Tip for Traveling on a Diet

Traveling while watching your waistline can seem intimidating, but there are simple solutions to prevent unexpected weight gain.

Instead of restricting or denying yourself new culinary experiences, focus on new flavors. It makes more sense to spend calories on an exotic dish than to use them on a generic fast food meal. It’s fine to enjoy a new dish or share a dessert with friends as long as you follow a balanced diet.

Choose fresh food and focus on produce, such as salads and fresh fruits. Most airports and eateries offer healthful options — Starbucks sells a variety of packaged meals and even some fast food chains offer salads. Just be mindful of dressings and high calorie add-ons.

Another option is to pack your own snacks and purchase healthy options from a supermarket. While extended meal preparation may be out of the question, fruits, trail mixes and sliced vegetables are travel-friendly snacks. Having an apple after lunch can prevent overindulging at dinner.

Be mindful of portions; restaurants tend to serve larger portions than necessary. This makes it easy for people to overindulge while dining out. Ask for a doggie bag with your meal and portion half of the entrée for later. Sharing dessert is another easy way to cut calories without feeling deprived. Most hotel rooms have refrigerators — keeping leftovers is both economical and waistline friendly.

With a little planning, the only thing that will come back heavier will be your suitcase.