If you’ve tried everything to lose weight and keep it off... Join Me In This FREE Masterclass!!

Traveling can be a great escape, a time to learn, a chance to grow, and an opportunity to experience new things. It can also be a time of stress, anxiety, and lost bags. One of the most common questions we get asked from clients in coaching appointments is how and what to eat when traveling.

Since traveling is a love of mine (and I get to do it frequently thanks to my speaking engagements!) I wanted to tackle this by giving you a rundown on how I planned and what I ate on my most recent trip  to Florida. It was on this trip I realized that I’ve really streamlined my traveling technique, and I’ve been so selfish in keeping it to myself!! So fear not, because here I’ve consolidated my best tips in making all your travel, whether for business or pleasure, stress, anxiety and lost bags free!

My Healthiest Travel Tips:

MyoCalm_Minnesota_DietitianPack some PFC snacks. Let’s start with the food (appropriate for this blog, right?). I always bring at least a couple portable PFC snacks that can hold me over for a long time if needed. For protein, I suggest dried beef sticks, and I like the dried salmon from Trader Joe’s. Easy fat sources include nuts and seeds or nut butter packets. I also brought fresh cheese curds on this trip…just because I still had some in my fridge that I didn’t want to waste. For carbs, I may throw an orange or banana in my bag, or any other fruit that might spoil when I’m gone. Otherwise I’d pack dried fruit or just pick up fresh veggies or a piece of fruit at the airport. I’ve also been known to have a LARABAR or two with me, for desperate times (like unplanned airport layovers, plane delays or rush hour traffic!).

Coconut Oil. Instead of buying butter, this trip I bought a jar of coconut oil upon arrival! It’s such a wonderfully versatile oil. Thanks to its hydrating properties, I can use it for lip balm, moisturizer, in place of aloe vera for sunburn, as shaving cream and, last but certainly not least: for COOKING! Eggs, stir fry veggies, you name it! I love having a jar of this on vacation and use it for so many purposes. Had I not been away from home for over a week, I would have packed my own coconut oil in a smaller container, but I knew I could go through a whole jar on the duration of my trip (which I did indeed!). For more on coconut oil and its uses, read my post “For the Love of Coconut Oil.”

Coconut_Oil_Dietitian_Nutritionist

Supplements. Prioritizing for a trip is something I try to live by to make life simpler and my luggage a little lighter. Just like I prioritize my clothes and shoes, I also prioritize my supplements when I travel. They can take up a lot of precious real estate in that carry on bag (more on that later)!

At minimum, I bring MyoCalm Plus, which I love to take before and during plane rides to relax my muscles and keep me in a calm state (anyone else get stiff and/or anxious on a plane!?) I take MyoCalm Plus daily during workdays too since, like most of you, I spend way too many hours on a computer. I bring my gut health supplements (probiotic, Glutacaps and fish oil) since the gut is almost always more sensitive when traveling —especially because you’re much more likely to break routine and eat or drink things you normally don’t at home, which creates the potential for inflammation. Lastly, I bring Vitamin D Redefined supplement and one of the Wellness Essentials packets for each day. I typically recommend the Daily Essentials supplements, but the Wellness Essentials are good enough for travel since they come in a packet, and cover my baseline nutrition needs.

Stay at a place with a kitchen if possible. My two priorities when traveling: kitchen and hot tub. The rest I can compromise on. Having a kitchen is a complete game changer. I can make everything from eggs to almond-crusted pork chops. When I get to my destination, I spend a few hours on a grocery run and doing some meal prep, which includes hard boiling some eggs and baking or grilling some meat and veggies. (The hot tub was broken where I stayed this time, so I killed two birds with one stone by adding a few eggs to the water I was boiling to fill the hot tub! Only a food nerd would think of doing that. ;)) This usually lasts for a couple days’ worth of meals!

Don’t get me wrong—I love experiencing new restaurants just as much (if not more!) than anyone. Just not for every meal. At minimum, I’ll have breakfast and snacks with foods that I have in the kitchen.

