Healthy eating while travelling

With holidays just around the corner, many of us will be packing up and shipping out.
Whether it’s by plane, car, train or bus, there’s a good chance that to get anywhere you need to go, you’ll be hitting the road in some way or form.
Living in a country as vast as Australia means that there’s always a decent amount of travel time that we need to clock before we are officially ‘on holidays’, and all that time in transit can wreak havoc on our healthy eating and weight loss plans.
Sitting in a car, bus, plane or train for hours on end can often mean that making healthy choices is tricky, either due to the limited food on offer, the plethora of ‘convenience’ and/or fast food options or the lack of time available to sort out something nutritious, tasty and easily transportable.
Fortunately, there are a few simple strategies you can stick to that mean that you can eat healthily while on the move and arrive feeling good (as opposed to bloated, irritable and hungry).

Do’s and dont’s to stay on track while you travel

• DO eat a healthy breakfast. Start the day off right with something nutritious and low GI to give you a hit of sustained energy for the day ahead. It’s usually easier to source something diet friendly at breakfast as well. If cereal or a smoothie isn’t an option, try a low fat, natural yoghurt, fruit or grainy toast with something like nut butter or ricotta.
• DON’T rely on coffee for energy. While a cup of the caffeinated stuff can be a good kickstart to the day, it’s best to prioritise healthy food as opposed to caffeine to keep your energy levels boosted.
• DO choose healthy snacks to fuel your travels. Typical travel snacks (think chips, biscuits, chocolate and lollies) are not only high in calories and fat, they’ll also cause your blood sugar to spike then crash, leaving you tired and cranky. Stock up on things like fresh fruit, raw nuts, slices of cheese and multigrain crackers.
• DON’T forget to stay hydrated. Plane travel in particular is extremely dehydrating so keep a bottle of water handy at all times. Car, bus and train travel can also work up a thirst so keep bottles full.
• DO choose your dinner wisely. If you’re eating out or eating onboard, try and order or choose something packed full of veggies and steer clear of anything deep fried. Soup or salad is a great choice.