Traveling + Eating Out Options & Tips:
Learning to eat clean while traveling can be tricky. I have done it for so many years now, I have found that if you know what to look for and know what options to keep in mind, you can travel and eat out without setting yourself back too much with your fitness goals. I have written a few tips and tricks along with eating out options to help below:
✰ Try to stay away from food options with sauces and “glazes” or fried food of any kind. Always ask if something can be grilled or baked rather than pan fried or deep fried. And always ask for light olive oil only to be used in preperation.
✰ Almost anywhere you go will have salad options. When ordering a salad, try to always include a lean protein source (chicken, ahi, shrimp, turkey) and omit or get light cheese such as feta. Try to avoid most dried fruit like blueberries or cranberries because they are just additional sugar. Salad dressing options would be salsa, balsamic vinegar, oil and vinegar (more emphasis on vingar than the olive oil), or fresh squeezed lemon. Always ask for dressings on the side.
✰ Most places will also modify food sources/options for you. So dont be scared to ask for the vegetables to be steamed with no butter/oils and the proteins to be cooked with just light olive oil.
✰ Always ask for sauces on the side if you are unsure of what they are made of.
✰ Burgers and sandwhiches can typically be lettuce wrapped to avoid carbs. If the restaurant offers a buffalo or turkey burger, this would be a great protein source as a burger option. Ask for sides such as cottage cheese, salad, fruit, black beans, steamed vegetables, or if available baked sweet potato.
✰ If you are out at mexican, a taco salad is always a great option with chicken, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, avocado, and salsa as dressing. Try to avoid tortilla chips and the taco salad shell, however.
✰ If you go out to breakfast, always ask if the restaurant can do egg- whites only for omelettes/scrambles. And ask for light or no oil to be used when making your breakfast. Vegetables of any kind are fine. Most places have oatmeal as well, add cinnamon and some fresh fruit and get some egg whites on the side for a blanced breakfast.
✰ Starbucks also had stealcut oats which is a great option while traveling. Just make sure you have some form of protein powder on you so you can either drink the protein or like I do, just mix the protein powder into plain oatmeal to flavor it. Jamba Juice is another place that serves stealcut oatmeal and fruit as well.
✰ If you are going to drink alcohol, try to stick to light colored hard alcohol with soda water and lime or lemon. Avoid juice, soda, and sugar. Ask the server to omit the simple syrup in something such as a mojito to cut calories and sugar. Or go with a glass or two of red wine.
✰ Try to pack some healthy snacks in case you find yourself in a bind. Some things I like to carry on me at all times are individual portion sized packs of almonds, protein powder or costco premier protein shakes, baggies of baby carrots or cucumbers, rice cakes, and quest bars (the healthiest protein bar on the market- you can find at super supplements, max muscle, online, or GNC).
For extra ideas, some helpful quick restaurant options when traveling are below:
✪ Subway double chicken Salad, use light dressing or mustard/honey mustard as dressing and if you can help it bring your own chicken!
✪ Baja Fresh Salad. Shrimp or Chicken Baja Ensalada. No cheese/No tortilla strips. You can add black beans for clean carb source or Skinny Chicken Bowl.
✪ Cafe YUMM bowl (Oregon based). Add chicken, get it vegan, 1/2 yumm sauce. Or you can do the yumm & Greens.
✪ Pita Pit, Chicken Salad, use as many veggies as you would like. Or chicken breast pita on wheat. Avoid high calorie sauces- use mustard or light tzatziki (yogurt/cucumber sauce).
✪ Jimmy Johns, Lettuce wrapped turkey sandwich.
✪ Laughing Planet (Oregon based)- Bollywood Bowl or Paleo Bowl.
✪ When out at a restaurant, stick to lean protein source (grilled or baked), clean carb source, and steamed veggies or salad.
✪ Starbucks or Jamba juice stealcut oatmeal. Starbucks also offers a turkey bacon eggwhite breakfast sandwhich.
✪ Fresh deli selections at grocery stores often have great options. Stores like Whole Foods, Market of Choice, etc. often have grilled chicken and healthy proteins they will warm up along with side options such as roasted veggies, broccoli salads, etc. Just make sure you ask what’s in them and avoid those with additional oils and mayonnaise type condiments.
Hope this helps with your travel! ❤ADO
