Because fathering my two little ones and running my business keep me very busy, we rarely get the opportunity to travel together. While we were all very excited to create memories in Hawaii, it didn't take me long to discover how hard it is to eat healthy while traveling. I initially thought that 8 days away from eating ground turkey, tuna, flank steak, oatmeal, and veggies was going to be awesome but boy was I wrong! Two days into our trip and I already wanted my diet back.
Continental breakfast, Subway, and The Cheesecake Factory just wasn’t cutting it. Sure some people can easily live off a light breakfast, a salad for lunch, and grilled chicken or fish for dinner, but me, I consume 3400 plus calories per day. I had two options; I could suck it up and continue to eat the best junk possible (and then feel like crap) or I could seek out healthier food and feel like myself. My wife Molly and I chose the second option.
We googled where the nearest Whole Foods was, grabbed the kids, and jumped into a taxi. Molly and I went through that Whole Foods like we were preparing for a natural disaster. Though it was the highest total we have ever had at Whole Foods, I would have gladly paid triple if it meant that my family and I would feel better.
Here are a few options to help you and your family eat healthy while traveling:
1. Bring plenty of healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, and protein bars.
2. Before you arrive, use sites like Yelp to research healthy restaurants near your hotel.
3. Consider booking a hotel that has a kitchen so that you can prepare your own meals.
4. Be prepared to head to the nearest grocery store if healthy restaurants aren't readily available.
5. Drink extra water.
6. Avoid bad foods altogether. These foods drain energy and often contain empty calories which will only leave wanting more junk.
*image by Benjamin Stone, Flickr
Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.
We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!