How to Eat Healthy While Traveling This Summer

Summertime is here and for many of us, that means packing our bags, hitting the road or skies and exploring new places with friends and family! But if you’ve ever felt like traveling completely throws off your nutrition, you’re not alone. 

Vacations often mean eating out more, trying new foods and breaking from your usual routine, and that’s not a bad thing. Today, I’m covering my top summer travel nutrition tips to help you stay nourished, energized and balanced while still enjoying every bite of your vacation.

Avoid the All-or-Nothing Mentality While Traveling

The real challenge many people face isn’t eating out, it’s falling into the all-or-nothing mentality. This is when you’re either “all in” with healthy eating while traveling and restricting certain foods or you throw in the towel and eat only the foods you normally would avoid. There is no balance here.

One thing that can really help is letting go of labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” Food has no moral value. You’re not a good person for eating an apple and you’re not a bad person for eating a cookie. It’s just a cookie. 

When we stop putting certain foods on a high pedestal, we remove the power they have over us. The goal is to find a sustainable balance between nutrient-dense foods and foods for the soul. I am an ice cream lover so for me, my food for the soul is ice cream!

Using this approach, I’ve pulled together my go-to travel nutrition strategies to keep you fueled, satisfied and feeling your best on vacation.

7 Summer Travel Nutrition Tips for Healthy Eating on Vacation

These healthy eating traveling tips will help you enjoy your vacation while still supporting your body, nutrition and goals!

1. Eat Every 4 Hours to Keep Energy Levels Up

One of the easiest ways to maintain balanced eating while traveling is to avoid going long period of time without eating. Going too long without food can cause low energy, mood swings and hanger. Aim to eat every 4 hours to keep your blood sugar steady and your body fueled.

2. Pack Healthy Snacks for Road Trips and Flights

Whether you’re flying, taking a train or taking a long road trip, healthy travel snacks can be a lifesaver. Healthy Athlete Snacks have both carbs and protein! Bring both carb-based snacks (like pretzels, crackers and dried fruit) and protein-rich snacks (like roasted edamame, roasted chickpeas, jerky and protein bars).

These can also be used to supplement meals, especially if a meal is lower in protein or carbs. If you’re searching for the best healthy snacks for road trips and flights, think portable, non-perishable and satisfying.

Check out this list of 20 Dietitian-Approved Athlete Snacks!

3. Stay Hydrated When Traveling with a Reusable Water Bottle and Electrolytes

Bring a reusable water bottle and a few electrolyte packets to help you stay hydrated while traveling. This is especially important if you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, in the heat, running or walking more than usual.

4. Plan Easy, Healthy Meals for Travel Days

If you’re driving, pack a sub or sandwich with some sides before you leave and store it in a cooler. If you’re flying, eat at home before your flight if possible or plan ahead for what you’ll grab at the airport (subs, salads or rice dishes).

This kind of travel meal planning ensures you don’t end up skipping meals and will have some nutrient-dense options available.

5. Grocery Shop at Your Destination for Quick Breakfasts and Lunches

Be sure to start your day with an athlete breakfast! Once you arrive at your destination, stop by a local grocery store to stock up on healthy travel meal and snack ingredients for the week. This could include Greek yogurt cups, oatmeal packets, smoothie ingredients, salad kits, sandwich ingredients, fruit and veggie sticks.

If you’re staying in a hotel or rental with a fridge, stocking easy options like these makes vacation eating less stressful and can help you save some money.

6. How to Make Restaurant Meals More Nutritious While Traveling

Eating out is one of the best parts of a trip, so don’t feel like you have to avoid it. Instead, work on eating balanced meals at restaurants by ordering what you’re truly craving, then rounding it out to build a balanced plate. 

Ordering what you are in the mood for is important. If you order a big salad but really want the burger, that salad will not satisfy you and the whole time that you’ll be eating the salad, you’ll be thinking about the burger. So order the burger but work on optimizing it. 

Here’s an example. The burger is your protein, some fat and some grain (the bun), right? To optimize this meal, order a side salad or a side veggie. If you want the fries, get the fries but maybe split them with someone so you have room to eat the veggie.

See how this works? You’re not depriving yourself of what you want but you’re working on optimizing your plate and adding more nutrients! This is what it can look like for eating balanced meals at restaurants.

7. Don’t Stress Over One Meal, Focus on the Bigger Picture

One indulgent dinner or dessert won’t ruin your health or set you back with your goals. Zoom out and look at the bigger picture. If you’re eating 3 meals/day that’s 21 meals/week. One (or a few) meal(s) out of 21 meals is not going to make or break your nutrition!

Healthy eating on vacation includes both nutrient-dense foods and foods for the soul. This mindset shift can help you let go of guilt and fully enjoy your trip, whether you’re sipping a poolside cocktail, grabbing ice cream with your family or having nachos at happy hour.

Final Thoughts

Traveling doesn’t have to mean giving up on your nutrition and goals, and it also doesn’t mean restricting yourself from enjoying the foods you love. 

With a balanced mindset and these vacation eating tips, you can feel good, stay energized, be nourished and enjoy every bite of your travels. Use these tips to keep yourself nourished and happy wherever your adventures take you!