Sticking with the travel theme (you can view my videos on preventing travel weight gain and recovering from travel weight gain by clicking the buttons below), I'm going to give you my top five tips for ensuring that you're able to eat healthfully on your next business trip.
1) Meal prep beforehand.
The best way to control the food you have available is to just bring it with you. If the trip is short enough (7 days or less) and you have room to pack them, prepare meals for each day that you will be on your trip. Don't over complicate it. Make sure each meal can be stored and reheated in just one container.
A couple of good examples are Sante Fe Soup or one of my personal favorites: ground beef, rice, and baby lima beans. (It's way better than it sounds. Trust me.) Prepping food beforehand is, of course, the best case scenario, but it's possible that may not be an option for you. That's where the other four tips come in to save the day (week... month?).
2) Hotel Meal Prep
If you have access to a grocery store, a fridge, and a microwave, you have everything you need for a makeshift meal prep. These are the things you should have on your list:
Frozen, pre-cooked/microwaveable meat
Fruit
Frozen or canned veggies or veggies that can be eaten raw
Yogurt (fat-free if you're trying to keep your Calories down)
Liquid egg whites (can be cooked in a mug in the microwave)
Water
Prep and portion the foods according to your Calorie/macronutrient targets.
3) "On the go" Meals
There are times when traveling that we don't even have the time or ability to heat meals up in the microwave, but that's okay. I have a backup plan for your backup plan. Before you leave, put scoops of protein powder into snack bags for each day that you'll be on your trip. (Remember to bring your shaker bottle!) Alternatively, you could just buy protein powder during the previously mentioned grocery haul. This is also where the tuna pouches come into play.
Pair either of these with a fruit that doesn't have to be refrigerated such as an apple or banana. If you have a cooler available, you could also bring bags of berries, carrots, broccoli, etc. If you somehow can't even do that, you can pack protein bars or buy them on the grocery haul. My personal favorites are Cookies and Cream Fit Crunch bars and Cinnamon Twist Combat Crunch bars
4) Restaurant Research
You can plan as much as you want, but sometimes the choices just aren't up to you. When and where you eat could end up being a group decision or maybe the trip's itinerary is made without you entirely. Luckily, the vast majority of restaurants have healthy, low-Calorie options available now and most even have their menus online. Do a quick search beforehand to see what's available.
Base your meals around lean grilled meats and veggies. Salads are a great option if low-Calorie dressings are available. If you order something that has butter or a Calorie dense sauce, ask for it to be on the side so you can choose how much (if any) to put on your food.
5) Hotel Breakfasts (Choose wisely.)
Most options you'll find at a hotel breakfast will be very Calorie dense and generally not the best choices, but if you're careful, you can use them to your advantage. There are a few common options you should be on the lookout for:
Eggs
Fruit (apples, bananas, berries, etc.)
Greek yogurt
Oatmeal (keep in mind that oatmeal contains 150 Cal/cup without additional toppings)
Unfortunately, there are even more things you should avoid:
Waffles (The average waffle contains 400 Calories without counting butter or syrup.)
Bagels (The average plain bagel contains 250 Calories without counting butter, cream cheese, or if the bagel is flavored.)
Bacon (I know I know. I love bacon too but the goal here is to save Calories and not gain weight on the trip, so let's wait and have bacon when we get back home.)
Cereal (At 100-150 Calories per cup, Cereals aren't quite so bad Calorically but they aren't very filling and lack in the micronutrient department which is why they make the naughty list.)
If you prefer to skip breakfast altogether, which is a good idea if you're wanting to save Calories for later in the day, you can grab an apple, banana, or yogurt to-go each day and save money on your grocery trip.
Bonus Tip) Planning around the trip
If somehow none of the above are possible options or if you just really want that waffle (who can blame you), plan around the trip by lowering your Calorie intake for a few days or a week leading up to and following the trip to even out the extra Calories consumed while on the trip. You can learn more about that strategy by reading/listening to this article and/or watching this video.
Thank you so much for reading! If you found this information helpful, share it with a friend. I would appreciate it and I know they will too. If you like what I have to say, sign up below to become a Treadaway Training insider and never miss a post or video. I will be back next week with another fat loss topic. As always, God bless you AND your family and I'll see you next week.
