Making the Right Healthy Eating Choices While Traveling

JILL: Hi, my name is Jill and I work for a lovely candy company. Uh I travel every week. I leave on Tuesdays, come back on Thursdays. Sometimes I leave on Thursdays, come back on Thursdays. So I'm very busy.

I'm rushing to get to the plane, I don't have time to stop and sit down and have a leisurely meal and make the right choices. And I don't even know if I could make the right choices you know with what we have to look at.

I'm 50 years old and of course as you get older your metabolism slows and you need to exercise more and if you're not eating the right foods, exercise doesn't help that much. So it has to be a combination of both and I realize that and I need help on the nutritional part

CAROLYN: Hi Jill. I'm Carolyn O'Neal, registered dietician here to the food rescue.

I understand that you're having some challenges. You travel every week for business, you've got some health goals. So I am here to help you set a course for a healthier diet and lifestyle while you're on the road
JILL: Thank you.

CAROLYN: So, let's get started.

JILL: I'm ready.

CAROLYN: Well, Jill like so many business travelers is really up against a big barrier. The challenges of trying to eat a healthy diet when you have limited um choices is really tough.

I want to address some of the choices that you made today at the airport. Tell me what you got

JILL: Well I got fried chicken, I had corn, black eyed peas, cornbread and sweet potatoes.

CAROLYN: I'd rather see you get one of those chicken Caesar salads often that are available again at the concourse places. So you're getting the protein in the salad which you need for staying power and uh you know keeping your energy up on the road but only use half of the Caesar dressing to control the calories.

JILL: I never feel like I'm eating as healthy as I can. I do understand the concept, it's just applying it that I have the problem with.

CAROLYN: I know when you go through security, of course you can't bring liquids but you can bring food. Um you can't bring yogurt because a lot of times its just 4 ounce container is too big but you can bring cheese, you can bring crackers, you can bring your own fruit.

If you want to eat healthier and you're a business traveler, you're gonna have to plan ahead. You planned head and bought your ticket, you planned your meetings, you packed your suitcase, lets plan food choices ahead of time.

These are almonds, again a great snack. There are 22 almonds in here, this is a single serving. There's 100 calories. So this is what it looks like. Its always good to see what a serving looks like and this is enough. A little handful snack just to fend off those hunger pangs.

Also dried fruit, another great snack. And this is about 100 calories worth of dried cranberries. Again, a good source of fiber and other nutrients. I put them together in this bag to make my own sky trail mix.

Most of the snack cookies and crackers and chips that are served on airlines are in small portion controlled packages but you've got to look at the numbers. A 3 ounce package of potato chips for instance contains almost 400 calories and to burn those calories off you're going to have to walk 125 minutes.

JILL: Well I actually do drink more cola than water and I know I should drink more water but I just feel like the colas give me a lift and I need that because I get drained at the end of the day.

Dehydration is a major side effect of traveling, especially air travel because at 30,000 feet you really dry out more quickly.

CAROLYN: When that drink cart comes by why don't you order some orange juice with half orange juice and half club soda. This cuts the calories in half. It won't have as much sugar, it's very hydrating because you're adding more with the club soda. So cut the calories, twice the hydration.

Jill: Oh that's wonderful news, I never even thought of that!

I am so excited. I had the opportunity to work with Carolyn today. She taught me so many things that I want to take advantage of. You know plan wisely before I ever get to the airport and then once I get here I do have choices even though I'm rushed and when I get on the plane, I have choices there too that I didn't even know I had.

CAROLYN: Ok Jill I don't want you to miss your flight but I really enjoyed our time together and I hope this means happier, healthier skies for you. So here you go, for you flight...your sky trail mix, healthy cheese and crackers, and of course some baby carrots.

JILL: Oh thank you very much.

CAROLYN: So you don't have to resort to whatever comes down the aisle, you've got your own healthy choices. Have a great trip and nice to meet you.

JILL: Thank you Carolyn, bye bye.

CAROLYN: Bon voyage.

This entry last modified on: January 10, 2012 10:45 PM