Nutrition Tips for Travel

The bulk of the nation is in the midst of travel or inundated with lots of dietary challenges with all the holiday parties, events with big dinners, and year-end celebrations as we ramp up for 2019. Historically this is the season that is busiest for me, and I don't have as much time to cook.

Although this week's article is about how to eat when on the move, it's also useful for people who are just too busy to meal prep. Nutrition is one of the largest factors in your overall health and wellness, so to toss that out the window because you have a lot going on or are traveling makes settling into your usual routine a nightmare once things calm down. So let's get to it: ways to mitigate the damage to your hard work.

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

The actual transportation portion of your trip is the first place you have an opportunity to take responsibility for your own success. Here are some things you can do while in transit:

• Take your own food and healthy snacks whenever possible so that you don't rely on convenience eating on the road. I usually keep some snacks in my car so if I get hungry I can tide myself over until I get to my destination. If your food needs to be kept cool, be sure to take a cooler or cooler bag. Check out this article which lists healthy snack ideas for plane rides and this article for forming balanced diets out of gas station foods.
• Pack -- and DRINK -- water. When on the go we commonly do not drink as much, and this is crucial to keeping your system running optimally. If on a long flight, pack an empty drink bottle and once you are on board, ask the flight attendant to fill it for you. Planes in particular are very dry (10-15% humidity) and moisture is drained from you. For more about hydration check out my prior blog post about the ins and outs of hydration. 
• Avoid alcohol, soda, tea and coffee while in transit as these all dehydrate you.
• For long trips where a meal is served on your transport-of-choice, you can usually request a special meal for the ride -- just give the airline a call about a week before your trip to arrange.
• Long hours of travel upset your digestive system. Be sure to drink plenty of water and eat fiber-rich foods to minimize the tummy trouble.
• Here are some tips for overcoming jet lag:
  • Before departing, consume a high-carb meal to build extra glycogen and fluid stores.
  • Drink one cup (8 oz) of water for every hour of air travel.
  • Upon arrival, go out into the sunlight to help adjust to the new time zone.
  • Some of the previously-mentioned tips apply here too: limit coffee, tea, soda and alcohol and pack healthy snacks for the trip.

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I'M HERE. NOW WHAT?

The next thing to consider is what happens when you get where you're going. While many will be eating home-cooked meals at least on the holidays themselves and it's hard to tell Grandma that you don't want three helpings, those who love us care about our well-being and we need to think in terms of the long con rather than short-term satisfaction.

• Be mindful of your portions as when we are traveling we are usually not as active, especially around the holidays when we're primarily visiting with friends and family (i.e., sitting around talking). You may need to eat less depending on your level of activity on your trip versus when you are at home. Forced inactivity or boredom on your journey often leads to overeating -- before digging in, ask yourself whether you are actually hungry or wanting to eat because you're not doing anything else. Try drinking a glass of water and waiting 10-15 minutes. Traveling from warmer climates to colder ones may make you feel like you need to eat more as well -- just be aware of the environment change and how that may impact your sensations of hunger.
• Limit caffeine consumption as this will affect your already disrupted sleeping patterns.
• Limit alcohol consumption as it is empty calories which dehydrate you.
• Know your destination. Will you be required to eat out often, and if so what restaurants are you likely to go to? Do some research -- check out articles like this one which lists the healthiest options available at 40 popular restaurants, and this one which lists tips about how to order healthy while eating out.
• If eating at a buffet:
  • Avoid overeating by looking at all of the options first before putting anything on your plate.
  • Eat like you would at home: one meal, following the same serving sizes you would normally have.
  • Once you finish, leave if you can so you don't eat out of boredom.
  • Limit high fat items (such as anything fried, crispy, creamy, or buttery). Opt for baked, broiled, steamed, poached or in tomato sauce.
• Prepare your own foods and snacks as much as possible. Many hotels have mini-fridges, coffee makers and microwaves; some even have cooking facilities and dishes in your room.
  • Try to shop for food along the outer perimeter of the supermarket (the center is where all the processed stuff is) and prepare as much fresh, whole food as you can for yourself. Personally I am a fan of frozen steamer bags of veggies as a good starting point -- just be aware that any sauces that are included in some of the "meal in a bag" steamers are high in sodium. Read your nutrition facts and ingredient lists.
  • Pack utensils, containers to store leftovers, spices, TSA-approved BYO condiment packets, can opener, napkins and Zip-lock bags in your check-in bag or purchase some disposable stuff from the grocer. 
  • Once at your destination, think like a squirrel and stash snacks in your purse or pockets or bring a lunchbox with you. 
• Here are some snack ideas and cooking-in-a-hotel-room resources:
  • This article lists healthy snack ideas for travel.
  • This article has a lot of ideas for ways to cook in a hotel room.
  • This article has some great breakfast ideas for hotel room cooking.
  • This article lists several recipes for meals you can make with limited resources, again in your hotel.