Eating Healthy while Traveling for Work

PoisonDartFrog

I have to travel for my job (much less now than previously), but I am still traveling about once a month and am gone for 3 days. Does anyone else travel for work? If so, how do you keep your calories down when you have to eat 3 meals a day out? At home, I know what goes into my food.

Also, this week I will be traveling with about 10 people and will not get to just decide when/where to eat.

maracuya23

Can you travel with a cooler and bring your own foods for breakfast and lunch? Or get some healthy options and keep them in a fridge where you're staying? If so: hummus, baby carrots, string cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, berries.

My defaults when eating out: omelettes with as many veggies as possible, yogurt, fruit salad.

Lunch/ dinner: salad or non-cream based soups, grilled/ broiled fish, chicken, shrimp. Extra veggies instead of fries. Usually, there is something decent on most menus, or something good can be assembled at a salad bar.

1two3four

Also, if traveling with the cooler is not an option, can you at least squeeze in some grocery shopping and stock a mini fridge in your room? For snacks and breakfast. I don't travel for work, just pleasure and that's what I'd do.

If that's completely out just do what the poster above me said and make the best possible choices on the menu or at the salad bar. It will be hard and you won't know exactly what you're eating but you'll be doing the best that you can in the situation and sometimes that's all you can do. Maybe add in some (extra) exercise in there. Good luck! I'm interested in what others have to say.

thistimewillbedifferent

I travel (both for work and for fun) all the time. You've already gotten some great suggestions. In addition, I suggest bringing lots of healthy snacks with you: pre-portioned servings of nuts and dried fruit, high protein/fiber bars, portable fruit like tangerines which don't require refrigeration or silverware, tuna pouches and whole grain crackers (in which case don't forget the plastic forks) etc. Most places (including the airplanes) have hot water, so I also bring dried oatmeal packets and dried soups (the kind where you just add the water directly to the container -- just watch the sodium, as some brands are worse than others). Almost any bfast buffet will have hard-boiled eggs and fruit; almost any resto (including fast food ones) will have some sort of salad (just be sure to get dressing on the side) and/or some sort of lean protein. Even if your only option is a burger place, you can do things like eat it without the bun, skip the cheese, or cut it in half and then stop. There are also lots of good workouts you can find online which can be done in a hotel room to help offset any extra calories you're taking in. I personally travel with a small, over-the-shoulder insulated cooler bag as my carry-on bag. It greatly widens the type of food I can bring with me, and it's great in a hotel when you don't have a small fridge in your room -- you just need to fill some ziploc bags (which you can bring with you) with ice from the ice machine to keep it cold the whole time you're there. Good luck and bon voyage!