Stay Fit And Eat Healthy While Travelling

Staying healthy while on the road can be a real challenge – so what can you do?

Traveling can sabotage your eating and fitness habits very quickly. Your schedule is disrupted and you are often surrounded by convenient and unhealthy foods. Plus, you might find yourself saying “yes” to indulgences more because you are in “vacation mode.” While there is nothing wrong with treating yourself during your vacation, these treats can add up and cause you to pack on the pounds during your trip.

5 Tips For Staying Fit And Eating Healthy While Travelling:

Healthy Picnics
You don’t have to eat in a restaurant for every meal – especially since restaurant portions are usually huge. Instead, head to the local market or grocery store and pick up some simple fresh fruit and other healthy snacks so that you can have a small picnic.

Not only will it be fewer calories than eating in a restaurant, you can also have your picnic in a lovely park or near a landmark, so that you can soak up the local culture while you eat. Plus, you won’t have to waste time looking for a restaurant, sitting down and being served. Instead, you can be sightseeing, taking a short break wherever you are to eat your packed picnic lunch, and then carrying on.

Eat What’s in Season
No matter where you are visiting, one of the healthiest and freshest things that you will be able to eat is fruit and vegetables that are in season. This will vary depending on the time of year you are traveling and the area which you are visiting.

Ask the locals which fruits and vegetables are in season and are the freshest. Another advantage of this is that fresh produce in season is usually cheaper and will taste better as well.

Bring Snacks With You
Traveling from one place to another can be long and boring. If you are waiting in the airport or bus station and delays are making things take longer than they should, you can get hungry. Bad food choices happen when you are hungry and tired and only have unhealthy convenience food around you to eat. So, if you have your own snacks in your bag with you, you will be able to satisfy your hunger with something healthy instead. Some great ideas for healthy portable snacks include nuts, granola bars, dried fruit and fresh fruit that is portable – such as apples or oranges.

Cook Your Own Meals
Another great strategy is to book accommodation that comes with a kitchen, so that you can prepare your own healthy meals. This will not only save you money (as eating in restaurants can be expensive), but also allow you to prepare healthy meals that have much fewer calories and less salt than restaurant meals.

Having your own kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean staying in a suite or an Airbnb. If you are on a budget it could mean staying in a hostel, as many hostel-style accommodations have communal kitchens available for guest use. You could even get together several guests from the hostel to cook together, as this can be a great communal activity and a wonderful way to make new friends.

Indulge – Mindfully
You don’t want to be too strict with your diet when you are travelling. After all, part of the travel experience is to taste the food of other cultures. Make sure that you do taste a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia or some wonderful stick-to-your-ribs Cajun cuisine in New Orleans.

However, just make sure you do so mindfully. Choose a few foods that you really want to try and enjoy, then attempt to make your other meals as healthy as possible. Also, incorporate activities into your plan that will burn calories (such as taking a walking tour around the city) so that you can compensate for your indulgences.

With these tips, you will be able to stay healthy and fit – wherever you end up traveling.