Being away from home is where most people usually go off course.
High-fives!
Good job for being proactive and researching how you can stay on track.
I spend 40% of the year traveling or in hotels for work and play… here are my 10 pro tips!
#1 Have a good breakfast
A good start to the day sets you up for success.
Pack an oatmeal cup and a spoon. Hot water is available at any coffee shop, gas station, flight attendant, or via a coffee maker in your hotel room. Most hotel continental breakfasts also offer oatmeal.
Photo shared by Brandye C.
If you start the day with a doughnut or something else sugary, there’s little hope you’ll turn it around (let’s be real) and if you skip breakfast, you’ll be so hungry by lunch you’ll eat ANYTHING rather than take a few minutes to find the best option.
Photo shared by Abby W.
#2 Steamed vegetables and rice are universally available.
Pretty much every restaurant on the planet can offer you steamed vegetables (or a salad) and rice or a potato or pasta. It may not be the most exciting meal but that’s okay. Tell yourself “food is fuel, I’m doing a good thing for myself by eating this healthy choice.”
Photo shared by Lisa R.
#3 Take shelf-stable hummus with you.
Hummuses can spruce up the aforementioned salad.
You can also put it on toast or a veggie sub or eat with baby carrots and/or celery and/or pretzels that you can find at most gas stations and other quickie marts.
#4 Shelf-stable staples.
Precooked quinoa, beans in a tetra pack, and shelf-stable tofu are other great options.
Photo shared by Shelley W.
I tend to hoard condiments (i.e. mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce) and use them to spruce up these basics.
Photo shared by Rachel B.
You can also buy travel “shampoo” bottles and take vinegar or other condiments in them.
Photo shared by Cody D.
#6 Gas Station “Simple” Meals
I’ve had a lot of luck finding canned beans, salsa, and corn tortillas at gas stations, among other places! These tacos are legit!
Photo shared by Karen R.
#7 POTATOES POTATOES POTATOES
I fly with potatoes constantly. They’re my best friends in air.
Photo shared by Amy
#8 Meal Bags
For my hardcore peeps. Cook your meals ahead and utilize a meal bag.
These meal carriers are designed to be targeted toward bodybuilders (because they often are making their own food) but good for anyone who is preparing meals ahead and carrying them around.
If you’re staying at a hotel:
- Ask your hotel to provide you with a mini fridge and microwave.
- Take your potato pocket so you can microwave potatoes.
- Buy apples and bananas and keep them in your room.
- If you can get to a grocery store, buy a few bags of spinach or salad mix to keep in the fridge.
If you’re not flying… take your pressure cooker!
When traveling by car I take my pressure cooker and use it as a "stove" to cook meals. My pressure cooker has a “saute” setting that works great for this.
I’ll also bring it to a “boil” and then change it to “warm” so it can slow cook a soup all day.
Another favorite is microwaving a spaghetti squash and pouring a jar of marinara or salsa over it. You can get salsa at gas stations!
Previous Posts with more Travel Tips:
RV Vegan Meal Plan + my RV Review (Pros and Cons)
How to Travel on a Plant-Based Diet (What to Pack, Snacks, and More!)
Traveling Herbivore: How I eat Healthy, Low Fat and Vegan in Airports
Staying Plant-Based while Traveling
Teaching Tuesday: Traveling With A Pressure Cooker
Taking Meals on the Road and 3 Airplane Food Travel Hacks
