How to stay on track when you hit the road
by Michael Anders
You are sitting at the dinner table with your family and enjoying a relaxed meal before you head out to your kids’ practice…
You had breakfast and are on your way to the airport for an important meeting with a new client. Lunch is already scheduled at a restaurant of your choice…
What both of those scenarios have in common is that they are pretty much fantasies in today’s world. I cannot remember the last time I had a family dinner without one of us being late, having to go early, or skipping the sit-down and eating on the go.
My clients who struggle with a busy lifestyle and making their well-being a priority certainly are not praising the quality of airport food and the lunches provided during meetings.
Just to be clear, I happen to be eating my breakfast as I am writing these words and am all too familiar with the stress of balancing work, life and my own health.
The struggle with food while on the go - or even at the office - is a challenge for many of us. What often escapes us is that driving to the drive-in and waiting in line takes us more time then it would take us preparing breakfast or lunch.
I do not want to belittle the struggle that we all go through. Regardless, if your time-crunch is perceived or real, to you it is there at any given time and this article is meant to help you, the road warrior, the busy mom or dad, or the average Joe to eat healthy at any given time.
You and your body deserve it!
First things first, we need to get away from making food good or bad. Food usually comes on a sliding scale, pun intended, some foods are healthier than others, and some foods are easier to prep and take with you than others. If we want to have a higher mobility, at times we have to make food sacrifices but we can usually stay pretty healthy overall.
What is in a healthy meal?
A healthy meal should usually contain protein, carbs, veggies, and some fat. No matter where you eat, this is easy to remember. As a Precision Nutrition Level 2 Coach, I suggest an easy template to remember for each meal:
Protein: Eat 1-2 palm sizes of a protein. Examples are fish, eggs, pork, beef, cottage cheese, poultry, greek yogurt, legumes in smaller amounts.
Carbohydrates: Carbs should be around 1-2 cupped handfuls, not more - you will be surprised how little that can be! Examples are potatoes, whole wheat pasta, legumes (yes, fall into both protein and carbs), fruit, whole grain bread, corn, etc.
Vegetables: Take in about 1-2 fist sizes per meal. Examples are broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, kale, spinach, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, etc.
Fats: Consume about 1-2 thumb sizes of fat per meal. Examples are avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, butter, ghee etc.
If you are a bigger or taller person (that is >170 lbs) you might want to stick to the higher end of the portion range, while a smaller person might go with the lower end. You can vary, depending on your needs.
Regardless of amounts, try to keep your meals well balanced overall. I am sure you never thought of that yourself, call me Captain Obvious.
Now that we have established a baseline for a well-balanced meal, it gets interesting,
What Snacks Can You Pack When You are On The Road a Lot or Super Busy
Example Snack List
Canned sardines, salmon or tuna (not my own personal favorite but hey, it might be yours)
Nuts and seeds, be careful with this one, you can easily go overboard. Just 1 oz of almonds packs a whopping 163 calories, and that is only 23 almonds. Watch out for grazing here or you will find out fast that any food can make you gain weight eventually.
Edamame
Tuna in a pouch
Hard-boiled eggs
Apple slices with nut butter
Raw veggies with hummus or even better greek yogurt with salt, pepper, and some chives
Grilled and cut chicken breast or pork tenderloin
A protein bar like a Quest bar
Low sodium, quality meat jerky
Shaker cup with 1-2 scoops of your favorite whey or veggie protein
Plain Greek yogurt
Grapes or other fresh food
This is a pretty good list of healthy and mobile snacks. Some you would have to prepare, others you can simply buy.
When You have to Hit the Gas Station for Food
Let’s just say you forgot to prepare your food and you have to stop at a gas station, a lot of gas stations offer a higher diversity of healthier foods than they used to. Even gas stations get with the times, eventually.
What I introduced earlier comes into play again: making better, not perfect choices. It is easy to throw in the towel and grab the cheese nachos, claim you have fat and carbs covered and head out of the door when you try to be perfect and cannot make it work. Just go for the best available option and you will stick more to your goals than you think!
Making Choices at the Gas Station
Protein
Plain Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and protein powder are better than prepared protein drinks, string cheese, beef jerky or flavored yogurt which in turn are better than hot dogs, fried chicken, burgers or slim jims.
Carbs
Fresh fruit, fruit salads, and whole grain baked goods are better than chips, candy bars, pastries, or sugar and candy
Fats
Hummus, nut-butters, peanuts, sunflower seeds, guacamole beat trail mix flavored nuts or dark chocolate, while those are a lot better than candy bars and pastries
If you can get some veggies great, if not, make the best possible choices. Load up on the protein, pick some fresh carbs if you can and some fats.
You fly regularly
Take advantage of your carry-on, if you have it, considering that airlines at times alleviate us from the burden of having a carry-on by charging extra for it. If you are a woman, your purse or personal bag can be a great replacement of the carry-on luggage solution.
Aside from my electronics I usually carry a mix of fruit, some cut up veggies in a ziplock bag, a sandwich with plenty of protein, some nuts and protein bars with me. Avoid anything that is semi-fluid like yogurts, sauces, ketchup, soups, or gel-like you either have to eat it all at once and get sick, or toss it into the big gray bin labeled trash at the security check.
You are staying at a hotel
If you have any influence over where you stay, try to get a hotel with a kitchenette. A refrigerator, microwave, and sink will come in handy. Before you book the hotel, check the surrounding area for a grocery store. Stock up on the usual items that you have for breakfast and if you can take your lunch with you, stock up on protein, greens, and dressing for a great lunch salad. Friendly reminder: If you do get something in a can, like tuna, make sure to have a can opener with you or a can with an opener attached to it. I am speaking of experience here... teeth don’t work well!
There is just no way to avoid the fast food joint
If I travel for an extended period of time without having had the chance to prep properly for it, I often end up at a fast food place. I am not an angel and my food is not perfect but I usually figure out a way of making a crappy meal a lot better.
A great example is getting a grilled chicken sandwich, a salad, and an apple. Toss the bread and the candied nuts in the trash and voila, you have a pretty decent meal despite being at some of the worst places to eat.
You have to dine with clients and eat out
Having to eat with clients and/or co-workers seems to be a common issue. When people eat out, they feel obligated to drink and eat to fit the situation and avoid making other people feel uncomfortable about their food choices.
Ask the restaurant to double up on the chicken in your sandwich. Another great suggestion that works is to have the restaurant only bring out half the meal while putting the other half into a to-go-bag right away. The food never showed up on your plate.
You can also ask for more of the healthy garnishes like lettuce, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, orange slices, etc.
When it comes to the booze, here is a simple idea: drink 20 oz of water with each alcoholic drink. The water intake will stretch out your alcoholic beverages over the evening and your head and body will thank you the next day.
Conclusion
A plan is only as good as its viability. I hope these suggestions help you to survive and navigate the craziness of travel, soccer practice, meetings, and hotel stays.
The goal is to be a little better today than you were yesterday or whenever you traveled last. All of the suggestions I mentioned are tried and true. They work. I will admit that I am human and not a robot, I have my weak days, but overall my nutrition is great. On travel days I don’t aim for great, I am aiming for okay to good. I make a sacrifice to the Gods of Travel in the form of making small compromises.
The important part of the plan is that it needs to be viable and you need to have one. Think about your most common trips, stressors, etc. What really challenges you? What can you do that helps you be just this tiny little bit better?
