I always feel like this is a popular topic when vacationing—how the hell should I eat?! I know for me I aways like to look and feel good before I travel anywhere, whether it be a beach or a windy city it does not matter! There were times where I packed all of my food, times where I only packed some healthy snacks, and then there are times I don’t pack anything at all. Nowadays I’m much more the latter and prefer it that way. I’ll share some general tips, but here’s the golden rule that you must follow before anything else:

“There’s nothing worse than time wasted pretending to work or stressing while trying to have fun–no work gets done and no fun is had.”–Jen Sincero 

Basically, this means eat the food and enjoy it or don’t splurge at all if you’re just going to regret it because then there’s truly no point!

Here are some basic rules that I’ve followed in the past and currently still use!

1. Still workout

Yup, do it. Whether it be in the hotel gym, the local gym, your room, or just walk to wherever you’re going! What I’ve done is usually a quick high intensity workout that lasts around 30-45 minutes and I’m good to go. It sets the tone for the day and who doesn’t love a good endorphin release before a fun filled day of adventure?!

2. Walk everywhere

The streets of Portland made the walking easy.

I love to walk. Seriously, and what a blessing that I’m able to do that. I rarely EVER
rent a car when I’m traveling, granted that may be because I still opt for Uber and travel to walkable cities, but it’s the best way to get in some serious mileage. I just got back from Portland and within two days we definitely walked over ten miles. Sometimes we walk to places we shouldn’t lolol but thats neither here nor there. It’s a great way to see the city and remove some serious guilt when you’re on a 7 day food and drink tour NOM saying.
3. Share yo food, B! 
I was so anti splitting anything for years because I used to have an appetite of a 300# lineman, but recently I’ve seen the beauty of this method. Nowadays there are so many greats places to choose from that I typically don’t want to limit myself to one big meal. During my last trip we literally popped in a bunch of different spots, ordered an app, a drink or even a meal and split it. This allowed us to sample different things without overeating, therefore, I never felt overly full or sluggish. This being said, if you’re going to city to eat a specific restaurant, then by all means get a full meal! We’ve also ordered two entrees and split those in half so we could each try a little bit of both.

4. Drink your water
This is basic but a staple. Anytime I think I’m overly starving I always check my water intake. Why? Because half the time I’m actually just thirsty not hungry. This also helps with bloating. Personally, I don’t eat a lot of salt so when I’m constantly eating out I know I’m getting a fair share of sodium, that of which my body is not used to. Flushing out that access water will help remove some swelling and bloating that usually makes you feel icky throughout your stay.

5. Protein, bro.
Eat or drink some protein. I used to do this way more in the past but it’s something I still fall back on from time to time. Packing protein bars or protein powder (travel packs or put some in a baggy) are great for curbing hunger. I personally don’t function well when I’m absolutely starving so knowing that I have something to fall back on is super helpful. It’s a great in betweener —aka that awkward hour and a half when there’s no food plans in sight.
These are tips that I incorporate because my plan of attack is to enjoy myself when I’m traveling, meaning I’m going to eat and drink what I want. That being said, I don’t order the nastiest thing on the menu or purposely seek out dessert after every meal just because I’m on vacation. I eat and drink the things I do because I enjoy them, not because I’m actively trying to rebel on my typical lifestyle. Mainly, do whatever works
for you and what’s going to allow you to enjoy yourself the most. Remember, life is short–sometimes abs are cool, other times Voodoo Doughnut takes precedent.
HOPE THIS HELPS!

Till next time,

-Lauren