Healthy Eating While Traveling

Eating a healthy diet when you are traveling can be difficult. It is important to plan ahead. Below are strategies to help you.

Hotels

• Order healthy breakfast foods individually (a la carte). This will help you avoid the temptations at the buffet.

• Have breakfast in your room. Bring fresh fruit and mini-boxes of cereal. You can keep a small container of  low-fat or skim milk cool in the ice bucket overnight.

Car Travel

If you have a long ride ahead, buy snacks before the trip. This will help you avoid the high-fat food choices on the road. Some good snack choices include:

• Pretzels

• Whole-grain bagels

• Breadsticks

• Fig bars

• Low-fat or nonfat yogurt

• Baby carrots or ready-cut carrot and celery sticks

• Dried fruit

• String cheese

Airplane Travel

• Some airlines offer peanuts or pretzels. Pick the pretzels, which contain little or no fat. The peanuts can have up to 93 percent of calories from fat.

• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink on the plane. Alcohol provides calories with no nutrients. It can make you hungry and dehydrated. Try mineral water with a twist of lemon or lime instead.

• Airplane meals are often high in salt and fat. But you can order a special meal in advance on most airlines. These meals tend to be healthier. Your options may include a low-salt or low-fat meal, or a vegetarian meal. Call the airline at least 48 hours before your flight.