How to Eat Healthy On-the-Road

by Steve Holt 
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Eating on the road is about planning. Travelling is a stress on the immune system, due to the mental/physical stress of travelling as well as the increased proximity to airborne infection on the airplane itself. This is relevant to vegetarians as well as anyone paying attention to a healthy dietary lifestyle. Assuming you forgot to pack a meal or two, or the security people confiscated your strange looking tupperware… there are foods to buy.

1. Fresh food: Usually easy to find apples, oranges. These are important immune system boosters for their constituents of phytonutrients and vitamin C. Green salads also important for cleansing effects.

2. Nuts: Although calorie dense, important to eat some component of healthy fat. This also staves off hunger, important when the flight attendant waves cookies and chocolate bars under your nose. Have 1-2 handfuls of raw almonds or roasted without any other sugary coating. One handful is about 200 calories.

3. Eggs. The best protein available on the planet. Have a plate of scrambled eggs, preferable to an egg salad sandwich which usually has loads of mayo.

4. Protein bars. Not a great idea, as they usually have too much in the way of carbs and even fat, but still better than pizza.

5. Milk. A glass of skim milk has protein and lower glycemic index carbs. A good idea.

6. Water. Lots of it, very good for processing physiological effects of stress via elimination. Just be sure there are lots of bathrooms on the flight.

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Steve Holt is author of The Vegetarian Bodybuilder