Travelling this holiday? It is never easy to eat healthily when we travel, and it is even more difficult to do so if you are travelling long distance and feeling jet lagged. Arm yourself with these four eating tips for a guilt-free holiday!
Be sure to have a bottle of water by your side when travelling and sip on it throughout the day. You can also add fruit slices in your water to give flavour and for that extra dose of vitamins.
Increase your fluid intake especially when you are onboard the plane, as plane rides often cause dehydration. This is especially so for long-haul flights. You will be parched if you wait for the plane service crew to serve you beverages, which are often soft drinks and alcohol – not the healthiest options!
Water also helps ease hunger pangs, which can prevent overeating. A general rule of thumb is to drink at least a glass of water (or 250ml) for every hour you fly. Alcohol does not count!
Make it a point to have regular meals as much as possible when travelling. This helps to control our daily calories intake and prevent overeating.
Most importantly, try not to skip breakfast. Breakfast provides us with the energy we needed, kicking start our metabolism to help us burn calories throughout the day. Additionally, if we skip breakfast, we may get over hungry on in the day. This increases the chances of overeating during our next meal and snacking on tasty but high-fat, high-sugar food. Make sure you have good, wholesome breakfast each day like a having a chicken wholemeal sandwich with vegetables and oatmeal.
Pre-trip tips: There are more food choices in the airport terminal, and they are likely to be healthier than the ones served onboard.
Choose lower-calorie, lower-fat meals such as soup noodles, steamed, baked or pan-fried food. This helps to lessen your guilt should you be indulging for the trip. Try to incorporate at least a serving of fruit and vegetable with the meal.
Whichever country you are in heading to, opt for nutrient-dense food as it helps to fill the body with nutrients. Most nutrient-dense foods are rich in dietary fibre, fruits whenever possible. This includes strawberries and pomegranate; vegetables such as spinach and broccoli; and whole grains such as brown rice and oats.
Nutrient-dense food to fill us up, preventing us from overeating unnecessarily!
Alcohol is very calorie-laden. Additionally, excessive drinking may lead to weight gain so drink in moderation even while on holiday. Have moderate alcohol intake of no more than two standard drinks per day for men and no more than one standard drink for women*.
*1 standard drink = 355ml beer, 118ml wine, 44ml spirits
