I used to think traveling on business was glamorous and a sign that you had made it.  I thought about how fun it would be to travel and be in different cities or even continents all in the same week.

Then I started training clients who had that reality and I realized that traveling on business wasn’t nearly as glamorous and fun as I thought it was.

Even when I go away for a few days for a Fitness Conference or Workshop, I realize how easy it is to engage in some pretty unhealthy habits like drinking too much alcohol and straying far from my normal eating and movement routine.

Here are my favorite tips when you’re Traveling for Business.

Traveling for Pleasure is different.  If you’re in a new city, then you should try the local cuisine and soak up life as a local.  Be sure to get out, walk, and enjoy the sights!  Vacations are meant to be enjoyed!

Tips for Traveling for Business

 Eat Protein for Breakfast

At many of these conferences and such, there is little to no protein available.  Even at Fitness Conferences if they have a complimentary breakfast, they serve cereal, granola, fruit, yogurt, etc.  It can be a task to find protein.  What I like to do is carry an RX bar that I can pair with some fruit OR I order Eggs and Turkey Bacon or Sausage at a restaurant if it’s available.   Stay away from the free pastries and muffins these people like to ply you with.  All you’ll do is crash and burn later on in the day from the spike in blood sugar.  You will be feeding the sugar dragon all day.

Bring Your Own Snacks

I was at a Fitness Conference and I was looking at some of the snacks available at the grab and go place.  Even the “healthy” snacks were crap except for the fresh fruit.  I learned my lesson and now pack my own snacks.

Snacks I include are:

Larabars

Rx Bars

Trader Joes individually packed, “Just a Handful of Raw Almonds”.  You can put them in your briefcase or bag and munch on them.

Trader Joes makes a minimally processed Beef Stick called a Chomp stick.  Doesn’t have sugar and less ingredients than some of the popular brands.

This is also helpful when you’re stuck at the airport.  Having snacks available will reduce trips to get snack foods like  donuts, chips and cinnamon rolls.

Cut down on the booze

Drinking over dinner with clients or drinking by yourself at the hotel bar or restaurant is a norm for business travelers that is not often talked about.

If you really want to stay healthy on the road, then cut down on the booze when traveling.

Drinking lots of alcohol is not something that should be minimized and I encourage people to set boundaries and limits on how much alcohol they will consume.  The more alcohol you drink, the worse nutrition decisions you will make and also the worse you will feel.

Eat Protein Throughout the Day.  When ordering meals, Focus on Protein and Vegetables

The more protein you eat throughout the day, the more satisfied you will feel and the less likely you will mindlessly snack on the pastries and snacks that may be provided.

If you’re out with clients at dinner or even ordering from room service, then focus your food choices on Vegetables and Protein.

It still counts even if you are away and in a hotel room.  Stick with a routine of Eating 3 meals per day.

Sometimes people use business trips as an excuse to eat lavish meals or binge on snack foods that they may not normally eat at home when they are alone in their hotel room.

My advice is to limit the lavish meals and focus on fuel to make it through long and exhausting days of travel and work.  Avoid the sugar filled processed garbage as treats and try as best as you can to eat 3 meals per day.

Nutrition does not have to suffer just because you are away on business.  You will also feel much better with the hustle and bustle if you are eating high quality and nutrient dense meals!