Navigating nutrition while on the go, especially during travel or at events like fairs and amusement parks, can be a challenge. But with a little planning and awareness, you can still enjoy yourself without derailing your health and fitness goals. The key is to make mindful choices throughout the day, and decide what treats are worth it! (Hot Cheeto Float, anyone?).
Let’s explore some practical tips to help you stay on track while still enjoying the fun.
Start with a well-balanced breakfast
- Base your breakfast around whole foods and lean protein.
- When traveling, gravitate toward the continental options that are lower in fat and starchy carbs (if you want to enjoy any fair treats - you’ll want to save plenty of fat and carbs for those).
- Hard boiled eggs, egg whites, oatmeal, chicken or turkey sausage, greek yogurt (be aware that a lot of hotel yogurt doesn’t contain as much protein as you would think. Check the label), fresh fruit, and cottage cheese are good options that are available at most hotel continental breakfasts.
Tackling the Vendors
- Meat on a Stick: Can you go to a midwest event without having a pork chop on a stick? Keep in mind that this is likely cooked in oil or butter (see why you went easy on fat for breakfast?). Something like this will get you around 40g of protein and 17g of fat. Carbs are minimal at around 4-6g.
- Chicken sandwiches: A grilled chicken sandwich is always a good option when out and about. Hold the sugary or fatty condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup and layer on mustard, honey mustard or hot sauce for a macro conscious meal. 35-34g Carbs, 33-40g protein, 7-12 g fat.
- Meat Kebabs. Choose a leaner meat like chicken or even shrimp to save some fat on this one. Traditional beef kabobs can contain 15-20 g fat and around 40 g of protein.
- Corn on the Cob: Try not to drench this in butter! Corn on the cob is a satiating choice when at the fair or amusement park. A large ear of corn will be about 27 g of carbs and 5 g of protein.
Sweet Treats:
- Snow Cones: A small snow cone is going to contain about 50g of carbs thanks to the sugary syrup, but it has 0g of fat.
- Churro: An average size churro is going to set you back approximately 20-25g carbs and 7-10g fat.
Watch Out For:
- Funnel Cakes: One funnel cake has about 29g of fat and 73g carbs. It also has over 43 grams of sugar!
- Candy Apples: Over 73g of carbs and 43g of fat!
- Deep Fried Candy Bars or Oreos: Can have over 44g of fat!
- Giant Tukey Leg: Over 45g of fat and more than 14,000 mg sodium.
Purse (or satchel) Snacks are great to have on hand so you don't get hangry and go off plan!
- Beef jerky
- Applesauce or fruit pouches
- Protein bars or premade shakes
- Plenty of water
- Almonds or 100 calorie packs of nuts
- A healthy trail mix without candy
- Pumpkin seeds
- Popcorn
Maintaining your nutrition plan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the joys of travel or special events. By starting your day with a nutritious breakfast, choosing lean proteins, and being mindful of calorie-dense options, you can indulge in your favorites while staying on course with your goals. Remember, it’s all about balance and making informed decisions.
Coach Bob and I would love to get you on track and teach you how to navigate your nutrition. Reach out! Let's chat about getting you where you want to be FASTER.
Coach Robin
