Healthy eating can be hard while working away, due to the disruption to your routine and the temptation of new restaurants. Here’s some tips to help you keep a healthy diet while working away from home:
Stay in Accommodation with a Kitchen
Cooking proper meals is one of the easiest ways to eat healthily while working away. Restaurants and takeaways might be low-effort and tempting but you’ll start to feel sluggish and will quickly get out of shape if you eat like you are on holiday. Even in the short term, fast food can affect blood pressure, blood sugar and increase inflammation. It also means you are unlikely to be getting all of the vitamins and nutrients you need during your trip.
Customising Your Accommodation Request
Pick your Restaurant Carefully for Healthy Eating
If you are going to eat out it’s worth checking the menu for each restaurant before you go to make sure there are some reasonably healthy options. Anywhere that regularly serves carvery is a good choice because of the large choice of vegetables. Italian restaurants tend to be a bad choice for healthy eating as they generally only serve the most unhealthy, luxurious Italian food. If you do end up at an Italian, a green risotto or pasta sauce is likely the healthiest thing on the menu.
Be Prepared for Healthy Eating
Bring along some healthy snacks so you won’t be tempted by a vending machine or what the petrol station has to offer. If you are staying in accommodation with a kitchen, it’s also a good idea to gather some low-effort, healthy recipes so you know before you get there what you are going to cook and what ingredients you will need.
Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
One of the best ways to avoid eating snacks later on is to fill up on breakfast! While hotel breakfasts do have plenty of healthy options, the most filling choice is probably a full English. It might be high in calories and mostly fried but in comparison to spending the day eating vending machine chocolate bars and fast food it’s a good option. It also usually contains a few healthy choices, such as mushrooms, baked beans and tomatoes. An omelette is also a good choice, especially if you choose a healthy filling.
Additionally, the fruit juice selection in a hotel breakfast is a good way to get some vitamins, which could help you eat less later in the day. Certain vitamins naturally control appetite, and they will help you feel more awake (we eat more when we are sluggish).
Protein!
Healthy eating is easier when you aren’t hungry so making sure you keep hunger at bay is the best way to stop yourself from being tempted by junk food. Protein-rich foods help you feel full for longer. These include meat, almonds, seafood, eggs, lentils, dairy and peanuts/peanut butter. Many of these protein foods also contain plenty of vitamins, magnesium & iron making them the epitome of healthy eating. You can also bring protein bars for a midday snack, or a protein shake to help keep you going.
