Traveling is one of my favorite activities. I love exploring new parts of the world and living life outside of my everyday routines. While the experience is usually wonderful, maintaining a focus on health can be not only challenging while away from home, but overwhelming to balance and navigate. 

This past weekend, I traveled to Destin, Florida for a bachelorette party to celebrate one of my friends from college. We arrived on Thursday and had a fun weekend full of activities planned. We rented a beautiful house with a pool two blocks from the beach, which had the softest sand I’ve ever felt. While lack of physical activity wasn’t an issue, I wanted to put a little focus into what I ate over the weekend to have fun and enjoy the moment, but still eat foods that make me feel my best.

One of the most challenging parts of being away from home and maintaining a priority on health is eating the majority of meals out at restaurants. When our food options are in the hands of someone else, it can feel like we have to choose between staying focused on our goals or having fun in life, and that we don’t get to do both at the same time. Our mindset around food while traveling is very important and will determine how we feel about the food choices we have to make. 

It’s easy to treat eating out at a restaurant as an extremely novel experience and one that is worthy of throwing all of our nutrition goals out the window. While this may be the case occasionally, if we approach every meal in this way, we will really struggle to find any sort of harmony or enjoyment in our lives. After I settle in and accept that I can have a great time and eat in alignment with my goals, here are some steps I follow to help make food decisions easier.

The first thing I always like to do is order vegetables with my meal, and eat them first, if possible. Eating vegetables at the beginning of a meal helps stabilize blood sugar, regulate hunger cues to help us recognize when we are full, and will leave us feeling better physically than if we skip the veggies all together.

 Along with that, I like to choose a savory meal with a protein option. After I finish my vegetables and protein, I round out my meal by eating anything else on my plate, whether it’s potatoes or dessert. Eating in this order allows me to enjoy all aspects of the meal without worrying too much about the exact foods on my plate.

Having a sweet treat with friends and family can be one of the most fun parts of traveling. I like to have a plan for enjoying ice cream or dessert, and the best time to do so is after a meal. This timing helps keep inflammation down, energy up, and helps us remain clear-headed, making it easier to make food choices while still enjoying everything vacation has to offer.

Prioritizing our health goals doesn’t mean we need to cut out fun or be strict all of the time. A little intention can go a long way. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy your trip, not just through doing new things, but setting your body up to feel well along the way.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi