{"id":24368,"date":"2011-10-14T08:43:11","date_gmt":"2011-10-14T15:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/?p=24368"},"modified":"2011-10-14T08:43:11","modified_gmt":"2011-10-14T15:43:11","slug":"traveling-smart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/?p=24368","title":{"rendered":"Traveling Smart"},"content":{"rendered":"

With all this traveling through airports we’ve done lately I realized one thing: it doesn’t have to be difficult to eat healthy while traveling.<\/span> It’s all about choices and planning ahead. The first trip to Texas<\/a> caught me off guard. I did not think ahead about food choices.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nWe flew out of PDX around lunchtime. I should have brought food with me but I didn’t think about it. I ended up buying a sandwich at Big Town Hero in the airport to carry onto the plane with me. It was expensive<\/strong> and higher in calories<\/strong> than I’d normally eat for lunch. It was kind of my only option.<\/p>\n

One of the problems with flying is that you often get stuck in an airport for several hours with waiting, layovers, delays. It’s hard not to just plop down in a bar and eat to kill time. We did that on our way home from Dallas the first Texas trip. We had a 3 hour layover on our way home so we sat in a Cantina and munched on chips and guacamole.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIn an effort to try<\/em> and make better choices, Michael and I split one entree instead of stuffing ourselves with two big entrees. I ate one enchilada and the rice, Michael ate one enchilada and the beans. It worked well.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nThe other problem with traveling is that I often want to try the local cuisine. One of the funnest parts about going on vacation somewhere else is trying new things. When we went to Texas I had two goals: 1) eat good Mexican food<\/a>;\u00a0 2) eat local BBQ<\/a>. I knew<\/strong> I’d be indulging in more food than what my normal diet is but I was okay with that. It was part of the experience of going to a new city. It was the 10% of my 90\/10 Rule and it was worth it!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Franklin's BBQ<\/p><\/div>\n

So how do we make better choices when flying?<\/p>\n

How to Eat Healthier When Flying<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

1. Skip the alcohol (or limit it).<\/strong> If flying makes you nervous one drink can sometimes help. I try not to drink too much while waiting for my flight because it just won’t make me feel good cramped on a plane.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n2. Drink a ton of water.<\/strong> Unfortunately with the new TSA rules you can’t bring in water so you do have to buy it at the airport (for $$$!) but it’s worth it. Skip the sodas and drink water. Flying also dehydrates people. Another good reason to bring a bottle of water on the plane is that it’s nice to have in case the flight is delayed on the runway (sometimes for hours!).<\/p>\n

3. Bring your own snacks for flights that are at weird hours.<\/strong> If it’s not a “meal” time and you don’t want to spend the money on airline food, try eating protein bars. I brought some Luna bars to snack on.<\/p>\n

4. If you have to buy food at the airport, try some of the lower calorie options<\/strong> (like McDonald’s new low calorie breakfast options). Yogurt with granola, oatmeal, scrambled eggs for breakfast, etc.<\/p>\n

5. Pack your own meals.<\/strong> Easily transportable things like homemade sandwiches are good. Bagels with cream cheese and a slice of ham, simple peanut butter and jelly are good too. Pick up a wrap on your way to the airport for a lower calorie lunch option.<\/p>\n

6. Avoid the high calorie treats that smell so good<\/strong>–giant pretzels, greasy pizza and cookies the size of your head.<\/p>\n

Some Other Snack Ideas:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n