I really enjoy making some of my regular staples when I’m on vacation. My shopping list basically consists of fish, meat and eggs for my protein (the highest quality items I can find, although, had I known there’d be a blender I would have brought my own protein powder too, but it slipped my mind this time). For my fats I grab fresh avocados and/or pre-made guac, the jar of coconutbooze oil aforementioned and maybe cheese if wherever I wind up shopping carries a good brand like KerryGold. Broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and whatever seasonal fruits I can find are my carbs. For hydration, a case of La Croix water, a 6-pack of hard cider and a bottle of tequila (remember, I’m on vacation ;)). Tequila + Lime soda water + a wedge of fresh squeezed lime = amazing. I wish I’d have come up with this drink in college! (It would have saved me a lot of sugar induced hangovers headaches…)

Check menus online before eating out. Like I mentioned, I love eating out! And when I go out to eat, I want to make sure I’m able to get a meal that will make me feel just as good as one I’d make in my own (or the place I’m staying’s) kitchen. I use websites like UrbanSpoon to search for top rated restaurants in the area, then scope out their menus and read the reviews before picking the ones I want to go to. The key things I’m looking for are reasons why they might be unique (Are they known for being accommodating/allergy friendly? Do they serve hummus and veggies instead of bread? Are they known for creating regional specialty dishes using local ingredients?)IMG_20150108_192838_1

Keep up with your exercise routine. I know when I take too many days away from my exercise routine, I start to feel sluggish and not myself. I want to keep my energy levels up and feel great about the choices I’m making all the time, so I don’t consider vacation a “free card” to let my routines slide. The beauty of this vacation is that I was able to take my morning run on the beach. When I was in New York City last summer, I enjoyed the change of scenery there while running up and down the streets. It also allows me to see more of the area I’m visiting. And it makes coming home and getting back into your normal routine easier, too…kind of like avoiding exercise jetlag. 🙂

Travel light. So now that we’ve covered the food portion of traveling, let’s talk other logistics. I only travel with a carry-on because it forces me to pack light, prioritize and live simply, which is a big focus in my life. Since I limit myself to a carry-on, I can’t bring everything I want to bring, and that’s okay. We live in an on-demand, drive through society where too many of us are used to having everything we want, whenever we want it. Limiting myself to a carry-on is just one way that I’m able to remind myself that I don’t “need” everything that I think I do. Every time I pack I experience a little bit of resistance because I have to take things out of my bag and go without them. Honoring my self-instated no checked bag rule is something I think I grow from. I already have more than I need and I’m thankful for that. I don’t need things to enjoy experiences. And I save a little bit of money because of not checking a bag, which I can then put towards an experience when I arrive to my destination (#priorities).Lightpacking_Nutritionist_Dietitian_Minnesota

Enjoy yourself. Finally, traveling can be stressful in and of itself. If you’re on vacation, the last thing you need or want to do is to stress about your food. (Defeats the purpose of vacationing since the objective is to get away from stress, right!?). I’d encourage you to aim for a healthy balance between enjoying your vacation and adhering to the eating regimen that allows you to feel your best (whether it’s PFC or another way). I do my best to not buy sugar on vacation. I enjoy restaurant eating, soaking up the sun and relaxing in the hot tub so much that I don’t need sugar to make me feel good (and because of my history of sugar addiction, I do my best to not even go there!). I might say that I’m even a little more rigid with my food choices on vacation than I usually am, because for me personally, vacations tend to include more alcohol than at home. To stay as balanced as I can, I usually stick to a stricter food regimen (very few “cheats”) so I don’t end up feeling sick from changing what I would normally eat. I’m not saying that’s right for everyone, it’s just what I’ve found to work for me. And, if you do incorporate some cheats, just be sure they’re worth it!

These are the 8 things that make my travels enjoyable, and keep me feeling my best. Overall, your vacation should be about relaxing, resetting, and whatever else you set out to do in the first place (family time, seeing all the sights, quality beach walking, etc.). I know it’s easy to let the details get in the way of having a good time, so do your best to prepare so that you don’t need to waste valuable vacationing fixing an upset stomach or stressing about finding the best restaurant in town that will suit your dietary needs.

Click here to check out my second post on traveling tips for flying and staying at hotels!

Grab Your 12 Tools Guide Now
PFC Holiday Recipe Guide
Cassie’s 4-Step Model To Build and Scale Your Business, Help More People and Have More Freedom!
Grab Your Copy of The 6 Ways To Grow Email List Guide
7 Ways to Heal Inflammation & Lose the Weight For Good!So you can finally lose weight

(and keep it off!)

Get My Speaking Kit!Let us know where to send the speaking kit so we can get connected!

I'm so excited to share more with you and the chance to speak to your community. This speaking kit will give you an overview of what to expect and what next steps will look like. Simply tell us where to send it, and we'll get it over to you right away!