7 Tips for Eating Keto While Traveling
7 Tips for Eating Keto While Traveling
Sticking to any type of diet plan while you’re traveling can be a challenge. It’s much easier to stick to your keto lifestyle when you’re at home and not faced with a myriad of tempting dishes. After all, who wants to stick to healthy meals while exploring a city known for awe-inspiring food like New Orleans or Kansas City? Traveling while on a Keto plan does not have to be difficult. Here are seven tips for eating Keto while traveling.
-
Use a Cooler
During your first few days of travel, plan to pack a cooler full of food. You probably won’t be able to eat that way for the entire trip, unless you’re somewhere where you can cook, but for the first few days, a cooler gives you the opportunity to pack foods that you have made at home. Suggestions for filling the cooler include pepperoni, raw veggies with Ranch dressing, boiled eggs, and fat bombs. I always keep some of these grass-fed paleo-friendly keto-friendly meat sticks in my purse and travel bag. I also recommend macadamia nuts, as they’re very easy to travel with.
-
Make Use of Online Menus
As you’re nearing a time when you will need to eat, use your smart phone or tablet to check out online menus of local restaurants. Many restaurants offer Keto-friendly options. Online menus may give you the option to look at ingredients, so that you can find hidden carbs. If not, an app like MyFitnessPal lets you look up foods by brand or restaurant name so that you can get an accurate carb count. It may be difficult to get your fats in this way, so make sure to plan for some Bulletproof coffee or coconut oil.
-
Plan Your Meals
If you have a definite itinerary, then planning your meals is definitely the way to go. Decide what meals and snacks you can take with you, outline where you will stop for food, and what Keto options you will be using. If you have everything planned before you walk out the door, then you are more likely to be successful.
-
Pack Foods that Travel Well
Some of our Keto favorites just don’t travel well. Deviled eggs are one of my favorite ways to get in my daily fat intake, but they don’t look so pretty after spending a few hours in a Tupperware container. Egg salad might be a much better bet. Cloud bread may get moldy quickly if exposed to extremes of heat and cold. Frozen fat bombs might be pretty gooey by the time you get to your hotel after ten hours on the road. Better suggestions include tuna salad, hamburger patties, cooked chicken breast with a dipping sauce, or lunch meat. My favorite, easy food is to wrap deli slices around mozzarella sticks.
-
If Visiting Friends, Offer to Cook
When I’m spending time with friends, they are often unsure what I can or cannot eat. The best of intentions might end up with someone getting their feelings hurt over an honest mistake. Usually, Ray will offer to cook if we’re staying with friends. He loves being in the kitchen, and cooking for them gives us an opportunity to hang out together, tell stories, and laugh. Plus, they are usually surprised that zucchini lasagna does actually taste good.
-
Plan Shelf-Stable Snacks
Head to Amazon or your favorite grocery store to buy shelf-stable snacks. Sugar-free peanut butter can be packed into four-ounce containers. Nuts or seeds can be eaten out of hand or packed into small containers. Dark chocolate gives you a little bit of sweet if you need an afternoon pick-me-up. You can buy individually packaged olives or guacamole, although you should check the ingredients carefully to make sure there won’t be any carby surprises. My favorite is the Second Nature Dark Chocolate Medley Trail Mix, which has all my favorite nuts and dark chocolate.
-
In an Emergency, Hit the Gas Station
Sometimes, all of our planning doesn’t quite make the cut. In an emergency, some gas station staples can make a quick meal. Pre-packaged pickles, hot dogs without buns, and Powerade Zero make a decent lunch if there are no other options. Those pre-made sandwiches can be de-constructed, although it is harder to know if any hidden carbs might be inside. Beef jerky and cheese sticks are a great quick snack. You can usually find packages of nuts; be sure to read labels and avoid packs with words like “honey-roasted.”
Traveling while eating Keto doesn’t have to equal setting yourself up for failure. With a little out-of-the-box thinking, you can follow your way of eating and still have fun exploring new places.
