Whether it’s business or pleasure, traveling can be tough to plan around, but it doesn’t have to throw you off track. The biggest key will be planning ahead!

Try doing some research online. Are you traveling for work or vacation? Do you know exactly where you will be eating? Can you find out what restaurants, grocery stores, or other places might be local to where you’re staying? If you’re at a hotel, most buffets will have general foods that you can find in the Macrostax database. Many restaurants and larger food chains provide healthy options now, as well as nutrition information that you can find online. Pick something ahead of time and log it in your macros as a Custom Food for that day so you can plan around it and stay a step ahead! Having drinks with clients? Watch our video on how to calculate the macros in your drink to track in your food log!

If you’re doing an extended stay at a hotel, there are a few tips and tricks you can follow as well. You can buy egg poachers, omelet makers, pasta cookers, and even veggie steamers made just for the microwave. You can use a coffee pot to boil water for instant oatmeal, minute rice, or soup. Use the refrigerator to store fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins from a local convenience store. Or, you can even order-in through meal prep services or grocery delivery like Amazon.

For the plane ride, you can always pre-pack some healthy foods that will pass security. Bring along items that can stay at room temperature like potatoes, rice, cooked meat, protein bars, jerky, trail mix, rice cakes, etc. When you’re at the airport, opt for anything with lean protein and vegetables, which is the safest bet to keep you on track for the day. Many stores at the gates sell fresh salads, individual fruit, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and other small snacks.

Don’t let travel knock you off your feet. It’s important to not fall prey to the mentality that if you can’t track like you do at home, then you won’t track at all. Eating while traveling might not be as exact or ideal, but you can still keep yourself on track by planning ahead, making healthy choices, getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and drinking water.