I’ve been traveling for the past three weeks due to many family commitments and transitions. Both my parents and in-laws moved and my kids are doing softball tournaments on the weekends. This is both an exciting and busy time in my life, but it led me to discuss that managing a healthy lifestyle has many obstacles, especially when you are away from home. For some, it’s access to the same quality and reliable purchases like organic and seasonal foods, and for others it may be the routine of drinking enough liquids throughout the day, interacting with the same exercise equipment, as well as getting those “steps” in with the consistent life pattern you’ve been working on. For me, it’s been all that has been mentioned and more (this may or may not include the bed, pillows, lighting, temperature of my “just right” bedroom ...channeling Goldilocks here).
As I tell all my clients, friends, and family, trying to maintain the healthy lifestyle you’ve so beautifully created, you can still do this while on the road. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and let me tell you, it is possible and there is grace to the inevitability of change. For this article, we will be focusing on diets, because hey, we all eat and it can be healthy wherever you go, you may just need to do some pre-planning (wink) !
My first few questions are:
What is your goal while you travel?
What do you need that you can’t get where you are going?
How long are you traveling?
These answers can impact how to manage your travel best. If it is just for one day or night, maybe taking a small cooler or researching how to best support your diet is all you need. If it is longer, maybe a bigger cooler to store your food items, knowing which grocery stores will be available, and some emergency items as well as a printout of any food allergies, substitutions, and/or guides to support a restaurant can help you (and the kitchen) for ensuring a safe meal.
1 - Healthy Diet – Proper Food Storage
My favorite cooler, if it’s in your budget, is a Yeti. These coolers are pricey for a reason, but let me tell you, they keep things COLD for so long without much to worry about. After years of stressing about food being in the unsafe zone for breeding bacteria, the Yeti is top notch for keeping ice frozen and lasting for days. But, there are so many other coolers, in fact, Stanley just released a pretty sweet backpack style cooler perfect for a quick trip and with its fun colors, this may be just right for you. Just make sure you have some good ice packs, keep the cooler closed when not in use, and if you can, put a thermometer inside the cooler to make sure your precious foods aren’t in the danger zone. Danger zone is above 40 degrees F - 140 degree F, food kept during this temperature range for more than 4 hours should be thrown out.
2 - Healthy Diet – Premade Foods
This is hard to do when you are getting ready for your trip, making enough food and snacks to get you through your trip while you are packing clothes, undergarments, bathroom essentials, and all those fancy charging cords that goes with everything. Forgetting the simplest thing is a common occurrence, so adding the additional step of packing food can be quite burdensome. BUT, this is crucial in a successful path to maintain your healthy lifestyle (and decrease any chance of gut issues). I often hit the grocery store the day of, if time allows, or day before to grab the freshest possible produce. My go-to items are apples, berries, celery, carrots, gluten-free bread, a jar of peanut butter (I love natural peanut butter such as Adam’s, and fill up a smaller mason jar with nut butter for the trip. Sometimes I add honey to the mix for a quick PB + honey spread), salad (fill up mason jar with toppings of salad on bottom and the lighter items like lettuce on top), marinades (small mason jar filled with salad dressings, mix of vinegars + spices for any meats, etc.), spreads (dairy-free Queso, cream cheese), yogurts, and granola. I even add some jars filled with chai tea, dairy-free milks, and even some adult beverages.
3 - Healthy Diet – Emergency Snacks
These are amazing to have on hand regularly, but when you travel it’s rare to find some “healthy” snacks at gas stations. My favorite emergency snacks that my family and I can tolerate are usually ones I make. Sometimes I fill yogurt into my own squeezable containers. But I like to make snacks pre portioned for ease of use especially as we travel. These include using jars, bento style containers, reusable silicon style bags, but find what works best for you. I will always try to focus on sustainable options and limit my plastics, but I get it. Please do what you can for Mother Earth, we only have one home so let’s try to protect her and your grand-babies home!
Some ideas include: power cookies, trail mix, bars, applesauce, all beef meat sticks (organic, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc.), kombucha, and so forth. Also, get out your stainless steel type water bottle and fill those up with filtered water, and/or ask your local barista to use these instead of their single use containers. You’ll enjoy the beverages longer as they keep the liquid either cold or hot for hours vs less than an hour and you’ll have less waste, further protecting the planet.
4 - Healthy Diet – Grocery Stores
This is going to be super helpful when you run out of food or couldn’t bring food. Research what grocery stores are available in your destination and if they carry your go-to items. Most grocery stores these days have a natural section and try to focus on shopping on the outside of the grocery stores…this area is where you will find unprocessed or minimally processed foods like produce. If you do need more “grab and go” foods such as chips, bars, breads, etc., check that nutritional label and find ingredients that fit your goals, such as less than 5-10 ingredients, ingredients that you know exactly what they are, etc.
5 - Healthy Diet – Diet Printout Guide
For some of my clients, I make these guides to easily hand to the kitchen/chef/school/parent of the person needing a stricter diet guide. I want to make whatever your diet goal and/or need is…right . Being right though, isn’t necessarily easy. That being said, a diet printout or guide can be the perfect solution for when you find yourself dining out. More and more restaurants are providing options such as dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and even vegan. Some dining out experiences can be as simple as “no onions,” (thinking a low FODMAP trigger food) where others will have a much more detailed list of foods to avoid and the kitchen will need to check their recipe book to ensure you don’t have a problem with the meal. Years ago, I worked with the Celiac’s Center in Seattle and talked with them about a restaurant food card to better support those avoiding gluten. Now, I make my own and update it as needed, link here to get yours if you need one, and you can laminate it and put it in your wallet for years to come.
6 - Healthy Diet – BONUS TIP, Pack a Probiotic
Because hey, I love a little extra to help you out…pack a bottle of probiotics, especially one that contains S. Boulardii. There has been so much lovely research done on travelers diarrhea and this specific strain of probiotics helps decrease your chance of getting something while traveling. Quick pro tip, take it for 3 days BEFORE your trip and everyday DURING your travels to help maintain a healthy gut and beat your odds of a nasty bug. This is my favorite one!
With these tips, you are on your way to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling. It does take some extra steps, but trust me, it is well worth it in the long-run. You’ll not only continue your goals away from home, but you may even inspire others to start living a healthy lifestyle. Plus, you should notice that your gut is receiving the consistent nutrients without shocking your system and making you uncomfortable during your adventures…this may make your travel not just enjoyable but full of smiles and potentially regular bowel movements. If you need additional help, tips, and other services to make your diet fit your goals, please reach out to me. I’d love to help you reach your goals.
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