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Road-Ready Columns
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The HealthWire
“Bits and Bobs” to Keep You Sane, Safe, and
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Observations and commentary on creating a
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Copyright© 2002, 2003,
Marlene R. Fedin
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Are You Road-Ready? Read This Week's Column
The
Road Rules for Healthy Eating on the Go
By Marlene
R. Fedin, The Wellness Concierge®
Originally
published August 8, 2003
With a bit of planning and knowledge, you can
eat well anywhere you roam
The Top Ten Road Rules
Healthy Eating
101
•
Pack to Snack
•
Get Food Smart
•
Other Resources
The good news: It's
getting easier to "eat healthy" on the road. More restaurant
and fast-food chains
include healthy options (read less fat, sugar, salt, and calories and
more organic and fresh foods). Hotels are adding—or
expanding—their "healthy" menus.
Health-oriented food vendors are making
their way into the airport retail mix while existing airport food
outlets diversify, offering healthy snacks and menu items. Healthier
selections are even showing up in vending machines.
And though some may not
view it as a positive change, the major airlines have cut out or cut
back on food service.
(You weren't waiting for the airlines to
make healthy food a priority were you? They haven't even managed
edible.) Many flyers are now
forced to purchase airline food or go hungry in flight. The result? Even
less-than-health-conscious travelers are opting to brown-bag their own
food from home or more trusted food providers.
The "bad" news: You're
the only one who can really ensure that you eat right on the road. And
it's still boils down to watching calories and portion sizes, no matter
where or when you eat.
The bottom line?
With so many options, you've
got no excuse to miss meals or nosh on unhealthy snacks—poor
eating habits
that undermine your health and stamina and negatively affect your
performance.
HEALTHY EATING ON THE
FLY: TEN RULES FOR TRAVELERS
The foundation of healthy
eating on the road is self-discipline and self-education: Making the commitment to eat on the run.
Following the
basic rules of healthy eating. Researching healthy choices.
Identifying healthy resources.
Buying—and
toting—food so you're not dependent on any travel vendor. Avoiding the
seductive lures of junk and fast food.
RULE #1:
Make Eating a Priority!
To ensure
peak performance, up your overall fitness, avoid physical injury, and
maintain your general health and well-being on any itinerary, be
sure to EAT!
If you're a traveling workaholic or someone who otherwise "forgets" to
eat, you may need to literally schedule time to chow down.
TIP: To save time
and avoid headaches, prepare or purchase food and tote it in a small
insulated bag.
 (Magellan's
offers a slim and stylish
LunchSac (left) that includes a gel pack.) You'll have what you
like when you want it and you'll never be at the mercy of an airline,
fast-food vendor, or food-court leftovers.
RULE #2:
Forget
Fasting "You need energy to do things," advises nutrition
advocate Robyn Landis, author of
BodyFueling (Warner Books).
"Eating gives you that energy." If you want to fast, don't do it on the
road.
TIP:
Eating a simple, light pre-flight meal can
reduce your
risk of fainting and cardiopulmonary emergencies.
RULE #3:
Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario:
Always Carry
Food—and Water
Due to circumstances beyond
your control, you are not going to be eating, alas, in the air,
at your destination, or in the airport. Make sure you "pack
to snack."
Throw
some whole-grain bagels or crackers; fruit (apple, pear, banana); yogurt
cups; and/or power bars into your handbag or briefcase for quick
bites. They'll be well worth the (minimal) space they occupy when you're
tired,
hungry, thirsty, and stranded with no food options.
TIP:
Don't get into the habit of drinking a liquid meal replacement
or eating a power bar instead of eating "real" food.
RULE #4: Plan
Ahead Ask airlines: What, if any, food service is
offered in flight? When is food served? What’s included in the special
meals? Can I have a second meal?
TIP:
Have hotels and restaurants fax you their menus (or check them out
online, where available). Call ahead to find healthy options or arrange
for special orders.
Spend a bit of time before you go
researching local restaurants that feature healthy menus (FYI: Venues that offer organic or vegetarian
specialties are often among the top-ranked dining spots.). Need help?
Call a local health food store—staffers usually know where to get
healthy food, including eateries that offer vegan, vegetarian, and
organic menus.
