I wrote a guest post regarding “Eating Healthy While Traveling For Business” for my friend Amanda’s blog Against the Grain, so I thought I would share my tips here as well! I hope you enjoy: 

Eating Healthy While Traveling For Business

I travel a lot for work. I also feel sick a lot from food, so I’m not able to consistently cook for myself and eat food that won’t upset my stomach. I have gone to the gastroenterologist many times to try to figure out what causes my upset stomach. [Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders.] After many tests, we still can’t determine the cause, but because of this, I have learned how to eat healthy while traveling for business.

Stay hydrated and drink lots of water.

One of the most important things I’ve learned from traveling a lot is to make sure I drink plenty of water (this is key on an airplane). Many people love to drink coffee, especially when they are tired from traveling, but coffee is dehydrating, so make sure to drink plenty of water as well. Also, try to avoid super sugary caffeinated drinks. If I need caffeine, I personally try to stick to tea for the other health benefits as well. Also, people like to drink wine or beer on an airplane, but this will make you feel much worse the next day.

Stick to a schedule.

If you normally eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a certain times at home, try to stick to the same times while you are traveling. A lot of my colleagues skip breakfast when they travel, but I can’t survive the morning without it, so I always build in enough time to grab breakfast, even if it is just a muffin and banana.

Pack your own (healthy) snacks.

I always travel with KIND bars or RX bars in my backpack when I travel for any instances where I can’t eat on time in accordance with my schedule. A lot of my client sites have vending machines or free snacks that are chips, candy bars, etc., so it’s nice to be able to have something healthy available.

Don’t feel like you have to drink at happy hour.

Some people live for happy hour and having free drinks on the Company. Just because drinks are free doesn’t mean that you need to have a bunch of drinks.

Choose a light meal.

Another thing a lot of people do while traveling for business is eat a large meal since the Company is paying for it. I’ve learned that just because its free doesn’t mean I should always eat large meals. If everyone is ordering steaks and a bunch of sides, it is okay to order a soup and salad if that’s what you want to eat.