ALERT: At the end of this blog, I will list a special savings tip for any hotel stay. This tip will save you between $4 and $20, per stay. So, read on!
I travel a lot for business, and several years ago, while I was on my way to a chiropractic seminar, I found myself waiting curbside for a cab at one in the morning. I was fist-deep in a bag of Swedish fish when I stopped, mid-movement – a single Swedish fish close to leaping into my open mouth. I said to myself, “What the hell am I doing?!”
PALEO TRAVEL TIPS
“Fail to plan, plan to fail.” My husband once shared this corporatism with me. I can plainly see now that this term also applies to forecasting one’s food choices on a trip. I would consider “Swedish-fish-binging” a food-fail! Since that moment I work hard to plan for success well in advance of a trip.
Let’s face it – hotels and airports are a desert of healthy food options. You are lucky at best to find a wilted salad with ranch dressing and bacon bits on your way to your gate. Navigating food options en route is difficult for the most non-discerning of eaters. If you actually possess any conscious sentiment when it comes to food choices, you are hooped.
Back to the dangling Swedish fish…
While traveling, I realized that I needed to put as much planning into my food choices, as I did my selection of clothes. If you are Paleo, AIP, gluten/dairy free, or FOD-Map, you will want to take the following information into deep consideration:
This weekend I attended the Idea Fit BlogFest Conference in Las, Vegas – a lively meeting of 150 bloggers, who had crawled out from behind our computers and made the trek for invaluable networking and educational opportunities. I attended this event last year and knew, ahead of time, that f I didn’t plan ahead I was going to be in trouble from a food standpoint! Conference food, try as they might, is typically grainy, processed, Frankenfood at the best of times.
Here is how I made the blogging conference experience a Paleo success:
PRE-TRIP PLANNING: Pre-trip planning may be the biggest, and least attended to when it comes to getting through your trip in a healthy fashion. I suggest you spend some time “circling” the itinerary. Where are you going to be? What meals are provided? Will you be out at restaurants, or only in the hotel?
I spend considerable time, before a trip, looking up local eateries, hotel restaurants, and room service menus. The less compatible they are with my eating style, the more food I know I need to bring or secure upon landing. For this bloggers conference, I would primarily be staying in the hotel so I made sure that at least their room service menu had something healthy that I could eat. Also, I googled the closest whole foods market, so that I could stock up on healthy goodies. In this case, I spent the 15 dollar Uber ride to make sure I had the right food rations before arriving at the hotel.
FLIGHT: For flights, I always take tons of water, Paleo snack bars (i.e. RX, LARA, STEVE’s PALEO, EPIC), and homemade trail mix (Check out 17-mile mix!). If you are caught with a delay or have a long layover, these snacks can be a Godsend. I usually stuff them in various carry-on pockets, so in an emergency, I can almost always find sustenance. This trip, I packed some delicious Paleo chocolate-salted cookies in my carry-on bag.
HOTEL STAY: This weekend I decided to order room service for breakfast, and stretch it out until lunch since I 
was a little wary of what the conference was going to provide. Remember, that the little “door hanger” breakfast order menu is just a suggestion. You can often customize what you would prefer, and they will accommodate you. I ordered a large veggie omelet, bacon, and fruit plate. It lasted two meals. I ate some of the Paleo snacks that I had brought along, peppered in-between. On the last night, we had a gala. Beforehand, I contacted the catering department and requested a grilled chicken breast and some steamed veggies, instead of the “chicken marsala” that they were offering. My request was met with a “No problem whatsoever.”
On the second morning, I dug into my bag for some of this yummy paleo granola and some almond milk that I had brought. This Primal Island granola is ridiculously good. I have to be careful when I buy it because I will eat the whole bag!!
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Hotels are often willing to meet your requests graciously.
[Tweet “A single Swedish fish close to leaping into my open mouth. “What the hell am I doing?!””]
A word on cocktails – often you will encounter social events and dinners (professional or pleasure) on trips. Drinks will be readily available. If you decide to have an alcoholic beverage – make a good choice. Select the best-sourced wine, or order really good quality spirits. Well-distilled spirits can be a very “clean” way to enjoy a cocktail or two. Also, you will be less likely to over drink, if you are paying more for your premium cocktails. A cocktail of vodka and soda water is probably the “cleanest” choice you can make, but if you want something a little fancier be cognizant of “cocktails” that contain sugars, corn syrup, colorings, additives, and preservatives.
Side Note: When pressed to enjoy a cocktail (who am I kidding, no one has to press very hard!) I tend to be a vodka drinker. I recommend two vodkas; Crater Lake and Ciroc. From a Paleo, “least amount of damage” standpoint these are probably the best. Both vodkas involve multiple distillation processes and good ingredients. (Ciroc is distilled from grapes!)
When traveling, the preparation, regarding what you will eat is worth every minute. Your sleep quality, energy, and brain clarity are counting on you. But, go easy on yourself. The most important thing is that you are consciously consuming healthy, whole foods, as much as possible.
Babes from this year’s BLOGFEST!
Now, the secret I promised you…
You can save $4 to $20 on every hotel stay. How? Well, you know those lovely bottles of water in your hotel room, the ones that have rather exorbitant fees attached to them? The ones you reach for when you roll in at 1:00 am – a little “dried out” from the grass-fed steak that you ate, and the follow-up martini. You are thirsty, so you crack open that $6.00 bottle of Fiji water, and live to regret it the moment you get your check-out statement.
Well, did you know that almost every hotel now has a fitness center? Do you know what is in most hotel fitness centers?
Seems simple enough, but you will not believe how many people do not take advantage of filling up a bottle or two of water, while at the hotel gym. If you follow this suggestion, you will never pay for water again!!! So, there you go – you are welcome.
I would love to hear your tricks for eating healthy while traveling. Please share your suggestions in the comments section.
If you liked this article you will LOVE!
HOW THE CASHEW SLIPPED THROUGH AND OTHER PALEO MYTHS AND MYSTERIES
Here are some of my favorite snacks from AMAZON
PRIMAL GRANOLA
EPIC BARS
RX BARS
COCONUT CHIPS
7 Responses
Another timely one for me. I am trying to eat Paleo but have a hard time with the snacks. Where is the best place to find the snack stuff & that granola you mentioned? Whole Foods?
Thank you so much for reading Allison. That granola is made by a gal on Whidbey Island. She just got into PCC!! It is in the cereal at PCC and the Bakery section at Whole Foods. Enjoy, it is delicious!
What a great post! I always avoid the expensive in room water, but then I’m thirsty and dehydrated…I never thought of the fitness centre water!!! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for commenting. I thought it was genius, but then I wondered if all the hotels are going to come after me now!
Don’t forget the nanogreens! I drink at least one packet every day when I’m traveling.
Absolutely right Lisa! Thanks for the reminder!
I also always, always travel with my probiotics, digestive enzymes and activated charcoal capsules. Try as we all do, for those of us who are particularly sensitive, there are the unfortunate cross contaminations (or too many of your vodka and sodas) that end up sending our guts reeling. Activated charcoal has saved me!