The Travel BUG!
Mission Nutrition Blog - 28th June 2011
When it comes to eating well on the run, between plane journeys, hire cars and hotels – trust me – I know the challenges. It is quite normal for me to spend a lot of time on the road travelling for work, but this month and the next really take the challenge to the next level with 14 plane trips, 8 long car journeys, 10 nights away from home and over 40 meals eaten from a car or hotel room.
I absolutely love my job, I love the workshops that I run and speaking all over the place, but for me to be a representative of health and wellbeing, I believe it is critical for me to live what I preach and… I absolutely do. Eating well when you are out of routine does require a bit of forward thinking and commitment to looking after yourself, but it is so completely and utterly worth it. There are a million different reasons why you might think it is too hard to eat well when you are out and about, when other people are offering you beers, wine and desserts left, right and centre, but the truth is, it comes down to what you really want – if you are truly passionate about living a healthy life and jumping out of bed every day feeling fabulous, you will see that temptations and tricky situations are just games to be played and you CAN win! :-)
If you travel a lot or know someone that does, to avoid those Dunkin’ Donut vendors (which are open from 6am at the airport, can you believe it?!!) and feeling totally yuck after eating an unhealthy balance of foods, share my ideas with them:
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- Pack the essentials – whenever I go away I always pack a small food stash in my suitcase. I fill some little plastic food bags with cereal for breakfasts, I pack a packet of corn thins or wholegrain crackers for a quick snack if needed, I also often pack a few pieces of fruit and a couple of carrots to last me the first day or two.
- Stay near a store – if I am away for a few days, where possible, I either try and look for accommodation near a supermarket or make sure BEFORE I go that I have looked up where the nearest one is. When I arrive, if I have time or can make it work, I will head there to pick up a few essentials for meals and snacks – I often get some of the small packets of smoked salmon or a can of tuna, the mini extra light philly pots or cottage cheese and a packet of corn thins - a great snack or light meal. I will pick up some mini snack cucumbers, carrots, a mixture of fresh fruits and a pot of yoghurt. If I need a meal, I often end up getting a single serve fresh soup from the chilled section and add a bit of shredded chicken from the deli! Most hotels will at least have a microwave.
- Keep track – when you are out of routine all over the show, meal times can be erratic and it can be tricky to know whether you have eaten enough, too much or what foods you are short! If this sounds like you, without the need for being mega obsessive just jot down what you have eaten in the day – how does it compare to the 5+ fruit and veg, healthy wholegrain carbs, 2-3 serves of low fat dairy that a healthy day represents? If you are completely out of whack, what could you do the next day to improve it? Have fruit and yoghurt for breakfast? Commit to having green tea at your café meetings rather than 2 coffees? When you come up to a challenge, look for a solution rather than using an excuse!
- Water please – it can be impossible to know if you are drinking enough when you are getting up at different times, running around and generally busy! Make a commitment to have a glass of water wherever you go, if you go into a meeting and they offer you a coffee, ask for a glass of water too or, even better, a tea instead. If you are travelling in the car, take a bottle of water with you and if you stop for gas, don’t be tempted by sugary, energy-packed drinks – keep clean, water is the way!
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