Travel Eating

Deep Fried Snapper: Freeport, Bahamas

Travelling can make healthy eating challenging. A big part of the travel experience involves enjoying the local cuisine. It is important that you take the opportunity, while traveling, to try new  and treat yourself once in a while. At the same time, keep the portion sizes under control, and engage in as much physical activity as possible. Walk! Take in the sights and sounds on foot, explore, and have fun!  Below are some tips that to help you to maintain, and even lose, body-fat while travelling:

Where to stay:

            Whenever possible, try to stay in a hotel, condo, etc. that has a refrigerator, and, if possible, a kitchen. From personal experience, I find that renting a condo or apartment lends itself to having a more “authentic” travel experience. Before you travel, look up the closest grocery store and try to get yourself the necessary items on day #1 of your trip. If you’re feeling so ambitious, you can even have the cab driver stop at a grocery store on the way from the airport to save yourself and extra trip.

In addition to buying healthy groceries, here are some ideas of some foods to pack with you:

Snacks:

Almonds

-          put almonds in baggies and bring them along for snacks. 15 almonds is a good serving size for a quick snack

Low- Carb Protein bars

-          Detour and Supreme protein bars provide a nice serving of protein, and some great flavours, without going overboard on the sugars

Premade pitas

-          If you can find a whole grain pita at a grocery store where you’re travelling (30g of carbs or less) such as Byblos bakery pitas from Safeway, you can stuff it with low-fat deli meat, prebagged salad and low-calorie condiments. Obviously, these will only keep for a day, but they will certainly carry less carbs, less fat, and more protein than 99% of the snadwhiches you’ll buy on the road

Veggies

-          Again, these will only keep for a day or so, but broccoli and cauliflower stems, and celery and carrot sticks, along with a low-calorie dressing will help to give you some good alakaline nutritious food

Fruit – Apples tend to travel well for a day or so

Flavoured Tuna

-          You can purchase these at most major grocery stores. They come in small cans, and in a variety of flavours, and don’t require a can opener. Breath alert, bring some gum to avoid offending people after you eat these

Protein Powder

– bring along a zip-lock bag with whey protein powder in it. You can add the protein to milk, water, or low calorie juice for a quick dose of lean protein

Tips for Eating out:               

Breakfast

-          whenever possible, try to get an egg-white omelette

-          Other good options include oatmeal, and fruit bowls

-          Try to avoid/minimize the starchy breakfast items such as pancakes, toast (any more than one slice), hash-browns….you know, all the stuff that tastes good J

-          Skip the sausages/bacon and go for the ham

-          Steak and eggs is a good, high-protein low carbohydrate option too

Lunch/ Dinner

-          Salads with grilled chicken, steak, or seafood are good options, provided that you can get a low-fat dressing on the side. The standard serving size of the dressing container is usually double what you should actually have on your salad, so when you get your dressing, try to pour half of it (or less) sparingly. Vinagrette options are always good

-          Steak, seafood or grilled chicken with steamed veggies on the side is a great option. Don’t be afraid to ask for steamed veggies or grilled chicken and don’t be shy to ask that they don’t butter your steak

-          Try to avoid fried foods and starchy foods such as potatoes, pasta, and rice

-          Skip the bread! Many restaurants will supply you with all the bread you can eat before a meal. If you’re like most people, by the time the meal arrives, you’ve probably already eaten enough bread to spike your insulin levels and signal fat storage…all before your main dish has even arrived! Yikes!

-          If you must have desert, try to share it with one or more people who don’t have a mouth disease. If you are full from you’re meal, don’t eat desert!

Having a “night out on the town” ?

-          Try to avoid beer and wine. If you’re looking to “tie one on” try to stick to low-carbohydrate high balls. Any hard alcohol mixed with a diet pop, water with a slice of lemon or lime, or soda water will save you a huge ammount of calories

-          When you do have an alcoholic drink, try to match every drink with a glass of water

-          If you’re ordering appetizers, try to stick to the meaty type options such as chicken wings, steak strips, dry ribs, shrimp, etc.

-          Try to avoid nachos, cheesy dips, dumplings, spring rolls, bruschetta, etc.

-          Eat a healthy breakfast the morning after! Oatmeal and scrambled eggs/whites is a good choice. Don’t let a party night spill over to into a junk food frenzy the next day

A few words on the all-inclusive resorts:

-          People can gain as much as a pound per day at an all-inclusive resort due to overeating and overdrinking

-          Just because these resorts are labeled as all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink doesn’t mean you have to actually try and fill your gullet will as much as you possibly can

Alcohol

-          Again, try to stick to the hard alcohol combined with a low-calorie mix such as diet pop, water with lime, soda water, etc.

-          A couple of glasses of beer or wine won’t make or break you, but getting intoxicated on these drinks even once or twice can lead to weight gain

-          AVOID the slushy drinks such as daquiris and pina coladas. Even though they taste delicious, they pack as much as 300-400 calories per drink, most of the calories coming in the form of pure un-adulterated sugar

Buffet:

-          Keep the starchy and deep fried foods to a minimum

-          Stick to the protein items (beef, chicken, fish), veggies, an fruit

-          Protein items and veggies should take up the majority of your plate, starchy foods should only cover 1/3 or less of your plate

-          Eat your protein and veggie servings first, before eating the starchy foods

-          Avoid the bread/ dinner rolls: One roll max per meal

-          You don’t have to try every desert. You want to, but you don’t have to! Considering SHARING a desert each night, and remember if you’re full, don’t eat desert!

Conclusion:

            As long as you keep your activity level high and your portion sizes under control, you will be able to come back from your travels without having gained a pound!

If you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me!

Kristian Leach

info@innerimagept.com