Like many of you, I try to eat healthy and work out, but sometimes hurdles appear from nowhere. With our fast-paced lives, it is difficult to design and stick to a workout and healthy eating regimen. For travelers, this is even harder since your work and living locations change every few months, making it hard to maintain a routine and identify restaurants or grocery stores that offer healthy economical choices.
From both experience and research, I have learned there are a lot of ways to make sticking to your health goals easier. Here are my top favorite (and often budget-friendly!) tips:
- Order water or non-sweetened tea instead of soda or sweet tea. You will save approximately 100 calories per 8 ounce serving plus keep $2-3 more in your pocket.
- Pack healthy snacks – yogurt, fruit, vegetables, cheese. These will help get you through a hunger craving without empty calories or a sugar crash. When it comes to fruit, skip the dried option. It doesn’t have the same hunger-satisfying power as its hydrated cousin.
- Plan ahead. With a small cooler, you can save calories, money, and time. Pack sandwiches; healthy snacks; and non-sugary drinks before you go into work or hit the road to your next assignment. Enjoy lunch at a park on your drive instead of seeking out a greasy fast food chain.
- Find healthy fast food options, i.e. Subway; Jimmy John’s; Chipotle; and the like. Another option – go for the chicken or turkey salad and get light dressing on the side.
- Look for calorie and fat content on menus. The healthcare reform legislation will require national chains with more than 20 locations to post the calorie content of their standard menu items. If you are at a chain or sit-down restaurant, look for the meals marked “light” or those that conform to national weight loss diet plans, i.e. Weight Watchers. These options typically list calorie and fat content.
- Skip the mayo! A tablespoon of mayo has about 70 calories. Choose mustard and you will save approximately 45 calories per tablespoon.
- Hit the grocery store when you land at your new assignment. Keeping healthy food and drink options on hand will help deter a fast food run. Plus, $20 will go further at the grocery store than in a restaurant.
- Eat breakfast! No matter whether your morning is 5 a.m. or 5 p.m., eating that first meal of the day will help you boost your metabolism and prepare for your active day.
- Choose baked over fried. Go for baked chips, pretzels, chicken, or fish instead of the fried alternative.
- Make time for exercise. Use the apartment gym; take the stairs; and travel with weights. Put on your sneakers and hit the sidewalk – you’ll burn about 220 calories for every 30 minutes walked. Remember those calories you’ve burned off when you reach for French fries (McDonald’s medium 380 calories) or a candy bar (average 200 calories).
- Educate yourself! Read the nutrition content before buying your favorite sweet snack or ordering a latte with whipped cream. It’s possible to still enjoy your favorite treat, but with fewer calories.
Here are a few websites that offer free tools to help keep you on track:
Calorie calculators that can tabulate the calories in your meal or how many burned working out:
Airport food review lists the health ranking of our airports
What tips for healthy eating have you used? Comment below – we’d love to hear from our travelers!
Debbie Grollmes is an Account Manager for Aureus Nursing.