How to Order a Balanced Meal While Traveling
Ever wonder what the heck to order on a menu that hits all your cravings? Whether that’s sweet, salty, or within your ~balanced~ goals for the year? This is your go-to guide to help you navigate the menu next time you’re traveling and grabbing a bite to eat.
As a Registered Dietitian, my role in helping others is to help them find balance mostly with food consumption, but also balance in all areas of life. I work in a hospital in which I see many types of conditions and lifestyles. Whenever I’m giving any sort of education (carbohydrate counting for those with diabetes, low sodium education, heart healthy diet education, etc.), I always emphasize on moderation and balance. I never recommend someone to completely omit all salt from the diet or all carbs. That is 100% not sustainable, or healthy!
I usually relate my “balance” talk to balancing life’s challenges in general. Let’s take sleeping for example. I, for one, can’t wake up at 5am everyday if I go to bed at midnight one night. I’m going to need a day to sleep in an extra hour or so after that, otherwise I’m going to be a zombie, and the lack of sleep will catch up to me (I am not like those machines who can survive off 4-5 hours a night).
So how do we bring balance into eating? Especially while traveling? Well, changing your mindset and choices won’t happen over night. It’s a constant prioritization and change in habits that will help you achieve your goals. But today, we’re starting with the basics.
Here are 5 important tips to help you order a balanced meal while traveling.
Tip #1: remember macros!
And I’m not talking about counting macros here, I’m talking about implementing each macronutrient onto your plate. What are the 3 macronutrients? Protein, carbohydrates, and fat. These are essential nutrients for your body and lacking any one of these can be detrimental for your health.
Here’s what can happen with chronic low stores of each macronutrient:
Protein – weakness, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, slowed metabolism, dry/brittle hair, increased susceptibility to infection
Carbohydrates – low energy levels, brain fog, fatigue, slowed metabolism, irregular digestion
Fat – hair loss, vitamin deficiencies + related issues, weak immune system, fatigue
One thing I would like to point out in all 3: fatigue! Are you like many others who are always tired or fatigued and don’t know why? I suggest you take a double look at your diet. If you’re not eating enough of these macronutrients it could be the cause, along with many other symptoms listed above.
Tip #2: know what to look for on the menu
In relation to tip #1, when perusing the menu, try and find dishes that contain a protein source (for example: salmon), a vegetable (asparagus) and a complex carb (baked potato). In this example dish you’ll get some healthy fat and your protein source from the salmon, and then the asparagus and potato as your carbohydrate. Bonus: you’ll get some heart healthy Omega’s too!
Of course if that dessert is really calling your name, get it! Life is too short to skimp out on the sweet treat!
Refer to my macronutrient list above for what to look for when structuring your plate. Having this as a guide will help you when looking for food items on the menu. It will become easier over time as you get to know certain food groups!
Tip #3: be mindful of portions
If you want a cheeseburger have a dang cheeseburger! They do tend to be big portions, so feel free to save half and have the rest for later. But if you’re hungry for the whole thing, go for it!
The key here is to listen to your body. I unfortunately had a friend who said she was eating with another one of her friends who judged her for eating her entire Chipotle burrito bowl, “you ate that entire thing?” with a shocked look on her face. What if it was 6pm and she hadn’t ate anything all day? She could’ve NEEDED the nutrition of the entire bowl. Just another life lesson here, don’t judge a person (or their eating habits) as you don’t know what they’re going through/what they ate that day.
Tip #4: take advantage of side items on the menu
Many menus have “side” options which can help you better structure your meal. For example, if you really want a sandwich but it only comes with french fries, ask if you can substitute for a side salad or various veggies to reach your goal of filling half your plate with non starchy vegetables.
Sometimes, you can even make your entire meal from side items. For example, I recently was able to structure my entire breakfast by choosing two eggs, two toast, grilled tomatoes, and a side of fruit. I didn’t even have to order a $25 entree! (works as a money saving tip too $$$).
Thanks for reading How to Order a Balanced Meal While Traveling!
I hope this post was informational and helpful when it comes to structuring your plate next time you want to order a balanced meal while you’re out and about. Happy travels!
— Kirsten