08 / Looking After Your Health and Wellbeing

Eat Well

Eating nutritious, well-balanced meals isn’t always easy when you’re travelling and away from home.

You might find between dining out, trying to find healthy food on the go, and eating between meetings, you don’t have much control over your schedule and meal times.

But despite the challenges, you can stay healthy with proper planning. Building healthier habits into travelling just takes a bit of time and planning and may be easier than you realise.

Being informed and aware of the nutritional decisions you make throughout the day will greatly improve your ability to take care of your health and wellbeing.

Be Healthy at the Airport

When eating at the airport, look for restaurants with healthier offerings and avoid fried food. If you have extra time, walk around instead of sitting.

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Plenty of Water

Stay hydrated to reduce jet lag and keep your immune system healthy. Choose water over soda, caffeine, juice or alcohol, which may dehydrate you as well as increasing the calories you consume.

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Pack Healthy Snacks

Traveling with healthy snacks ensures you will have something healthy to eat when hunger strikes. Develop a travel food list of healthy snacks to help you resist temptation at the airport and when you reach your destination. If you are short on space, pack a few healthy snacks for the first day or two of your trip and stop somewhere near your hotel when you arrive and stock up on healthier snacks. A few ideas include dried fruits, nuts and seeds, trail mixes and energy bars.

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Skip the Breakfast Buffet

Skipping breakfast is a recipe for disaster. You will find yourself eating more later in the day and likely grabbing unhealthier options along the way. Choose cereals, fruits and proteins if your hotel offers a continental breakfast, or look for a high-fibre breakfast cereal and piece of fruit rather than a fried breakfast. Even if you cannot stomach a large meal first thing in the morning, drink a smoothie or some milk and have some fruit. Grab a couple of pieces of fresh fruit to enjoy as a snack later in the day.

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Avoid High-Sugar Foods

Sugary foods only satisfy for a short while and are full of unnecessary calories.

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Drink Less Alcohol

It can be really easy to drink more alcohol than you should when you are traveling. Between airport lounges, hotel happy hours, and entertaining clients, the number of drinks can add up. Limit the number of drinks you have each day and plan ahead.

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Choose Your In-Flight Menu

If possible, pre-order the healthy option on flights. If your airline only serves snacks, skip the peanuts or chips and bring your own healthy snacks, such as carrot sticks with hummus, turkey slices and whole-wheat crackers, buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, fresh fruit, edamame and pumpkin seeds.

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Eating Out

Dining out is nearly unavoidable during travel, but it is not an excuse to eat unhealthily. Find restaurants with fresh ingredients and healthier options on the menus, such as grilled fish or chicken. Instead of a rich, high-density appetizer, order a salad, clear soup or shellfish. Better still – skip the appetisers and dessert to save on calories. Keep an eye on your portion sizes. Ask for a half-serving or a box and box up half of your meal before you dig in to keep things under control. Take leftovers back to your hotel room and store them in the refrigerator to enjoy the next day at lunch.

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