For many of us, travelling is a way of life.

For others, it is less common. But the

reality is that at some point in time you’re

going to have to be away from home, stay

in a hotel, and possibly fly on a plane.

When you do travel, you have to make the

decision of whether or not you’re going to

stay on plan. If it is for a vacation you

might choose to deviate from your plan to

some extent while being mindful of the

quantities you consume and simply not

binging because you can.

However, if you do choose to stay on plan

(i.e., it isn’t a vacation or you travel often

for work), below are some tips to help

you achieve just that.

1. Look up hotels in the area before you

book to see which have kitchens. If you

can, get one of these. If it is unclear on

their website, call to ask of a hotel has a

microwave and/or fridge in the room.

2. If a hotel does not usually have a fridge

in the room, it can sometimes be added

for an additional fee (usually around $10

per day).

3. Alternatively, if a hotel does not have a

fridge you can purchase an inexpensive

styrofoam cooler locally on arrival and

keep it cold using ice from the hotel ice

machine.

4. If a hotel does not have a microwave in

the room you can usually ask the kitchen

to use theirs.

5. Also look online prior to arrival to

determine whether a hotel has a gym that

meets your needs. If you’re unsure, call

or email them for clarification.

6. Before you book, also look online to

determine the locations of the closest

grocery stores (and a gym if this is

needed outside of your hotel).

7. Ideally you’d want to find the hotel that

meets the most of your needs at the most

reasonable rate (and closest to your

conference/meeting sites if on business).

As an alternative to hotels, some hostels

also have decent kitchens for food prep.

8. If driving, pack foods in a cooler and

bring with you. You can load them into

the hotel fridge upon arrival.

9. If flying, precook meats in advance and

freeze them. Or freeze whole meals

(meat and carbs) in Ziplock backs and

pack. Some report items staying frozen

for up to 15 hours. Doing this negates the

need for ice packs.

10. Ice packs, if thawed so they contain

liquid, will often need to be thrown out by

security. Pack a cooler with you to take as

carry-on so you can eat on the plane.

Frozen protein shakes will usually make it

past security.

11. Bring Tupperware with you and be

prepared to wash in hotel sink after use.

12. Purchase Ziplock steam bags. Good

for cooking salmon and vegetables in the

microwave.

13. Don’t forget your food scale. Many

travel versions now exist too.

14. Other items that are easy to pack:

canned chicken/tuna/salmon, tuna

pouches, cut veggies, packaged oatmeal,

nuts, protein powder, peanut/almond

butter, and some fruits (i.e., apples, pears,

etc). Purchase yogurt and cottage cheese

on arrival and keep in fridge.

15. Have protein bars (such as Quest

bars) available for emergencies. Note

that if you can’t control yourself and you’ll

end up eating a whole box, don’t bring a

whole box.

16. If you don’t want to bring a lot of food,

you can ship it ahead of you to meet you

at the hotel.

17. Most hotels have oatmeal and fruit as

standard items at breakfast. Add eggs or

a protein shake and you’re good to go.

(Obviously depending on what you

actually have on your plan)

18. When you arrive in town (or even

before) call Applebees, Chili’s, Outback

or similar. They will cook chicken breast

and/or other meats and sell as a party

platter. Often you can add some broccoli

and orders of baked potatoes.

19. If going to restaurant for a business

meal, eat beforehand and have a salad at

the restaurant.