Do you travel for work? Many of us do. In fact, Americans make more than 405 million long-distance business trips per year, accounting for 16% of all long-distance travel. Contrary to the stereotypical image of the business traveler heading off to catch a cross-country flight, the majority of long-distance business trips in the United States are taken to destinations within 250 miles of home and are by automobile.
Of course many of us travel for leisure too! About 42% of U.S. adults reported traveling by air for leisure trips in one year. The percentage of air travelers increases to 48% among U.S. adults who traveled for business purposes in the past year.
So, how easy is it to stay healthy while on the road? Not terribly, right? Of course eating out brings the convenience of time, thought and choice and the added benefit of social interaction (particularly when traveling alone for business). But, eating out brings higher sodium, fat and calories to your diet, limited control on how your food is prepared and is more expensive to eat out than to prepare your own meals. Here are some tips for staying healthy while traveling:
¤ Identify foods to choose and foods to avoid
¤ Learn how to balance meals each day so that overall diet is healthy
¤ Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets
¤ Find restaurants that honor special requests
¤ Choose healthier fast food restaurants
When selecting entrees, consider:
¤ Ordering chicken, turkey or fish instead of meat
¤ Ordering grilled, broiled, poached, roasted, or steamed items
¤ Avoiding cheese, cream or butter sauces Avoid fried and creamed items
¤ Avoiding salads made with mayonnaise
¤ Avoiding high fat breads, such as garlic bread, croissants and muffins
If you must choose desserts:
¤ Choose fruit or fruit-based desserts
¤ Choose Angel Food or sponge cakes, or meringues
¤ Eat a small mint for that after dinner sweet craving
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to staying healthy on the road, or better yet, sign up for NutriFit meals, all ready to take on your travels.