While traveling is a great way to take a break from your daily habits and experience new cultures and cuisines, it can also be really disruptive for your body especially on longer trips or where you have limited access to kitchen supplies. When I go away for longer than a few days I try to make sure I am still eating some ‘normal’ meals and getting in the nutrients I need to help balance out some of the extra indulgent dishes. As well as helping you feel better, buying every meal while on the road can quickly add up so these tips usually help keep some of your daily costs down as well.

• Pack a meal to eat at the airport so you can have something nourishing that also won’t be too heavy on the stomach before the flight. Airports are notorious for price gouging and often there are not a lot of food options especially in the early hours of the morning.

• Pack snacks for the flight such as a sandwich, muesli bar or crackers. This way you don’t have to be stuck with a salty airplane meal, or have to pay a premium for snacks on board.

• Consider eating out at restaurants where there is a stronger focus on vegetables and wholegrain options, such as vegan cafes (even if you don’t typically eat vegan meals, give it a go!). Asian restaurants are usually a good option for getting side dishes of steamed veg and rice, and where possible pick a deli or subway style cafe where you can ask for whole wheat bread and extra salad instead of a burger chain where you have little choice over the ingredients.

• Research the closest convenience stores or farmers markets to your accommodation and grab yourself something like fruit and yoghurt for easy snacks to have on hand. You could also grab together a picnic meal with some crackers, dips, breads and cheeses which can be healthier and cheaper than stopping for restaurant meals.

• Make a meal of sides – On a few trips I have re-created a home cooked chicken dinner by ordering tenders, steamed broccoli, coleslaw and corn cobs from Nandos. Not exactly the same but I felt like I was eating more of a proper meal rather than another burger and chips combo, even though it was still from a ‘take-away’ store.

• If you have the luggage space, pack some zip lock bags or snack containers to help you portion out snacks like nuts and popcorn for your day bag, or to save leftovers for the next day. This is especially helpful for plane snacks on the way home!

What tips do you have for making good food choices while on the road?