nutrition: how i save money (& eat well) while traveling

tips & tricks for saving money & eating well while traveling

i get a lot of emails from you guys about traveling.  understandably so!  it can be really difficult to navigate traveling while trying to maintain a balanced diet.  as i’m mentioned in the past, i absolutely love to partake in the local fare of the places that i visit, but when i’m staying somewhere for a week+, i find i get tired of eating every meal out.  not to mention that it ends up costing a lot of money!

that said, i thought it would be helpful to share how i save a little money and ensure i have balanced meal options on hand, no matter where i’m traveling to.

if i know i’m traveling for a week+, i try to book a room with at least a mini fridge.  this way i can keep the perishable items on hand without them spoiling.  most hotel rooms always have coffee cups which you can mix yogurt in or have cereal out of (if not in the room, then in the lobby).  if they don’t, many are willing to accommodate you by providing you a bowl from the kitchen to use.  i’ve also purchased disposable bowls and utensils which you can find at any grocery store.

breakfast items: greek yogurt, whole grain cereal/granola, shelf-stable milk, fruit (apples, oranges, pears), individual pb packets, whole grain mini bagels or bread, whipped cream cheese

lunch items: hummus, string cheese, packaged chunk light tuna, pre-cooked hard boiled eggs, whole grain pita, whole grain crackers, veggies (baby carrots, celery, broccoli)

snack items: popcorn, trail mix, fruit & nut bars, dried fruit, nuts – whatever your favorites happen to be!

the only meal i find it’s difficult to utilize this technique with is dinner.  generally you don’t have access to an oven.  that said, sometimes there are microwaves available so you could buy a couple frozen meal options (if you have a freezer) to utilize.  but in general, i usually save dinner as my daily meal that’s eaten out.  I like to pepper other meals out into the mix throughout the trip so that I still feel like I’m experiencing the area where I am.  It makes for a good mix of both eating in and eating out!

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