There’s nothing like a holiday or trip to throw your healthy eating goals out of whack. I’ve just spent a whirlwind week in New York City and have, tonight, arrived in Boston for a major nutrition conference – American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo 2010. Luckily I’ve stayed on the health track in the very easy to navigate NYC. With fruit sellers on every corner, farmers markets in the heart of the city & hours of walking to do, I had room to fit in some eat treats too (stay tuned for my I ate NY post soon). But now, not only am I stuck in a hotel with no kitchen at my mercy, I’m here to meet, greet and celebrate with an amazing bunch of dietitians, many I will be meeting for the first time in the flesh. And I suspect that there will be a few glasses of bubbly involved. So, tonight was a great chance to share with you my travel tips:
Up and away
Jet lag and travel fatigue can wreck havoc with your digestive system and lead to poor food choices. It took me 30hours of constant travelling to get from Melbourne, Australia to NYC. The leg from Sydney to LA alone took 13 straight hours. So what works? Aim to adjust your watch as soon as possible to your final destination when on an international flight and adjust your body clock too. That may mean skipping meals and snacks on offer, if it is really the middle of the night where you are heading. Eat light and to the destination meal times and stay hydrated with plenty of water. Skip the alcohol and coffee, but sip green tea for hydration as it contains just enough caffeine content to prevent you getting a killer headache from caffeine withdrawal. With this approach, you’re more likely to be able hit the ground running for sightseeing and make the most of your time. And a few skipped kilojoules/ calories won’t hurt you, I promise.
Pit stops
If you’re on a road trip, the temptation can be high to just let your goals slip by with every pit stop or break. Faced with fast food and convenience store temptations it can be hard to stay on track. But you’d be surprised at how many lighter options are lurking. Go for low fat tubs of yogurt or fruit snack packs over ice creams. Check out portion packed nuts or pretzels over high fat chips. Plus fill up on wholegrain sandwiches with plenty of salad or lighter, deli style rolls instead of burgers. The key is to plan ahead and pack plenty of portable snacks for your car or bag. I’m so glad Cynthia Sass gave me a Lara Bar to try, as I have it in my room for breakfast tomorrow, before a 6:45am bus trip to a culinary nutrition day at Johnson and Wales University (another post on that coming too). Tomorrow I’ll pick up plenty of healthy samples at the expo and grab some wholegrain cereal and milk to have in my hotel room. So I don’t have to rely on room service.
Staying healthy
It’s also important, especially when overseas, that you practice safe food hygiene and avoid potential for food contamination and poisoning. Most of us have probably been hit by travellers’ tummy or Bali Belly at some time, especially when in developing countries. Wash your hands regularly and carry hand sanitiser gel. In some countries or regions, as the saying goes: “if you can’t boil it, cook it, or peel it, forget it”. Go for bottled water, avoid ice cubes and be wary of prepared salads. And steer clear of street car vendors even if you’re with a local in the know. But when in NYC – there’s nothing to worry about and it’s food trucks all the way! I met one of the new Organic Carts NYC today:
Home coming
Instead of dialing up or driving through for fastfood on your return home, aim to stock the freezer and pantry with some healthy, long-life options before you depart. Go for better-for-you, frozen meals or your own pre-made family favourites like a spaghetti sauce brimming with vegetables – just add dry pasta from the pantry and top with fresh herbs from the garden and you’ll have a meal in minutes. Your healthy eating goals will still be on track, while you unpack and get the house back in order.
So how about it? I’m sure you have some wonderful tips to add too my foodie friends and dietitians? Elisa Zied has just posted a great compilation of what dietitians snack on, but not all of these are portable. I wonder what goodies @CandidRD has in her room? I know she packs a great snack. Or maybe I can just ask @DietitianJanel to bring me something from her pantry, as this is her hometown? Let’s see if we can collate some great comments below. Go on, don’t be shy. I’d love to hear from you, especially my healthy peeps back at home.
