Tips on Eating Healthy While Traveling Abroad

When you find yourself traveling abroad, eating healthy is a real challenge. Driven by temptation, we usually indulge in meals and snacks without knowing their ingredients. We constantly fall into the most tantalizing trap: overloading our bodies with delicious food that sadly drains our precious energy. 

Eating healthy while traveling abroad is not impossible. It’s a matter of planning and preparation. Get ready to make your experience abroad even more enjoyable with the following tips.

Why is Eating Healthy while Traveling Abroad Important?

You are what you eat — as the saying goes and the effort you put in today will pay off tomorrow in so many ways. Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet not only keeps your energy levels high it also prevents fatigue and helps you stay fit to make the most of your trip.

Eating healthy while traveling abroad will make you feel more energetic, peaceful, and balanced. By implementing a couple of simple changes into your diet, it’s possible to fine-tune your lifestyle to set you in the right mood to continue soaking up the culture and completing your bucket list.

Is Eating Healthy while Traveling Abroad Even Possible?

You may be wondering if it’s even possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you’re far away from home? The answer is yes, it’s all about being prudent and making the right choices.

You might want to consider staying in hostels or other accommodations with access to a kitchen that will allow you to prepare meals.

Don’t sabotage yourself with thoughts like “It’s hard to find the time to prepare meals.” Remember, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and improving your health. Drive yourself in the right direction with a few tips on how to eat healthy when traveling abroad.

Tips on Eating Healthy While Traveling Abroad

Research your Destination

The best way to enjoy your trip is to avoid the stress and anxiety generated by being in an unknown place. Researching everything you can before traveling to your destination is a great way to limit stress. Look for routes and maps of the site, what areas you should visit, where you can eat healthily, and where the farmer’s markets are. This way, when you arrive, you will already have a travel plan and you’ll feel more at home.

Plan your Meals Ahead

Success loves preparation. If you want to succeed in your trip and enjoy it to the fullest while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you should plan your meals. 

Making a list of foods you want to eat, and the ingredients you need to prepare them is always a good choice. You can use a nutrition diary to write them down. Then, hit the nearest market and take them with you. Alternatively, you can make a list of food you should avoid. This way, you’re less prone to break your healthy diet.

Eat Fresh and Local Food

Going to the local markets and bazaars is the best way to know another country’s cuisine, culture, and get to know the locals. Usually, in these markets, the fruits and vegetables are delivered in the morning by farmers. 

There, you’ll most likely find the freshest, pesticide-free products you could find locally. It is also a unique opportunity to meet the locals and support their economy. Ask them all about their gastronomic culture and the best place in town to try the region’s typical dishes. When you eat out, you would want to choose a restaurant that has good references and avoid the places you see as unhealthy.   

Know the Ingredients

Knowing the ingredients of the different dishes on the menu allows you to choose the healthiest options. If you are unsure of the ingredients being used you could always ask the restaurant staff. If you go shopping at a farmer’s market, take the opportunity to get to know those selling the local fruits and vegetables.

Avoid too Much Alcohol

It’s always fun to try local beers and alcohol. However, overindulging may cause severe dehydration. To avoid this, try to drink plenty of water between drinks so you can balance the water you’ll lose while indulging. 

Avoid too Much Sugar

Consuming too much sugar puts your metabolism to work at its maximum, which means spending the day with low energy levels. On the other hand, excessive sugar produces irritability, affecting your trip.

Keep to your Exercise Routine

Exercising while traveling? Yes! Trust us and thank us later. A 30-minute routine will release endorphins into your system, giving yourself a sense of well-being and the energy boost to enjoy your trip at your best. Keep exercising daily and prepare your body to tackle the scenic route without getting tired at all.

Prepare your Food if Possible

Nothing beats homemade food. So, we recommend that you try to choose your accommodations with this in mind. Hostels usually have access to kitchens where you can prepare your food by buying ingredients from local markets. The ideal approach would be to separate food portions in reusable containers so you can save time and space in a shared fridge.

Drink Lots of Water

Staying hydrated when traveling abroad should be your number one priority. Not only is it the key to beating jet lag, but it also prevents fatigue and dehydration symptoms. Drink water all the time, especially if you’re visiting a sunny or tropical place. 

It’s important to make sure you are consuming potable water. Not all destinations have drinkable tap water. If you’re ever in any doubt, opt for bottled water. 

Eat Breakfast

All nutritionists agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A balanced, nutritious breakfast will provide you with all the nutrients your body needs for optimal functioning and energy levels throughout the day.

Pack Food for the Day

Keep healthy snacks with you at all times. This means fruits, vegetables, nuts, or any other food that you can carry with you in your luggage to eat quickly. Using a ThinkFit Insulated Meal Prep kit allows you to carry snacks and meals in six BPA-Free, microwavable, freezer-safe containers. In addition, it comes with a shaker cup and a pill organizer, all set up inside of a practical lunch box with a shoulder strap and storage pocket. It’s perfect for those who are always on the go.

Avoid Overeating

Overeating will only make you feel a sense of heaviness all day. When you get used to eating too much food, it can lead to weight gain, increasing the risk of developing a chronic condition, like diabetes or heart disease. Eat small portions and drink enough water to avoid eating in excess.

Key Takeaways for Eating Healthy While Traveling Abroad

Making sure you’re eating healthy while traveling abroad is possible by following these tips we’ve shared. Remember to always stay hydrated, don’t skip meals, organize them ahead of time, choose accommodations with a kitchen and keep choosing the healthiest and freshest options.