I hear this all the time from patients:
I was on the road and I kind of fell off the wagon when it came to eating healthy.
I know what to eat but it was vacation / a work trip / was with my kids.
I’m here seeing you because wow my skin flared / I’m super bloated / my sleep is a mess.
I just got back from two weeks at the beach with my family and said to myself, Ugh, why am I feeling kind of meh right now? Then I immediately had that DUH moment that comes when you forget your own advice. I completely slacked on eating nutrient-dense snacks.
I inventoried what I had been eating and drinking on my vacation and my culprit was clear. (Let’s just say I had indexed unusually high on Cape Cod potato chips, lobster rolls, burgers from the beach general store, flavored sparkling waters, and wine, natural though it may have been). I felt bloated, foggy, tight from so much sitting in the car, and my sleep was terrible. Hello!
I’m also starting down a fall full season of work travel, and so based on my summer experience and the climb ahead of me, I thought it could help us both if I wrote down exactly what I need to eat on the move to feel healthy and sharp.
The research says
The Standard American Diet (also known as the SAD) is both highly inflammatory and highly processed.
The average American eats 152 pounds of sugar a year. Given the average American woman weighs 170 pounds, we are almost literally eating our own weight in a food linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cellular aging. Let that sink in.
Meanwhile, recent research estimates 73% percent of the American diet—including kids’ diets—is ultra-processed or ultra-refined.
These are not real foods. They’re frankenfoods. They are toxic to the body and disruptive to almost every system: the immune system, the gut, the brain, your hormones. Even just a 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in your diet (like, say, the errant packaged snack that becomes a regular thing) has been linked to a 16-25% increase in the likelihood for cognitive impairment in recent research.
The bottom line: better nutrition is an evidence-based lever for better health. (To hear me sound off how the Standard American Diet leads to Standard American Diseases, tune in to my recent interview with the hosts of Second Opinion on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.)
What I’m doing for my own body
Okay so avoid ultra-processed empty calories—this is all well and good in theory. But how do you actually avoid these foods when you’re starving and they’re seemingly the only options around? How do I avoid them on-the-go?
I follow three principles:
- Pre-stock. I do a shopping trip a day or two before I travel to stock my suitcase with healthy options. This way I’m not arriving at the flight empty-handed left to scavenge the airport, or defaulting to whatever the hotel or vacation destination has to offer. I come ready!
- Have a few go-tos. I keep a running mental list of healthy grab-and-go nutrient-dense snacks that you can find at basically any grocery store (and often, coffee shops). Fresh fruit, obviously, but also string cheese, nut butter packets or packets of raw nuts, and no sugar added jerky. When I don’t have time to pre-pack, knowing that I can divert the Uber to any Whole Foods, Trader Joes or Stop & Shop and get something to keep me going keeps me focused.
- Mind my macros. I’ve recently started paying a lot more attention to my protein intake. I aim to get at least 80g per day and am trying to get closer to 110-120g. To meet this goal, I can’t afford to eat empty snack calories. I look for on-the-go foods that help me reach my goal of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and less than 25 grams of sugar per day. I am also mindful of fiber and getting at least 30 grams a day to keep my gut happy.
The nutrient-dense snacks I recommend for you
These are my personal go-to nutrient-dense snacks to help me meet my protein and fiber goals and avoid blood sugar spikes. They’re not all nutritionally perfect, but they’re a lot better than most ultra-processed convenience foods.
- Epic Bison Jerky It tastes better than beef jerky (to me at least) and it’s leaner. Just make sure you watch out for added sugars in all jerky.
10g protein, 7g fat, 2g carbs, 0g sugar
- Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go These ready-made meals are perfect for camping or a long beach day. (I also like Wild Zora’s dried fruit mixes, which are great nutrient-dense snacks with no added sugar, dyes, or sulfates.)
29g protein, 2g fat, 39g carbs, 15g sugar
- Nature’s Promise Organic Mozzarella String Cheese These are especially good for picky kids. (If you can’t find this brand, I also like Organic Valley and Wild Harvest.)
7g protein, 6g fat, 0g carbs, 0g sugar
- Justin’s Organic Almond Butter Packets Plenty of options on grocery shelves, but I like Justin’s packets because they have no added sugar or salt.
6g protein, 19g fat, 5g carbs, 1g sugar
- Sakara Life meals I like their 2-day meal option if I’m on a longer trip. It takes care of enough days that I feel like I get my 30 grams of fiber in easily, while giving me the flexibility to eat what I want the other days, or save one of their meals for a meal I know I want to BYO. This will be how I survive a few healthcare conferences this fall! (Use my code ROBINBERZINSAKARA for 20% off their Meal Program or Supplements.)
- BjornQorn Popcorn A filling alternative to chips, non-sweet popcorn is also great for fiber intake (3 oz of BjornQorn has 10g).
4g protein, 8g fat, 14g carbs, 0g sugar
- Hard boiled egg with sea salt Requires a little advance prep but totally worth it.
6g protein, 5g fat, 0g carbs, 0g sugar
- Siggi’s Plant-Based Coconut Yogurt Great for the dairy-free amongst us!
11g protein, 12g fat, 8g carbs, 4g sugar
- Primal Kitchen protein bars I try to pick whole foods over protein bars (which are often laden with sugar) when I can, but sometimes you can’t beat the convenience. I like Primal Kitchen’s bars as they’re an awesome source of 6 grams of fiber.
15 g protein, 16g fat, 13g carbs, 3g sugar
- Raw almonds I almost never go anywhere without a little baggie of raw almonds; eat them alone or pair them with a higher fructose snack like an apple to help balance blood sugar.
6g protein, 14g fat, 6g carbs, 1g sugar
Reviewing the above, I am at no risk of feeling bloated and foggy on my trip, my kids will eat 80% of this list, and I’m not breaking the bank. Order going in!
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