How To Stay Healthy While Traveling {Nutritionist Tips}
Looking for tips for healthy travel? As a Nutritionist and Health Coach, I am bringing you our best strategies so that you can feel great, stay healthy and have fun on your vacation. -Lisa C
Travel is a wonderful part of life! Experiencing new cultures, exploring the sites, meeting new people, and seeing the world is one of the greatest blessings of my life.
As I write this blog, I am traveling home from Amsterdam - a trip I took with Steve to celebrate his birthday. Amsterdam is a fabulous city, and we took advantage of every single moment - taking a canal boat tour, visiting the famous art museums and Anne Frank House, exploring the red light district, and enjoying amazing food. It was magical!
So, this felt like a good time to share my best healthy travel tips with you. Trust me - with some planning and a little research you can enjoy your trip without letting your health and fitness totally fall apart. My goal is to always fully enjoy myself without feeling like I need to spend hours in the gym or do a detox to reverse the damage.
My personal approach to nutrition and fitness is to follow that basic “80/20 Rule” — traveling or not. Structure, routines, and plans with a little bit of fun and flexibility built in - 80% of the time you follow the plan and 20% you can do what you want. Like everything else we teach at Tuesday Foods - I always encourage you to find what works best for you!
Here are few tips and healthy travel essentials to take along on your journey!
The Best Supplements for Travel
The world of supplements can be confusing, so we always recommend working with a Nutritionist to test for nutrient deficiencies + evaluate your health history, current diet, and lifestyle so you can understand your individual needs.
If you’re interested in a private consultation, you can book one here. We offer free nutrition consultations to all of our Tuesday Foodies!
I actually take a break from my regular supplement routine when I travel, but there are a few things that I can’t live without - support for sleep, immunity and digestion. Below are some of the supplements (all linked) that anyone can benefit from…..I don’t go anywhere without them!
Magnesium Citrate is always a must in our travel bags. This supplement is helpful in treating occasional constipation, something many people struggle with while traveling. It also helps promote better sleep. Take the recommended dose with a full eight ounces of water before bed.
Vitamin C is essential for keeping your immunity strong. Liposomal forms of vitamin C are generally better absorbed—the main reason why we love this product so much. Mix the recommended dose into any drink or take in one gulp followed by a glass of water.
When eating out at restaurants, it is harder to consume as many fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-dense foods as I would when eating at home (or ordering Tuesday Foods!) . Garden Of Life Super Greens has 75 essential vitamins and minerals in one convenient packet. Mix it with water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Probiotics
Probiotics make a huge difference in my digestion when traveling. They’re chock-full of the good bacteria that keep my tummy happy, while also warding off bad bugs. Make sure you grab a good probiotic that doesn’t need to be refrigerated so it’s easy to take with you wherever you go.
Digestive enzymes help our bodies break down food for optimal absorption. This is especially important when traveling as we are oftentimes trying new foods that are harder to digest than what we normally eat at home. I love this brand because they are in chewable form and you can easily travel with them in a ziplock bag or small container.
The Best Travel Snacks
While I spend most meals out at restaurants while traveling, I always pack a few snacks for travel days. The amount I bring just depends on how prepped I am at home. On this trip, I brought this Curried Chickpea Salad from our Tuesday Foods menu this week! If I don't have a meal prepared, I bring nuts or trail mix, energy balls, fruit, nut butter packs, herbal tea, or a sandwich or wrap. (A few Tuesday Foods recipes below!)
Bring your water bottle empty through security, then fill it up at the gate or be prepared to buy a big bottle. I bring herbal tea and always get hot water on the plane a few times.
Pro Tip: Eat one meal from the grocery store per day on your trip. Find the closest grocery store, juice bar or health food store to where you’re staying. Dining out is a wonderful part of the travel experience, but try to have one meal a day from the market - or order a smoothie or juice.
Healthy Travel-Friendly Recipes
I love to make a huge batch of trail mix before trips. It can be eaten by the handful, or sprinkled on top of yogurt or a smoothie.
Tuesday Trail Mix:
3/4 cup shelled roasted salted pistachios
1/2 cup toasted salted pepitas
1/4 cup roasted cashews
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/3 cup dried tart cherries (look for dried cherries with no sugar added)
1/3 cup dried mulberries
1/3 cup vegan and refined-sugar-free dark chocolate chips (We like Hu Chocolate’s Gems)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
a pinch of flaky salt
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well so the cardamom and salt get evenly distributed.
These peanut butter no bake energy balls require only one bowl, eight ingredients and are so easy to make. I love having them as a travel snack option!
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together well to combine.
Place bowl of “dough” in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so it can set up.
Bring dough out of the fridge and roll into balls about 1 Tablespoon in size.
Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.
Squeeze In A Workout
Bring your sneakers and use them! Hit the hotel gym. Play volleyball on the beach. Go for a morning run through town. Take a bike tour. Try paddle boarding. Go for a hike. Walk through a museum. Play a round of golf. Whatever you love to do! (Picture above: Biking on Guiones Beach in Nosara, Costa Rica)
Pro Tip: Before you go, research the closest cycling or yoga studio, as well as popular trails for running, hiking or walking. When I am in a city, I love to go to Soul Cycle. In Los Angeles, I hike Runyon Canyon with my sister-in-law. On our trip to Amsterdam, we rented bikes to explore the city.
