No doubt, it is much easier to follow a consistent, healthy diet when you have access to your own food and cooking facilities. But there are times when you might be working away or some other circumstance that makes it more difficult to stick to your regular routine. Rather than stressing, there are a few handy tips that you can use to make sure that you can make good decisions while away from home.
Take easy protein sources.
Sample sachets of protein and protein bars are great in scenarios like this. They won't go bad if left in a holdall for a couple of days and are incredibly versatile. The bars can be eaten on the move without cutlery and the powder can be added to porridge at the hotel breakfast or, of course, as a shake. Protein is often the hardest macro to hit as high fat and carb snacks are much more accessible. Prioritise it!
Look what restaurants are in the area beforehand.
The last thing you need when arriving somewhere on an evening is panicking about where to get food. A quick google search will show you restaurants and their menus in the area. Somewhere like Nandos is always a safe bet as they list calories and macros online, or there are likely to be plenty of local restaurants that will offer healthy, balanced meals. Don't be afraid to ask for menu items to be altered either when you're taking things away or decreasing the value of it. Switching coleslaw for undressed salad or asking for the cheese, sauce, etc to be left off your meal won't be a problem.
Have snacks for the hotel room.
For those of us who eat regularly, 3 meals a day can be difficult to switch to. Have easy snacks like rice cakes and a tub of peanut butter, jerky and instant oat pots at the ready.
Consider buying a meal prep bag.
(if you have an extremely strict regime to follow, such as prep)
If all else fails, invest in a cooler bag so that you can weigh out and cook your own meals and keep them fresh on the road. This is absolutely not necessary but for peace of mind and consistency is the best option for some.
Estimate macros and possibly increase calories while away.
If you are mid diet and want to stay on track, you might want to increase your calories to allow for off plan foods and/or errors in estimating calories. For example, if you are eating 2100 calories a day, you could have 2000 Mon-Fri then 2350 on Saturday and Sunday.