Flightster

The Road Trip Diet (and How to Survive It)

• by Colin Wright
• on July 28th, 2010
• 1 Comment

When I have a home – or at least some place that I’ll be staying for more than a few days – my diet rules.

I eat mostly grains and vegetables, making lots of rice and quinoa dishes, mixed with some broccoli and a little soy sauce…oh yeah. I grab some apples from the farmer’s market and some green tea for the times that I really need to buckle down and get work done. All other times I drink water or fresh juices.

When I really want to spice things up, I’ll make fresh garlic bread. Yum.

It’s a completely different story – hell, a totally different book – when I’m on the road.

When I’m traveling, hitting up a new location every day or two, my diet morphs into some kind of lycanthropic monster, intent on destroying my health and my teeth, and quite possibly my reputation.

An average day involves eating no breakfast, or if I’m really on it, a few donuts and a faux orange juice. Lunch consists of whatever I can grab from a convenience store (a big bag of chips? Sounds good!) or some kind of cafe-dealt baked good (I aim for the lesser of whatever evils are available, but really, the best things for you at most cafes are still pretty bad). Dinner is a meal out at some local restaurant, another bag of chips, some kind of candy bar/pizza combo, or in some cases, just booze.

All throughout the day there’s also a smattering of snacks and 2-5 energy drinks consumed, leading to a near-constant buzz that only goes away when exhaustion sets in.

Needless to say, this isn’t an ideal situation, and it’s either incredibly expensive or incredibly difficult to elevate an on-the-road diet up to near-normal health standards.

Here are four simple things to keep in mind to avoid gaining 80 pounds or dying of sugar before you arrive at your destination:

Move Move Move

When you have the chance, move like your life depends on it.

Whether you’re stopping for gas or stopped for the night, take the opportunity to do jumping jacks, push ups, run around the block or whip out some crunches. Even simple movement – like bouncing on the balls of your feet while you stand, or tapping your foot while in the car – helps a little bit. Every calorie you can burn is a calorie that doesn’t stick around and weigh you down, and keeping your cardiovascular health is incredibly important long-term and short.

More Chemicals, Less Sucrose

It’s really not very good for you to drink any kind of energy drink or soda, but if you need a boost to stay awake (and all natural options aren’t available), go for the sugar-free option over the standard fare.

Yes, I know, this is one of those ‘less of two evils’ kinds of decisions, and it’s debatable whether or not those sugar substitutes are any better for you at all, but it’s the worst feeling when you’ve got 3 hours left to drive and you can’t keep your eyes open due to a massive sugar crash.

Eat Your Vegetables

When the opportunity arises to eat a salad, fruit, fresh foods of any sort or a homemade meal, jump on this opportunity!

I look at it as stockpiling at an oasis before setting back out into a desolate desert environment…except there are (hopefully) fewer cobras in your car than in the Sahara. In any case, your system needs nutrients and roughage to keep ticking, so give it these things every chance you get.

Just Say No

I know, I know, you’re on the road, meeting new people and living a rockstar lifestyle. Every stop is a party, and every morning after you wake up hungover and naked (what…that’s just me?).

But it doesn’t haven’t to be this way. Remember that you can still have fun without gorging yourself of rich foods and alcohol. If you can’t, you’re doing something wrong.

Take time to let your body recuperate and don’t feel pressured to keep overindulging. Your waistline (and reputation) will thank you.

Keep these things in mind and your body will require a whole lot less down time when you finally settle back down into a non-nomadic lifestyle. Otherwise, you’ll be out of commission for days or weeks, just trying to regain the energy (and health standards) you once enjoyed.

Colin Wright

Colin Wright is a minimalist, branding expert and serial entrepreneur. While running his blog Exile Lifestyle ,his branding studio Colin Is My Name and his e-publishing business ebookling. Colin travels the world (moving to a new country every 4 months), meeting up with amazing people, giving talks (to audiences ranging from tech industry professionals to college students to Catholic school girls) and hunting down new and interesting experiences.