How To Survive Hotel Food…
Hello from Montreal, Atlanta, Boise, you name it! Today I want to talk about how to eat right and keep you and your hormones happy……while cooped up in a hotel All. Day. Long.
I usually do a fair bit of traveling for business events, which means staying in hotels, sometimes without ever leaving. So I am getting a lot of practice on how to do it well.
It goes like this: Once I figure out how many pairs of shoes to bring – the next big decision is what foods to bring.
Yep, I bring breakfast foods with me, because most hotel b-fasts are filled with sugar and don’t provide the high quality protein I need to keep my hormones happy…
…and me going! All day long, day after day.
It’s especially important when you are attending workshops and conferences or giving presentations that your head is on straight and your brain ready to perform and take in the inevitable information overload. I don’t take my fuel for granted!
So my suitcase looks like this:
- a ziplock of protein powder with powdered greens and ground flax or chia (Vega One is a nice brand – it comes in individual packets)
- a shaker bottle
- some apples or avocados
- a bag of nuts with a little dried fruit
Optional items:
- San-J brown rice crackers
- a small bag of chia seeds for mixing with water in my water bottle if it turns out to be a food desert!
- some grass fed beef or bison jerky
- instant miso soup
- a bar of really dark (85-90%) chocolate
If there is a grocery store nearby, I like to get some coconut water to mix with the protein powder.
And if the food offered at the hotel is really not great, I may even buy some humus and fresh stuff to have in the room fridge.
Ok – I can hear your brain saying this is too much! The thought bubble reads: I already have a million things to think about – I can’t bring all this stuff, I won’t have time to shop when I get there!
Baby steps girl!
Get on the path and do a little bit more each time – before you know it you’ll have a system all worked out and won’t even have to think about it.
Baby step #1: Start with getting a high protein breakfast in you, and stay away from anything, and I mean anything with sugar in it. The rest of the day will go so much better.
- If that means bringing a protein shake and a shaker bottle, do it!
Baby step #2: Be a detective – when ordering off a menu or eating from a buffet choose the foods that are the simplest and freshest, without creamy sauces or sugary dressings.
- If they don’t have what you are looking for, ask for it. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you need!
- You can even give the hotel a quick call before you come so they are prepared to have non-gluten or non-dairy options – whatever it is you need.
- If necessary bring snacks to fill in any gaps you aren’t tempted by the sugary stuff so plentiful at conferences and events – it’s a cheap thrill and you will feel just as bad.
What’s your strategy for staying healthy while spending days at a time in hotels?
Banner Photo by Dmitriy Alaev; shoe photo by Paul Dufour on Unsplash