How to Eat Healthy & Save Money While Traveling

We travel quite a bit. Scott normally has to take 3-4 work trips per year (I usually go on some of them), we take a two-week hiking trip in the fall and usually go somewhere over his winter break (you can read about our travels here). When we are home we often take day or weekend trips to the mountains to hike so we’ve learned some tips and tricks to help us stay healthy but still enjoy our time away.

We don’t let vacation turn into a “free for all” because we know that we won’t feel well if we do that but we also aren’t very strict either. Remember those posts about balance (here and here)? This is a lifestyle for us so we know that we can indulge as much or as little as we want and either way we will still be okay.

The most important thing is that quickly after we return home we get right back into our routines. It’s a lifestyle – not a diet – and living this lifestyle (eating clean and working out) allows us to continue to do the things that we love.

I hate wasting anything, especially food, so I actually pack up and take any food we have in the fridge that will go bad while we are gone. We normally eat this at the airport before boarding or on the plane. Not only will these tips save you money but they will also allow you to save your treats for things that you really want once you arrive at your destination.

HOW TO EAT HEALTHY & SAVE MONEY WHILE TRAVELING

PACKING:

Although we normally go grocery shopping once we get to where we are going I always pack snacks for the road. Along with bringing any food that will spoil while we are gone I bring the following:

• Protein Bars (these are our favorite healthy protein bars)
• Protein Powder (these are our favorite whey protein powders and plant-based protein powder)
• Rice Cakes
• Nuts (usually cashews or almonds)
• Supplements
• Blender Bottle (for protein shakes and Isotonix vitamins in the morning)

AT THE HOTEL:

If we aren’t traveling using a service like Airbnb, VRBO, or staying at a condo, house, etc we ALWAYS get a room that has a mini-refrigerator. Most of the time this comes at no extra cost but even if they do charge you it’s less expensive than eating out every single meal. Use the refrigerator to store the food you brought from home, leftovers, or food from when you go grocery shopping. We always eat breakfast at the hotel in order to save money. If we have a kitchen we make eggs, if we don’t have a kitchen we will drink a protein shake and make oats.

IN THE CAR/AT THE AIRPORT:

Walking through the airport, you will see many different choices available. Although the pastries and pizzas look good if you look a little further down you can likely find a salad, fruit cup, protein bar, etc. Why eat airport pizza when you can have quality pizza once you reach your destination?

If you are on an airline that still offers free snacks, skip them. Have you ever looked at the ingredient label on those snacks? They aren’t just “peanuts” and the 100-calorie pack of cookies will just make you more hungry! You packed food to bring so just snack on something you packed if you are hungry.

I’ve combined car and airport snacks because it’s really the same techniques we use with each – skip the drive-thru and pack your own snacks!

Also, see this post on Clean Food to Pack for the Airport and this post on Clean Road Trip Food.

There is always health(ier) choices. Instead of wasting your “treats” on mediocre food from a drive-thru or airport, be prepared and save your treats for when you reach your destination.