5 Tips for Healthy Eating on the Road

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Meng Li, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

If you care what you eat, or have special dietary requirements (vegetarian, diabetic, food sensitivities or allergies), healthy eating on the road could be a challenge and you may end up having whatever available.

Well, that’s not necessarily the case. In this article, I will discuss 5 healthy eating tips for travelers.

1. Plan in advance

Before your trip, buy fruits, vegetables, nuts and nutrient-dense snacks. Buy those fruits and vegetables that are easy to take and store, such as cucumber, tomato, carrots; apples, pears and bananas.

Tips:

Best to have raw nuts, such as peanuts or cashew. Roast them or soak them in clean water for 2-3 days before you eat (change water every day) for better nutrient absorption.

2. Bring a nice meal for your flight

While on the road, the meal on the flight may be your first meal of the trip. Your self-care can start from here. Take my recent lunch box as an example. Half avocado, two pieces of carrots and two steamed sweet potatoes were chopped into bite sizes and mixed with a bunch of soaked raw peanuts, 50g of boiled quinoa and some sesame dressing. — Yum and filling.

You can also make your own sauce by mixing some salt (or soy sauce), olive oil, black pepper, apple vinegar (or lemon juice) and raw honey together. Store the sauce in a separate container.

Feel how it is for you and your body after this meal.

3. Visit local markets

You may not want to bring too much fresh produce from home. After arriving at the destination, you can also visit local supermarkets – or even better, farmer’s markets – to buy fresh, local produce. It is also a good opportunity to have a non-tourist experience. You can search for the information of such markets before departure, or ask the staff of your hotel.

If you are traveling in Europe or America, the following options may also be available:

- Hummus
- Couscous salad
- Trail mix of nuts and dried fruits
- Dark chocolate (best > 70%)
- Kefir (especially for those with bowel movement difficulties while on the road)

Tips:

Read the label, especially the ingredients, before you buy.

Pay attention if there are any sugars contained in the food, in what form (refined or natural) and how much.

If you travel for long, you may want to stay at a place where you can cook. It is flexible and economical as well.

4. Have nutritious food

Make sure you have enough protein. Protein gives us strength and energy. Good sources of protein include dried tofu, nuts, quinoa, hemp seeds, buckwheat and pumpkin seeds.

We tend to overlook vegetables while traveling. I suggest that you have at least 4 servings of vegetables every day. If it is challenging to do so for lunch and dinner, consider having a veggie salad in the morning or have veggie snacks.

5. Prepare your tools

Proper tools may be helpful, such as:

- Cooler or cooling bags
- Ice pack
- Mid-size container for meal
- Small-size container for snacks
- Utensils (those left over from “wai mai” are handy)
- Water bottle
- Napkins and wet wipes
- Resealable snack bags
- Trash bags

Finally, here is the list of healthy eating options while on the road:

Nuts: almond, peanuts, cashew, pistachio, walnut, pumpkin seeds
Nut butter, hummus
Boiled eggs
Quinoa, plain cereal or muesli
Dried tofu
Steamed sweet potato, corn or pumpkin
Dried fruits: raisins, dried fig, banana chips, apple rings, dates
Dark chocolate（>70%）
Vegetables: carrots, cucumber, radish, tomato
Fruits: banana, apple, pear, tangerine, avocado
Nutrient-dense snacks
Plain yogurt, milk, cheese or kefir
Tea bags

When you have these foods, you get the nutrients and blood sugar level is stable. You won’t get ‘lunch coma’ after eating; nor will you have energy crash later, which triggers food craving. Keeping the blood sugar stable is very important for your health.

Healthy eating is not that hard. It simply takes some planning in advance and a commitment to prioritize self care.

Bon voyage!