Healthy Travel Tips

It’s Wedding season, summer is upon us and we’ve got trips planned to visit friends and family. I don’t know about you, but going out of town used to drum up some serious anxiety. Being on a different schedule, not sleeping in my own bed and questionable food choices for someone that likes routine- was unnerving. 

For some people, travel is spontaneous, invigorating and carefree. And while it no longer completely freaks me out, I’m somewhere in the middle between anxious and free & wild! I like to enjoy myself and see what the new city has to offer, but also like to be prepared, have my comfort items & necessities in tow and eat and live as close to how I do at home as possible.

I was just out of town for a long weekend for my best friend’s sister’s wedding in Pittsburgh. I truly had a spectacular time and got to see a lot of old friends plus spend time with my boyfriend.

I felt pretty good the whole time I was there and wanted to share with you my go-to travel tips in hopes some of these things will help you when you go away next too!

Bring food with you on the plane (or in the car!)

A lot of people don’t realize you can bring pretty much anything through security! With the exception of liquids so things like soups and Kombucha excluded ;) If you listen to my podcast I talk about how I once brought an entire batch of banana bread and 6 chicken legs through. Yep, happened. 

While airport food is getting better, it’s still pretty slim pickings. Traveling can be exhausting and stressful and if you enter into the day unprepared plus tired and stressed out, of course you’re going to end up choosing something quick and processed.

That may make you feel good for a split second but you’ll likely end up with a blood sugar crash, digestive upset and feel totally groggy. This is why it's wise you simply make the decision easy for yourself ahead of time, bring food and come prepared.

Not only is this so you have something to eat at the airport and during the flight, but when you get to your final destination as well since it may be a while before you can get a real meal.

On the first leg of my trip I brought two Applegate turkey burgers and two batches of my paleo pancakes. We were traveling literally all day, so these held me over till a late, late dinner. On the way home I brought a salad I made from Whole Foods (more on this in a sec!) that was greens, peppers, zucchini, olives and chicken. I also had some 85% dark chocolate which I think makes a great snack since it’s high in healthy fat, low in sugar and has some antioxidants and magnesium (for zen-ness and sleep). 

The same goes for road trips! Do a mini meal prep and bring some things in a cooler so you’re not left with gas station snacks and Carl’s Junior…

Google a grocery store close-by to stock up on a few things

When I booked my hotel room for this weekend, I requested an empty mini-fridge for the room. Then, I looked up a Whole Foods. There was one about 20 mins away, so my boyfriend and I took an uber there the second day of our trip. We still went out to dinners, and of course were there for a wedding but I liked having some other options for breakfasts and lunches that we could just grab from the room.

Of course not every place you’re staying will have a Whole Foods nearby, but you could also go to a Trader Joes, or really any other grocery store that has SOME healthy options and prepared foods.

Grabbing things like clean lunch meat, canned wild fish and greens are great options. My boyfriend grabbed a few bars and we both stocked up on a few liters of water too. 

Drink TONS of water

I can’t say this enough but when you travel things do get thrown off and it’s absolutely essential that you hydrate. Digestion, energy and sleep will all benefits from tons of H2O.

Every time I fly, my digestion does get a bit thrown off. Especially if I have a super early flight and can’t get my morning walk + stretch in. Our bodies like consistency…so to buffer that discomfort I made sure to drink a ton of water- at the airport, during the flight and each morning & night in the hotel room.

This is where going to a local grocery store (or even a corner store) is important- even if it’s simply just to stock up on water!

Share below what you do to stay healthy while traveling!!