healthy eating

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a 10 day holiday in lovely New Zealand.

It was so great to have a break and see some new places. But when tripping around from place to place we were forced to eat out – A LOT. Don’t get me wrong, I love trying restaurants in new places. But it can often hurt the waistline and the back pocket. So, here are a few things I did during this trip to keep my cash and kilojoule budgets in check.

Supermarket snacks

I really enjoy eating at restaurants for dinner and stopping at a nice cafe for a coffee when exploring new places, but I always drop into a supermarket and grab some easily transported fruit and snacks. This way we saved a bit of coin on eating out and made sure that we were getting a regular dose of vitamins and minerals.

Some ideas include:

  • Apples
  • Mandarins
  • Oranges
  • Bananas
  • Small packets of nuts
  • Muesli & nut bars

Buy your own breakfast…

When you’re eating out for most of your main meals, buying a tub of yoghurt and a piece of fruit for breakfast the next day can be a great way to save money and reduce your kilojoule intake.

…or do brunch

Alternatively you could sleep in and have a larger breakfast that can keep you full right through to the afternoon. When we were in Rotorua we took our time getting up and ordered breakfast at a cute little cafe/grocer. We ordered eggs with sautéd mushrooms on toast and french toast with mixed berries. It was very decadent. The portions were quite large and we didn’t feel hungry until dinnertime.

Carry some healthy food with you.

It’s always better to have something on hand for when you unexpectedly become tired and hangry (hunger-angry).

On one of our days away we went for a walk from Lake Taupo to Hukka Falls. It was only meant to be 3km – not too strenuous. We didn’t anticipate so many hills and by the time we got to the falls I was pretty irritable.  I was so glad we had packed a couple muesli bars and some mandarins. I think my travelling companion appreciated it too.

Take a Water bottle 

It’s so easy to forget to drink when you’re out exploring a new place. It’s also particularly important to stay hydrated when flying for many health reasons. I take a drink bottle with me everywhere and find that it prevents me from spending money on bottled water. Having water on hand also stops me buying soft drinks and snack foods when we are out.

Order a side of steamed veg

I am alway conscious of eating enough fruit and veg when travelling to prevent myself getting sick. But I have noticed that a lot of main meals in restaurants are largely meat with only a small amount of vegetables. In these situations I like to order a side of steamed vegetables or green salad to make sure that I am getting enough vitamins and minerals to support my immune system.

Listen to your body

This one is applicable to all situations but I find when I am traveling that it is particularly easy to overindulge in the delicious new foods. In this case it’s best to listen to your own body’s cues. If you aren’t hungry don’t eat. – Often easier said than done but always worth a try!

Happy Travels!

If you’d like further help with your nutrition please click below: