Healthy Eating While Traveling

How to Eat Well on the Road (Even From a Hotel Room)

I just spent an entire week in Florida—and like anywhere I go, eating well took a little planning. It always does. But here's the thing I've learned: staying healthy while you travel isn't really a question of whether you can. It's a question of whether you decide to. When there's a will, there is always a way—and it's a lot easier than you'd think. Here's exactly how I do it.

Step one: sort out your water

Hydration is the first thing that falls apart on the road, so I tackle it first thing.

I buy distilled water once I arrive (or grab it for the drive).
I add liquid mineral drops back into it before drinking—distilled water is a blank slate, so I like to put a few minerals back.
I always travel with a glass or stainless steel water bottle so I can flavor my water with a drop of essential oil. My favorites are the bright citrus ones—lemon, lime, wild orange, tangerine, grapefruit—or a little peppermint for a cool, refreshing pick-me-up. (A quick, honest note: I add these for flavor, because they make plain water something I actually want to drink.)

That week, my two gallon jugs stretched across all seven days. I should have drunk more, if I'm being honest. I always think clearer and have more energy when I stay on top of my water—even when I'm stuck in a car or at an event where slipping out to the bathroom every couple hours is a small ordeal. Worth it every time.

Step two: one good grocery run

There was a Whole Foods about a mile from my hotel, and hauling two gallons of water in one bag and groceries in the other turned the walk back into a legitimate workout. (Two birds!)

Here's what I loaded up on:

Proteins: already-cooked chicken, salmon, and cod. If I'd had the family with me and a kitchenette, I'd have bought bigger raw portions to save money—but for a solo trip, pre-cooked was a gift. (When we travel as a family, we book a place with a little kitchen for exactly this reason.)
Veggies: green beans and Brussels sprouts (both easy, clean choices). The store's veggies were cooked in olive oil; at home I prefer to steam mine and add the fat after, but you work with what you've got.
A ferment: sauerkraut, because I add fermented veggies to any meal I possibly can. This one had caraway seeds with the cabbage—a combo I adore.
Fruit: strawberries, blueberries, and grapefruit for snacking.
Healthy fats: a big bag of almonds I'd soaked, sprouted, and dehydrated at home and brought along, plus a tub of plain guacamole I grabbed on a whim.

The guac turned out to be the MVP of the whole trip—it added flavor to the fish and rescued any meat that came out a little dry.

A small tip: the folks at the store happily gave me extra containers at no charge, which made portioning everything out a breeze.

A moment of silence for the beets

Not every choice was a winner. I grabbed what I assumed were plain red beets and discovered—several bites in, that they were pickled. Reader, I tried. I really did. Most of them ended up in the trash. Let my sacrifice be your warning: read the label on the beets.

Also, my hotel fridge had exactly one setting: arctic. It froze everything solid. Luckily I'd chosen foods that freeze and thaw well, so it actually worked in my favor—I'd toss a frozen meal in my bag in the morning, and whether I was in a conference all day or driving somewhere to teach, it thawed out cool and perfect right in time for lunch.

Putting it together

My rhythm is simple. Following my coach's advice, I build each meal around protein, fat, and carbohydrate—and I eat the fat and protein first.

Breakfast (from the hotel): their eggs (I always double-check they're just real eggs, nothing added), a banana for the carb, and a handful of almonds for the fat.
Lunch/dinner: one of my prepped proteins, a veggie, a scoop of guac, and a little kraut. I only prep enough for lunches, but the amount worked out so well that some became dinners, too.
Snacks: berries or grapefruit with a few raw almonds.

And when a bland batch of kraut needed rescuing, a tiny dash of sea salt made it pop. (I usually travel with my favorite mineral salt and had run out for the first few days—lesson learned.)

You don't even need a hotel kitchen

No kitchenette? No problem. You can travel with a cooler and do this from anywhere. My trainer showed me these clever little insulated bags he and his wife use—they look like small square duffels but hold stackable containers, one for each meal. Genius, and completely doable out of a car.

So here's the whole secret, and it isn't really about food at all: eating well on the road comes down to deciding to, and then making it easy on yourself. A little water, one good grocery run, a few containers, and you're set.

Where there's a will, you'll find the way.

Lots of love, and happy, healthy travels.

With much love,

Steffi