Healthy Holiday Travel Tips

Staying at relatives homes can be challenging when we have a usual routine of exercising and are trying to eat healthier.  For me, I'm not usually away overnight at anyone's home during Christmas time, BUT these tips help me ANY time I'm traveling!

Here are a few tips to help with holiday travel and staying at other people's homes during the holidays.

Pack snacks that do not require refrigeration – almonds, lean jerky, nuts/seeds, whole fruits, some veggies, WATER!!

Pack a cooler with snacks for the road so you aren’t tempted to stop at the jiffy store or rest area vending machine.  Easy examples are yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, washed fruits, washed veggies, hummus, hard boiled eggs, deli meats

Take your laptop with you – you can play your workout DVDs in a room with the door closed and don’t have to bother everyone else for the TV.  You can wake up early and have your workout finished and enjoy your day.  This is what I do anytime we are staying away from home – it works great in hotel rooms because they usually don’t have DVD players.

Don’t skip meals trying to save room for calories later – you’ll end up eating too much later

Make a trip to the grocery store as soon as you get into town – this way you know that you will have healthy foods for you and your family.

Decide ahead of time which foods you will splurge on.  Which foods are worth it to you?  Don’t go overboard, but it’s OK to have a treat!

Pack plenty of bottled water in the car – plan for the number of days you will be gone and be sure that you have enough.

If you will be eating out while gone, think about the types of foods that each restaurant will have and make a plan.  Plan what you will order so that you aren’t tempted to order the unhealthy choices on the menu!

Instead of snacking on the crackers, chips and dips make sure to snack on more of the vegetables and fruit.  If there isn’t a veggie & fruit tray – make one for everyone!

I always pack my Shakeology and blender when I go out of town.  I NEVER leave home without it!  This is the easiest way to ensure that I am able to have at least one COMPLETE, NUTRITIOUS MEAL to start my day.

Hopefully these tips will give you a few ideas that you can incorporate into your routine to make the holiday season a little less stressful and a little more healthy!