How to Eat Well While Traveling?

You've heard it over and over again that you should eat five or six small meals a day to maintain a healthy weight and keep your energy levels high, particularly if you workout on a regular basis. But for many of you finding time to cook a meal a day can be a challenge, never mind five or six. When you're on the go and looking for a quick, healthy meal, it helps to be aware of your choice; because you have a choice. With airport regulations the choice is a little limited. Nevertheless, you can get a healthy and fast meal such as “healthy fast foods”, meal replacements, and protein bars. You will find below a few meal ideas:

Fast Food:

 Try to drink 8 oz of water before consuming any of the following (you will eat less by doing so).

1-   McDonald Chicken McGrill without mayonnaise 300 Calories, 4.5 gr. Fat, Carbohydrates 37gr, Protein 27 gr.).You also eat only half of the bun; this would reduce the total calories to 220 calories, hence reducing the carbohydrates and fat content.

2-      McDonald Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 300 Calories, 6 gr. Total Fat, Carbohydrates 12 gr., Protein 30 gr.

3-      McDonald California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 280 Calories, 11 gr. Fat, 12 gr. Carbohydrates, 35 gr. Protein).

4-      (Burger King) BK Veggie® Burger Patty Without reduced fat mayonnaise: 310 Calories, 7 gr. Fat, 45 gr. Carbohydrates, 15 gr. Protein.

5-      Starbucks: Roma Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich: 380 calories. Ham & Swiss Sandwich: 360 calories. Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate: 250 calories. Farmer's Market Salad: 230 calories.

6-      California Pizza Kitchen: Asparagus Soup: (vegetarian and creamless) 106 calories per cup, 213 for a bowl. Moroccan Chicken Salad (half): 421 calories. Chinese Chicken Salad (half): 376 calories. Frozen Lemonade: 70 calories

7-      TCBY: Every soft-serve yogurt is under 120 calories per ½ cup serving, top with any berries for less than 10 calories extra. Have it on a sugar cone for 50 more calories

Easy Meal Replacement

·         Protein Bars (not energy bars) :

When choosing a bar, you should consider a few factors. Avoid bars with too much sugar. Look for products that have at least 3 grams of fiber. And scan the label for high quality ingredients like whole grains. Generally I would rather see a whole grain as the first ingredient, rather than high fructose corn syrup. Get 10-20 grams protein per bar if you are a woman and 20-30 grams if you are a man.

·         Whey or Soy Protein Shake:

You can also prepare your own protein shake and drink it before crossing security (at home), it will fill you up for a couple of hours and will keep you from giving in to junk foods, or prepare it at your hotel.  Try my recipe, the “Nordine’s Power Punch” (Featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Showhttp://www.oprah.com/food/Nordines-Power-Punch.

Servings: Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

Nordine's Power Punch

·         2 tablespoons soy or whey protein powder

·         1/2 cup fat-free milk

·         1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

·         1/2 cup strawberries

·         1/2 medium banana

·         1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.

Nutritional Information

260 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 51 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 16 grams protein

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.