Eating healthy on the go - how to eat healthily no matter how far you travel

Perhaps you can relate: You eat a healthy diet at home and always pack a nutritious lunch for work that supports you in achieving your goals. However, when you’re on the road and hunger strikes, you grab whatever is convenient. Burgers, pizza, and greasy fries, etc. are fast and once you are already hungry, difficult to resist. In this article, we will help you with appropriate tips & tricks to stay true to your healthy lifestyle while on the road and show you how easy healthy eating when traveling can be.

To be prepared for all possible situations, always have a few healthy snacks with you for short trips and breaks: small packages of nuts and seeds, vegetable sticks or fruit. Protein-rich alternatives such as beef jerky, a boiled egg, or paleo bread made from nuts and seeds are also good alternatives. Try paleo bread with sliced avocado or tomatoes for a delicious, filling sandwich. Other good options are dried fruit bar and energy balls, made from oats or dates and other healthful ingredients without additives.

Check out our top 10 list of the healthiest weight loss foods and the Upfit snack recipes to get more inspiration for healthy eating on the go.

If you are traveling for longer periods, meal prep may be the most suitable solution. Meal prep involves you pre-cooking larger quantities of a recipe and then packing them, or even freezing them if you have the opportunity. So you can easily take the meals with you on the road and save a lot of time. How about, for example, a low carb cottage cheese snack with radishes? Or a vegan, green banana power smoothie? When designing your food for on the road, there are no limits: creativity and experimentation are absolutely welcome. Our article on Meal prep provides you with inspiration and the best tips & tricks for structured meal prep—so you never have to resort to fast foods or processed snacks again.

It is important to always have enough water or unsweetened tea with you on the road. In addition to filling your stomach, water also has a direct effect on your ability to concentrate. Avoid sugary drinks, sweetened drinks, and alcoholic drinks that give you empty calories and increase your hunger and food cravings. Our drinks guide will tell you which drinks are best suited for the trip.

Boredom should be avoided, especially when traveling since many people simply eat out of boredom. Our 11 tips for eating healthily or our motivational guide are helpful here and loaded with valuable information.

A lot of people chew gum on the road. For many, the feeling of having something between their teeth seems to relieve hunger, but in reality, the opposite is the case. The constant chewing makes your body produce enzymes because it expects nutrients to enter your stomach. If these expected nutrients do not enter your stomach, your body increases the craving signals for these nutrients which results in increased feelings of hunger. (Tip: You can easily determine your optimal nutrient requirement with our BMI calculator.)

If you are traveling by train or flying for a long time, you should get up regularly to avoid sitting too long in one go. Sitting can be very unhealthy in the long run and also prevents fat burning after a short time. If you are traveling by car, you should plan regular breaks at rest areas and deliberately move around a lot.

Combined with fresh air, the movement helps to get your circulation going again. Many people are reluctant to take breaks because they think they are wasting too much time. But taking a moment to rest and regenerate is always worth it: it will actually increase your productivity and you feel much fresher and fitter at the end of the day.

If you didn’t have time to prepare yourself healthy meals or snacks beforehand you should resort to the healthiest and cheapest foods that you can find at rest stops, train stations, or airports. Your first step is to buy enough water to stay properly hydrated. When looking for a meal on the road, it is important to choose something as healthy as possible. A larger selection of natural, healthy products is widely available nowadays and you are likely to find nutritious snacks (e.g. vegetarian wraps, yogurt, fruit or oatmeal) in most shops. But be careful: nasty fat and sugar traps are often hidden in the most unlikely foods. Many products that appear healthy are actually not healthy at all.

So if you have not prepared anything at home and must buy food on the road, look for the “lesser evil” and pay attention to the ingredients. You can request this from the seller, for example, or research it on the Internet. Salads, breads, or small meals with nuts and seeds, cheese, poultry, meat or fish are generally a safe choice. If there are truly no healthy options available, you can spare your calorie balance in a fast food restaurant with little tricks. For example, remove the bun from your burger and try to eat as much salad and meat as possible. Instead of the fries as a side dish, you can order a second burger and use the same method.

When flying, it is usually a little more difficult to eat healthily because the menu is limited. If you can make a selection, choose the meal that contains the most healthy ingredients. You should also exercise a lot of discipline here and do without the high-sugar yogurts, cakes and chocolate bars that come as side dishes with your airplane meal. When in doubt, you can skip the plane food entirely and pack your own meals and snacks in advance.

The next time you’re planning a big trip or you are on the road and you begin thinking about indulging in something unhealthy— remember these little tips. you’ll find that eating healthily on the go is easier than you thought. Do you like our recipes and want to eat healthily at home without stress always and forever? Then let our nutrition experts create a nutrition plan for you to lose weight, eat healthily, build muscle, or define your body. The individual plans include clear shopping lists, pre-planned dishes in the right portion sizes, snacks, and all your diet preferences. Let our sample plan convince you and start today for free.