Tips for eating well while traveling for business
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Business professionals who travel regularly often complain about a lack of healthful food. While on the road, it can be a challenge to seek out menu items like ripe fruit, whole grains and fresh meats. Business travelers shouldn't give up: There are lots of options, but business travelers often don't know where to look.
Travel blog Gadling recommends business travelers try to get out of the room service rut. Room service food can sometimes lack freshness and nutrients. Additionally, being stuck in a hotel room is unhealthy for both the body and the mind.
"Get up, get out of your room and find your food. The exercise that you get on the way will do plenty to counteract the carbs that you're about to consume. And you'll probably find something better than what the room service is going to provide," Gadling suggests.
Another great option is to seek out accommodations with kitchenettes. Gadling reminded readers that one of the best things about home-cooked meals is that the person cooking will always have control over the ingredients. Business travelers planning to stay at their destination city longer than a week should consider corporate furnished apartments, which allow travelers to create the comforts (and cuisines) of home.
When faced with situations where business travelers are forced to eat at the airport or while on the go, they should opt for deli-style meals and order custom sandwiches that include whole grains, vegetables and lean meats, reports Demand Media. Broth-based soups keep travelers hydrated, and salads tossed with vinegar and olive oil rather than creamy dressings are huge calorie-savers.
Gadling also recommends using apps to find healthy dining establishments. Even a quick internet search will likely return a multitude of results for restaurants that serve high quality eats. Yelp, Zagat, OpenTable and Urbanspoon are just a few websites and apps that allow users to read customer reviews and view menus for a variety of restaurants. Vegan and vegetarian business travelers can make use of Happycow.net.
"A quick search on Yelp will show the best-ranked restaurants in the area and will give the traveler an idea of what sort of fare is best received. Tip: 'Healthy Food' is actually a searchable genre," Gadling reports.
While on the road, it can be difficult to avoid sugar. Sugar presents itself in company donut platters, sandwich bread, pizza crust, sodas, sugary lattes and other food products. Demand Media recommends skipping the sugary snacks and drinks, and instead consuming tea, water, fruit or granola.