Do you struggle with eating while traveling?

Eating on the road while traveling for work, or vacation can be a significant challenge because you do not have access to your own kitchen.  Included in your own kitchen is your own normal foods, and the familiarity of being at home.  I don’t think the Chef at any restaurant would be kindly disposed to have you pop into his kitchen to whip up your own dinner.  

Ironman 70.3

Nicole and I are about to embark on our annual pilgrimage to Old Orchard Beach, so I can participate in Ironman 70.3 Maine.  We’ve been going to this race since 2012 when we watched Heather race in her first Olympic distance race.  In 2013, I did my first Olympic Distance race there also.  Each year since, I’ve participated in the Race whether it was Sponsored by Ironman, Rev3 , or Challenge.

OOB

Old Orchard Beach (OOB)  can be quite the challenge to eat healthy.  There are many restaurants, many concession stands, leading to countless potential pitfalls for eating healthy.  If you are not familiar with them, I plan on making a video while we are there to highlight the difficulties experienced.  Without spoiling the video, contemplate a State Fair which is there and active all summer…

Eating While Driving?

Other challenges are present when eating on the road.  By this, I literally mean, what do you eat when you are driving from one location to the other?  Or, how about flying?  Finding healthy food at airport layovers can be downright brutal.  One thing eating on the road, and in Airports have on common is that almost all your choices are “fast-food.”  McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, and many others. 

As an example, The Maine Turnpike System has 5 rest area locations.

The Restaurants available include:

1. Burger King
2. Starbucks
3. Popeye’s
4. Sbarro
5. Hershey Ice Cream
6. Auntie Ann’s

Clearly, the better choice while traveling on the road is to pack your own food, but that involves other challenges. 

Eating Choices?

Do you require a cooler or refrigeration?

Can you eat on the fly without stopping? 

Even those two choices limit your options.  If I were driving down the highway, I would not want to attempt to enjoy a steaming hot bowl of soup.  Would you?  Come to think of it, how would you get it hot anyway?  Sure, a thermos bottle, but then if your trip is long, it will likely get cold…  Ok, if you don’t want to have to pack up a cooler, your choices are limited even further.  Most people are left with choices like Sandwiches with chips of some variety, and maybe a few canned or bottled drinks.  Soda?

Does that sound Diabetic/Pre-Diabetic friendly?

Please tell me you said “NO!”

If you didn’t, then we need to talk, and by that, I mean you need to keep coming back.   I’m working on posts that will help everyone understand what should be considered part of a healthy way of eating for everyone, and in particular, someone with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes.  Hold on a minute, I’m coming to a decision right now, and it has to do with reflecting on my “I’m Batman” post.  I am not going to differentiate between Type 2 Diabetes, and Pre-Diabetes.  If your practitioner has told you that you have “Pre-Diabetes” you’re basically Diabetic, but you are at the point where you can most impact the progression of the disease. I recommend you keep coming back so we can work together to make some well thought out changes to your way of eating. 

Airports… 

I plan on going into more detail on this in the fall when Nicole and I Fly to Florida.  But for now, let’s just say the challenges are very similar.  The only addition I would make is that you are not allowed to bring a fully stocked cooler onto the plane, ‘nuf said.

So, how do you handle eating while traveling?  Have you figured out the magic or do you just give in and eat whatever? 

I invite you to share your successes or failures in the comments!

-Todd