on travel can’t be emphasized enough…. It’s a crucial thing to keep you healthy while on travel and when you get home.
Breanne says
Thank you for the tips. I use the My Fitness Pal app and like to add all the food that I plan on eating for the day, into the app in the morning. That helps me not grab that extra cookie or drink throughout the day because now I know the nutritional value. I think you are right, staying hydrated is key.
LISA HANSON says
Thanks for the mindful advice, always a challenge but so worthwhile to stick to your list! Thanks for taking the time to put it in writing.
Geet says
I’d love to do simple research on restaurant around travel destination before go travelling. It helps me to get the best & healthy food whule travelling somewhere. Thank you for great tips!