Making healthy dietary choices while traveling is easy and doable if you plan-ahead and know how to navigate the options to keep you fueled and energized for adventure. While the occasional splurge is OK, moderation and balance are the overall keys. Here's how to eat healthy while traveling.

How to eat healthy while traveling: Enroute options

1. Pack your own snacks 

Eating healthy while traveling enroute to your destination can be easily managed by packing a few snacks to avoid hungry decision-making when the options available are limited. Ideally, snacks should be nutrient-dense and combine complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and/or protein. The protein or healthy fat will keep you full and delay the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream, while the carbohydrates will give you a boost of energy. 

Anything perishable should be kept safe in a small cold bag for the airplane or be packed in a cooler for a road trip. Here are a few easy-to-pack healthy snack ideas:

• A banana and nuts 
• Whole-grain crackers and cheese sticks
• Hummus and baby carrots
• A container of yogurt and blueberries
• A hard-boiled egg and grapes
• PBJ on whole-grain bread
• Apple slices and nut butter
• Guacamole and whole-grain tortilla chips

Tips: 

• Avoid sugary snacks because they cause a quick spike in blood sugar and after a short time leave you feeling sluggish and hungry again. Proceed with caution when packing snack bars; there is no shortage of options, but many of them are loaded with sugar.
  
• Guacamole, hummus, and nut butters can be purchased in single-serve containers, or you can pack them on your own.

2. What to choose when options are limited

If you don’t have your own snacks in tow and you find yourself up against a mealtime, or just feel “hangry” when on the road or at the airport, consider your options carefully:

• Fast food vs. slow food: Most fast-food establishments now offer healthier options such as salads, wraps, or grilled chicken sandwiches. There are other “slower food” options: try finding a deli for a sandwich with extra veggies on whole grain bread; a taqueria for a grilled chicken and whole-bean burrito; or a pizza place for a large slice of veggie pizza. Read more about specific recommendations: What’s the healthiest fast food?
  
• Convenience stores and airport newsstands: Just like fast food joints, many mini-markets offer healthier choices such as cut fruit and pre-made salads and sandwiches. It’s also pretty much guaranteed that you can find a pack of nuts and a piece of fruit at these sorts of establishments. 
• Coffee shops: No matter where your travel plans take you, it is a good bet that there will be a Starbucks or Dunkin’ or similar along the way. It’s easy to be tempted by the sugar- and carb-laden bakery items, but most establishments also offer egg sandwiches or wraps, which are healthier choices — especially when paired with a piece of fresh fruit. Avoid flavored coffee drinks because most of them really pack on the extra carbs and calories: an example — a Starbucks Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte contains 50 grams of sugar and 390 calories.

3. Staying hydrated when traveling

Staying hydrated is critical, not only for keeping your body's heating/cooling system operating efficiently, but also for aiding digestion, circulation, absorption, and for excretion of wastes and toxins. It is common for mild dehydration to be confused with appetite; both are regulated by the hypothalamus — and sometimes when fluids are needed, people reach for food instead. 

Regardless of your destination, taking a water bottle with you is always a good idea, and a reusable water bottle is ideal. Although it may be a tad boring, water consumed throughout the day is simply the best way to keep hydrated when on the road or at home. If you are not a big water drinker, there are a multitude of hydration options — but be cautious of the overwhelming abundance of beverage choices in most roadside or airport markets: Although thirst-quenching, many of these drinks are loaded with sugar, caffeine, sodium, and artificial ingredients that can derail any healthy eating strategy.

Tips:

• Jazz up your water by adding a slice of citrus fruit to your water bottle before you head out.
  
• If you enjoy bubbly beverages, flavored sparkling water can be a great option if it contains no added sugar or chemicals, which are so common in sugar-sweetened sodas. 

How to eat healthy while traveling: At your destination

Whether your destination is a cruise where you can eat all that you wish, you are staying at a hotel, or you have a kitchen to prepare your own meals, there is no need to put a healthy lifestyle on hold. Try to stick to your regular mealtimes and choose your foods wisely. Here's how to eat healthy while traveling once you've arrived at your destination.

1. Dining out

When dining out on vacation, even the best intentions can get derailed, especially if you are eating in restaurants three meals per day for a week. You can stay on a healthy course by including lean proteins, whole grains, and fiber- and nutrient-rich fruits and veggies as often as possible. Scan the menu for items that are grilled, steamed, broiled or baked instead of fried or covered in a rich creamy sauce. Consider entrée salads topped with a grilled lean protein such as salmon or chicken and a light drizzle of vinaigrette-based dressing. Go for broth-based soups instead of the creamy options. For breakfast, opt for oatmeal with fruit or eggs with whole-grain bread. Sharing selections among traveling companions is a great way to savor the local favorites without overindulging. 

Tip:

• To avoid common unhealthy pitfalls, brush up on your menu reading skills, keep an open mind, and don’t hesitate to ask your server about the ingredients or preparation methods of the menu items. Perhaps they even have a healthy recommendation or can make a special accommodation to fit your dietary needs.

2. Navigating all-you-can-eat vacations

All-inclusive resorts and non-stop buffets on cruise ships can feel more like healthy food obstacle courses than vacation getaways. Even so, you don’t have to partake in an extreme gorge fest at every meal. 

• Find balance at the buffet: Before you start piling food on your plate, walk around the buffet and decide which foods you will choose. Although there will be plenty of indulgent foods to select from, follow the MyPlate.gov guidelines and aim for filling half of your plate with vegetables and fruits, ¼ lean protein and ¼ whole grains. You can always find a little wiggle room for a taste of some of the less healthy selections. 
• Explore alternative options: Typically ships and resorts have multiple dining options to give you a variety of healthy choices — so you don’t have to risk going overboard (pun intended) at every meal.
• Keep mindful of portions: Regardless of the abundance of food offered, you can savor the local cuisine without overindulging. Small portions are often enough to feel satisfied without being gluttonous.

3. Eating in

If your travel accommodations are equipped with a kitchen, it can be even easier to eat healthy when traveling. Consider budgeting both funds and calories for one restaurant meal per day, which will allow you to save a few bucks and boost your nutrition. If you decide to dine out for dinner, you can load up with seasonal fresh fruits and veggies, and obtain your healthy breakfast and lunch items from the local farmers market or grocery store. 

Key takeaways

Traveling can be exciting, educational, and exhausting. Fueling your body with foods that are energizing, delicious, and healthy can make any vacation all the better. It’s OK to splurge a little, but smart to find a healthy balance when you are away from home. Taking your healthy lifestyle on the road can be accomplished if you plan ahead, know how to navigate your options, and follow through on some of the sound strategies we’ve outlined in this article "how to eat healthy while traveling." Then, you’ll be ready for adventure without sacrificing your healthy lifestyle.

‍