RULE #5:
Avoid
the Mini-Bar. Some hotels include healthy offerings such as yogurt,
fresh fruit, and low-calorie, low-fat power bars. But the majority
continue to serve up high-calorie, high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar fare.
If you know you're getting in late, either carry your own snacks or
stop and buy some fruit or a low-cal snack before you check in.
RULE #6:
Order Off the Menu Don’t
see a healthy option on the menu? Ask for what you want. Are the veggies
fried? Ask for them raw or steamed. An omelet has ham, three eggs, and
cheese? Opt for egg whites and fresh veggies.
RULE #7: Don’t
Dismiss Special 'Diet' Dishes "Healthy doesn’t mean
tasteless," notes chef-nutritionist, author, and hotel and restaurant
consultant Nancy Berkoff. Even the non-calorie-conscious can enjoy items
on special menus provided by many top hotel chains, including
vegetarian and macrobiotic choices.
RULE #8: Choose
the
Best Fast-Food and Restaurant Chain Options
"Healthy" is a relative term at fast-food chains where even
the so-called low-fat, less-calorie salad and sandwich options still
contain hefty amounts of fats, sodium, and calories.
According to a
study by the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, many of the
entrée salads
are bigger nutritional landmines than standard burger fare. So
educate yourself and order carefully. (See the PCRM's
Fast-Food and
Quick-Serve Salad Entree Comparison Chart for an eye-opening
analysis of seven popular food venues.)
TIP:
Restaurant Confidential is a terrific primer on healthy
eating-out options. The comprehensive book, prepared by the Centers
for Science in the Public Interest (often referred to as the "food
police" by the media), decodes the menus of major fast food and
restaurant chains, steering you to healthy choices by cuisine,
outlet, and specific menu items. It also deconstructs the mountain of nutritional
data and provides easy-read lists and recommendations that can keep you
healthy, fit, and energized.
RULE #9: Identify
Healthy Favorites Tend to dine in the same type of
restaurants? Like a particular cuisine?
 Dining
Lean (Joanne V. Lichten, RD, PhD; Nutrifit Publishing) makes it
easy to eat well at your favorite eateries by breaking out healthy
choices by appetizer, accompaniments, sauces, and entrées in a variety
of ethnic and chain restaurants.
Check out Dr. Jo's savvy tips in
the Defensive Dining
and Fit Fast Food
online excerpts from Dining Lean.
RULE #10:
Get Food Smart
Educate yourself about
healthy food choices. It's easier than ever with a wealth of
well-designed and easy-to-use travel- and
reference-size books (including "counter" and fast-food guides).
TIP:
Before you pick up your next road snack, energy bar, or beverage,
take a minute to check out the food label. The high calorie, sodium, fat, and
sugar content (more than the bloated price tag) may make you rethink
your choice.
Unless you choose carefully,
you can wind up eating or drinking a huge chunk of your daily calorie
and nutrition allotment in a few bites.◄
*
Access to some referenced articles may require
membership, registration, or payment. Publishers may move articles after
posting. In some cases, you may be able to retrieve articles from
archives, which may require a fee, or through a free search on the site.
TOP OF PAGE
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HEALTHY EATING 101:
THE BASICS |
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•
Go Fresh and Natural Opt for the freshest,
in-season fruits and vegetables. Check menus for specials that feature fresh fish,
poultry, or meat. Avoid pre-packaged foods.
•
Opt
for Healthy Choices Choose low (fat, sugar, sodium, and calories) and high
(fiber) foods; limit alcoholic beverages; sugary drinks, liquid meal
replacements, and sodas; go
easy on the caffeine; moderate your coffee intake and don’t use it as a
food substitute.
TIP: Water is not a substitute
for food. Low-calorie diets paired with high water intake, according to
a report in The Lancet, can put you at risk for over-taxing your
kidneys.
• Don't skip breakfast. And we're not talking a cup of coffee or a glass of juice.
Eating in the morning will give you needed energy, minimize
hunger during the day, and help you avoid overeating.
TIP: If you hate
traditional breakfast foods, consider heartier options from
elsewhere on the menu. There's no rule that says you must eat
cereal or eggs.
•
Plan for three
meals a day with snacks or six mini-meals. Some folks are the human equivalent of camels: They can
go for a whole day without eating while others try to cram
everything into one huge meal.
