Business travel

Food for thought: travel food doesn’t have to be fast food

Food and drink consumed on business trips can play havoc with your waistline and wallet. But with some preparation, you can stick to a healthy nutritional routine.

We’ve all done it: filled up on junk food out of boredom on a three-hour airport stopover; indulged in copious coffees and pastries on a cross-country train ride; or succumbed to a constant stream of crisps and Haribo on an epic motorway journey.

It’s no good pleading powerlessness in the face of fast-food monopolies at airports and service stations - healthy eating is all the rage and alternatives are always available. You just need to plan ahead and exercise some willpower!

So put down that greasy pasty, step away from the burger bar and follow our guide to healthy eating while on your travels:

• Drink lots of water – dehydration can cause or exacerbate hunger. At airports, remember to buy it after the security checkpoint
• Eat three proper meals a day – this will help you to resist unhealthy snacks and maintain your energy levels. Be sure to include lots of fruit and vegetables
• Pack a low-carb meal – the low-cost airlines make you pay extra for high-fat, low-quality food, so pack something more nutritional instead. Also, there’s some evidence to suggest that eating fatty, carb-laden food while flying can contribute to jet lag
• Breakfast like a king – avoid cravings for mid-morning muffins by making time for breakfast every day. If you’re in a hotel, opt for fruit and for cereal that’s not drenched in sugar. Be warned: pastries and croissants are not your friend
• Trick your body into a new waking and sleeping cycle – if you’re crossing time zones it can be a good idea to reset meal times to the new time as soon as possible
• Pack some snacks – salt-laden crisps, nuts and other in-flight snacks are bad for you and extremely dehydrating. Pack your carry-on bag with unsalted nuts, dried fruit and cereal bars instead
• Do your own cooking – some extended-stay hotels have kitchenettes, enabling you to prepare your own meals. Avoid eating out and hit the local supermarket instead. Buy fresh fruit, healthy snacks and low-fat microwaveable meals (keep an eye on salt levels, though)
• Order wisely – go for healthier eating options, like grilled fish or chicken. Avoid unctuous sauces and hold back on the salad dressings, because they’re usually bursting with calories, salt and saturated fat
• Step away from the buffet – a couple of sausage rolls won’t fill you up, but they could contain the same amount of saturated fats and calories as an entire low-calorie meal. If a buffet’s your only option, select one meat (or fish) portion, one starch portion and one veggie portion. And no more!

Of course there will be times when you have no option but to go with the unhealthy flow, but if you follow our healthy eating guide, you’ll be able to enjoy them all the more, knowing that you’ve earned them!

This feature was written by DialExpotel for Expotel, the UK’s leading hotel, travel and venue booking agency. To find out more about Expotel, call 0844 793 7300.

• DialExpotel home
• Editor's pick
• News
• Business travel
• Hotel focus
• Work matters
• dial events

Call 0844 793 7300

Click here for more offers

The Bethnal Green Town Hall, which has stood in the heart of London's vibrant East End since Edwardian times, reopened its doors this year with the opening of Town Hall Apartments. Read more