How do you avoid junk food when you travel?

Just run around the supermarket, instead of McDonalds or other fast food chains.

What I usually do, is that I bring a plastic bowl and a fork and then just go to the supermarket to buy a bag of washed lettuce or other greens, a tin of tuna, salmon or lean meat, some chickpeas or beans and maybe some microwaveable pasta or rice.
I just mix this up in the bowl to make a big salad for dinner. Use the oil from the tin of tuna or salmon as a dressing. Add a little pot of yogurt for dessert and you have a full on meal.

You can actually make a surprising amount of varieties with this.


If you don't want a full on meal, you could also take some muesli or oats in a bag with you and just buy a small pot of yogurt at the supermarket.

Peanuts, beef jerky, and dry chicken sandwiches (or with mustard) at fast food joints.

steak.
it lets you feel full. lol

if you dont eat a huge serving of potatos with it, its not too bad.... instead of the fries, order the veggies, salad, etc. and if you get a second one, get the sautaeed onions or mushrooms.

you will feel full a good while after, it has the fat in there to feel good now, and the protien to remain full later.. as long as you dont eat all the carbs that normally come with it, its not too bad on calories.. not low calorie by anymeans, but you can keep it average.

If you are on a road trip, I'd pack a cooler for while you're on the road. Nuts, cheese, maybe some granola, peanut butter and some low carb bread. If you're flying...I'd go for the kids' menu at fast food restaurants. Skip the mayo though. I always do taco bell. Chicken soft tacos and the regular tacos are decent choices. Some restaurants offer a healthy breakfast..subway has a really good avocado, cheese and egg breakfast sandwich. Hope this helps.

My husband is a musician and so I get what you are saying. He is also a chef and generally eats healthy, well balanced meals.. but after a gig- his body craves JUNK!!! He would eat spaghettios... boxed mac and cheese, greasy burgers... anything fattening and filling....... but he probably burned 1000 calories playing too (drummer for latin band)

chances are you sweat your butt off loading in, playing, and loading out- so I think the cravings for prepared foods is really the sodium content.. not the actual food......

I would personally give in to the craving in a small way.. eat a frigging fast food cheeseburger.. then eat something healthy too.. and lotsa water. and see how that satiates you......

Thats a great question. its a killer travelling on roads that have only garages or takeaway food. Some garage shops seem to have absolutely nothing healthy. Same with some airports.

The advice about bringing your own food, or stocking up in a supermarket seems good esp the cooler.

Also, be a bit nice to yourself. Someone told me that you should eat smallish meals every 4 hours (say up to 400 cals). When we travel we can go 7 or 8 hours without food and its no wonder we ll eat the first thing we see then. Its not cravings it just starvation, and big blood sugar drops. Its easier to control that by eating more regularly.

So, if you are up for 24 hours, then 6 meals is not unreasonable, esp as you say with the heavy lifting.

Also, if you are going for 'burgers' it might be just a protein craving. Maybe some cold meats in the cooler, or cheese, or (very un-rock and roll) some bean salads. (or sometimes just the burger without the bland burger buns).

I feel your pain. I travel short distances and back to England with my fella, and I often fall foul to the 'treats' of travelling, like chocolate, crisps and late night fizzy drinks. Having something else on hand to snack on helps. And the bottles of water...