5 Basic Nutrition Tips to Stay Fit on Vacation

Vacations are always fun; whether you’re out celebrating with your friends and family or getting some alone time while exploring a new country on your own. It’s your time to relax and take a break from your daily routine.

Vacations are also the time people tend to excuse themselves from their healthy diets and choose to indulge. If you’re someone who’s conscious about their weight and doesn’t want to deal with the extra pounds vacations can make you apprehensive about your calorie intake.

Here 5 tips that will help you stay on track with your diet:

1) Prepare yourself:

Whether you are traveling in your car or you’re going by plane, it’s best to keep some healthy food on you. If you’re going on a road trip then blend yourself some fruit smoothies and pack them in an ice cooler. Take some cold sandwiches with you and again pack them with an ice-pack to prevent them from going bad.

Packing dry food items such as fresh-fruit, raw vegetables, protein bars and jerky is an excellent idea. These types of foods can be easily stored in your bags whether you are traveling by car or by plane. They are filling and more importantly are filled with essential nutrients.

2) Plan ahead of time

Most of us will book a hotel ahead of time. When you do this, take some time to learn the surroundings of the hotel. Look up the food options in and around the restaurants and get an idea of what each place offers and the prices. If you’re going to a foreign land you may need to take a peek at the menu and get an understanding of the dishes and which ones would be best for your diet. The better you plan, the more likely you are to make healthier choices when it comes to food.

3) Go grocery shopping

Constantly eating out can be heavy on your wallet, especially when you’re on vacation and on a tight budget. You really don’t want to be spending all your money on food which is why you should head to a grocery store on the first day you’re there. At the grocery store pick up your basic food items such a brown bread, low-fat cheese, yogurt, fruits, vegetables etc. Buy food items that are healthy, easy to store, don’t go bad easily and can be packed to-go. This way you get to save some money, ensure you’re eating healthily and you don’t have to look around for places to eat all the time.

4) Be conscious of what you eat

Of course, you’d want to experience the native food of wherever it is that you are traveling to, for that you need to have some meals at restaurants. Don’t fret, it is possible to eat out the healthy way.

When you are eating out, carefully scan the menu, focusing on how each dish is prepared and served. Not all option will be cooked the healthy way and that’s alright, you can simply ask the waiter/waitress to change the way the food is cooked.

Fried food has more fat and calories so see if you can get it grilled instead. Replace unhealthy fattening sides such as mashed potatoes with ones with greater nutritional value (like steamed vegetables).

If you’re going to be enjoying hearty home-cooked family meals that could cause you to put on some weight, simply control your portions.

5) Don’t skip meals

For someone who wants to control their calorie intake, it is important to not skip any meals. On holidays it’s easy to lose track of time and skip meals which is why you should always have healthy snacks on you. Do not let your body fall into the stage of starvation because it will cause you to overeat.

To avoid binge-eating and prevent you from indulging your cravings, try and eat every 3-4 hours.

Other than the food that you eat, you need to ensure that you’re keeping yourself hydrated. Traveling by plane and lying on the beach for too long can leave you feeling dehydrated therefore you need to always have nutritious fluids with you at all times. Get yourself a water bottle with a fruit infuser; not only do they add a flavor to your water, they also add to its nutritional value.

About the Author

Brooke Whistance is a passionate health & lifestyle blogger, workaholic and cats fanatic who loves to write about prevailing trends. She has been living in Los Angeles, California with her family and cats. She is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry. 

You can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook!
 

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