Healthy Traveling by Aliza Beer, MS RD

Health & F tness

Healthy Travels

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

The holidays are fast approaching, and many people are scheduling their traveling plans. While trying different foods and cuisines is encouraged, good eating habits should not be neglected while on vacation.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be perfect to be successful. The goal while traveling is to keep things balanced. Eating clean foods while traveling will ensure you feel energized for all of the activities you have planned for the trip. The key is to plan ahead, stay disciplined, and pick foods that are filled with fiber, lean proteins, and vegetables.

Preparing For the Flight

Airplane food isn’t the tastiest or healthiest, so bringing nutritious foods with you is a must. If you are taking a longer flight during mealtimes, bring along a meal that can stay fresh if left out for a couple of hours. 1. If you are taking a morning flight and don’t have time for a proper breakfast, prepare a container of low-fat cottage cheese the night before with a Ziploc of berries with some whole grain crackers, a protein bar, low-fat cheese sticks, a diet cheesecake, or some hardboiled eggs. Although you may not feel hungry when waking up early, it is important to have a satisfying breakfast so you won’t feel the need to snack on foods throughout the flight. 2. If you are taking an afternoon flight and need to bring along lunch, opt for a salad, wrap, or sandwich. Low carb brown rice sushi is another easy and satisfying meal to pack and bring on the plane. These foods typically taste good even if they were made a couple of hours in advance. Include a protein such as grilled chicken, turkey, tuna, or eggs in your lunch. This will ensure you feel full and will keep your blood sugar levels stable. 3. For a late evening flight, eat dinner before you leave to the airport. If you are flying during dinnertime, bring along grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, sushi, a tuna wrap, or a salad of your choice. 4. If you are taking a short flight and want to bring along a snack, pack a container of berries, sliced vegetables with hummus, cucumbers wrapped in turkey, or an apple with some PB2 on the side. Vegetables that stay fresh include baby carrots, cucumbers, and snap peas. If you want to cut up your apple before your flight, rub the apple slices with some lemon and wrap them in foil to prevent browning.

If you are looking for quick snack options, bring along air-popped popcorn, a No Cow bar, grain-free crackers, or freeze dried fruit. Bringing wholesome snacks will prevent you from buying chips or pretzels in the airport’s newsstand. Unfortunately, airports and airlines usually provide unhealthy snack options, so it is best to bring your own and be prepared. When we fly, our digestive systems are hard at work so limiting refined flour and sugar, caffeine, and sodium is a good idea. Instead, choose satisfying, unprocessed whole foods to help you feel your best. 5. Stay hydrated. Drink at least one cup of water every hour you are flying to prevent dehydration. It is a good idea to bring along an empty non-disposable water bottle so that you can fill it up after security and refill it throughout the flight. If you can, try to stand up and walk around the plane every once in a while to promote proper circulation.

Preparing for Your Trip

1. Pack a jump rope so you can do a quick 20-minute workout in your hotel room. Keeping active is very important for your digestive health, especially while traveling. 2. Walk wherever possible. The best way to stay active is to walk! Instead of getting in the car for that quick drive, see if you can walk. Walking is the best way to explore a new place and burn off any extra calories you may be consuming while on vacation. 3. Pack a bag of your favorite snacks so you are prepared when the mid-afternoon slump hits. Good options include air-popped popcorn, a pre-portioned bag of nuts, No Cow bars, apple chips, GoGo Squeeze unsweetened applesauce, and Made Good bars. Ideally bring fruits or vegetables as snacks. If breakfast is on the go, pack unsweetened- oatmeal packets or protein powder packets. The more you prepare before your trip, the less you’ll have to think about it while you’re away! 4. Make sure to eat three meals a day; often when we’re traveling, we can forget about breakfast or skip lunch. Even if it means bringing along a protein bar with you, don’t skip meals. This will cause you to be hungrier and will most likely cause you to overeat or make the wrong choices by your next meal. Instead, treat traveling like a regular day. Have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a mid-day snack if you need it. This will ensure you stay full and don’t overeat at dinner. 5. Research restaurants in your area of travel. When selecting potential food establishments before your trip, look up the menu and make sure there are clean options to choose from. This will help you make the best possible choice because you will already know what they offer. 6. Stay hydrated. Water keeps your digestive system running smoothly and will help keep you full. It is especially important if you are traveling to a warm destination and will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Bring along your water bottle so you can refill it throughout the day. Consuming enough water will help alleviate/minimize constipation, a common side effect of travel. 7. Mindful indulgence. A large

part of traveling is trying new foods and eating with family and friends. Planning a mindful indulgence will help you stay motivated to make good choices for the rest of your trip. Whether it be a dessert or savory food, plan out when you will have it so that you won’t overindulge and will look forward to your treat. The majority of your meals should be balanced and include proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and carbs. 8. Get enough sleep. Sleeping at least 7 hours each night will ensure you have the energy to enjoy your trip and will help you make healthier choices. Prioritize sleep on your trip so you can get the most out of it! 9. Start your meals with a brothbased soup or salad. This is a great way to get in your vegetables, and will take the edge off the hunger, thereby inhibiting overeating.

Post-Trip Tips

Even if you eat healthfully most of your trip, you may still come home feeling a little bloated or sluggish. Luckily, if you step right back into your routine, you will feel like yourself in no time! The beauty of our bodies is that they thrive on routine and adapt when we get back into it. 1. Don’t skip meals. If you’ve gained some weight on your trip or just don’t feel good, skipping meals isn’t the answer. Instead, choose unprocessed foods and eat three meals daily. Include protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. 2. Don’t be afraid of the scale. When you come home, you should not be afraid of going on the scale and seeing the number on it. The scale is a tool that gives you knowledge, and knowledge is power. Seize the power. Once you know where your body is at, you’ll have a better sense of what you need to be mindful of after the trip. 3. Stay hydrated. Drinking water will help flush out your system and will help you get back to feeling yourself quicker. Aim to drink at least 8 cups of water each day and avoid diet beverages as much as possible. 4. Resume your workout routine. Exercising will help jet lag, bloat, and fatigue. Schedule your workouts into your calendar on your way home so that you set yourself up for success. 5. Don’t stress. When you get home, be diligent about eating plenty of vegetables and lean proteins. Don’t stress about your vacation weight gain. It’s not irreversible damage, and once you are eating clean again, the body will naturally shed these unwanted pounds.

Maintaining good nutrition while traveling can be a real challenge. It can be difficult to maintain a routine, eat clean properly, and avoid unhealthy foods. However, bringing along snacks, researching restaurants with good choices, and bringing activewear are a few ways to set yourself up for a successful trip. Packing a nutritious meal or snack for the plane and staying hydrated will help you feel your best when you arrive at your destination. If you avoid overly processed foods, don’t overindulge, and stick to lots of vegetables and lean proteins, you should come home feeling good.

Although coming home from your trip and stepping on the scale may seem daunting, knowing where your body is at and recognizing you will be back to yourself after a few days of eating home-cooked meals should motivate you to get back on track. Even if you’ve had a few too many indulgences, just hop back on the healthy train when you get home.

With some planning and a little willpower, you should be able to stick to a clean diet while traveling.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer.

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