Avoid such unhealthy
extremes.
• Eat
something every four or five hours, even it it’s just a snack.
Fast-food or less-healthy options are preferable to no food—but watch
your choices. You don't want to waste good calories on junk food.
TIP: A study published in The
British Medical Journal found that spreading your daily food intake
across several meals (aka "grazing") can help lower cholesterol
levels.
• Stick as close to your
normal eating schedule as possible.
• Try to eat most
of your food as early as you can during the day. Starving
yourself during the day and ending it with a heavy or large
meal at night adds pounds, interferes with digestion, and
disrupts sleep.
•
Watch Portion Sizes
Unless you're dining in pricey, upscale eateries, most
restaurant portions are often supersized to the point that you
could easily eat several times more than your daily calorie
intake when downing a single entrée.
Intellihealth offers a fun
"serving-size" online quiz that details serving sizes
and provides visual examples.
TIP: A single serving
of fish, poultry, or meat is about three (3) ounces, or about
the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
•
Eat
Slowly, Mindfully—and Only When You're Hungry. You're tired, you're
stressed, you're aggravated. Food can be soooo comforting. It's all too
easy to turn to food for immediate satisfaction but mindless noshing can
be a pound-adding panacea.
Instead of raiding the mini-bar, take a walk or work out to
relieve tension and stress. Soothe your spirits with a hot
shower or bath and enjoy some in-room downtime, reading or
watching TV.
•
Eat
With a Purpose: Think
Beyond Survival Eating Food fuels our bodies and
energizes us but certain foods can also help us reduce stress and
anxiety, counter fatigue and jet lag, and increase stamina and mental
clarity—key benefits for every road warrior. Choose foods to help
you power up at breakfast, recharge at lunch, and wind down at dinner.
TIP: Check out Judith Wurtman’s
Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food (Perennial), one of several
terrific books that detail the health and performance benefits of
different foods.
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TOP OF PAGE
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PACK TO SNACK
To supplement, or temporarily replace,
regular meals, assemble your own "snack pack"
for
emergency re-fueling: |
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Low-fat, whole-grain bagels or
crackers; graham crackers; rice cakes; low-fat, low-salt
pretzels; fresh fruit (apple, pear, banana, etc.); dried
fruits (raisins, apples, apricots, dates, figs, etc.) and
nuts (dry roasted; almonds, peanuts, walnuts); granola and
power/energy bars (taste
test until you find those you like; always opt for
high-fiber, low sugar, lower-calorie choices); low-sodium
instant soups; mini-pack fruit juices and skim milk; packets
of peanut butter (or make your own); mini-boxes of
whole-grain cereal (or make your own); packets of instant
oatmeal; powdered nonfat milk; containers of nonfat yogurt;
raw veggies such as carrots that will keep; snack-size
bags/cans of water-packed tuna.
TIP:
Don't sabotage yourself.
Read labels carefully
to
avoid fat- and sugar-laden power bars and other snacks. |
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TOP OF PAGE
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GET FOOD SMART |
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►Take
a Crash-Course in Healthy Eating
Nutritional Healing: A Step-by-Step Guide
(Denise Mortimore, Element Books)
This small, almost
pocket-size, 60-page book is like a Cliff Notes for
Healthy Eating and Living. Sections include essential
nutrient requirements, proper use of supplements, details on
the new food pyramid, healthy eating plans, and, most
important, details on how individual foods enhance health
and well being.
►Keep
Tabs on Calories, Carbs, and More
Doctor's Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter, 2003
Edition, Plus 150 Fast Food Chains and Restaurants (Allan
Borushek, Family Health Pub.)
If you're
serious about eating well, tote this pocket-size volume and
review your options on the fly. The dietitian/health
educator author
includes diet guides and counters for key nutrition
elements, including sodium, cholesterol, protein, calcium,
and fiber. You can even track caffeine and alcohol in common
foods and beverages.
►Expand
Your Culinary Options
People eat what they know.
Evelyn Tribole’s
Eating on the Run (Human Kinetics), an easy
primer for the nutritionally choice-challenged, will
expand your culinary horizons.
 Note
the "one-minute wrap-up" section that targets healthy foods.
Copy the "Nutrition
Countdown" info (a quick-take on suggested foods/servings)
onto a card or into your organizer and use it as a handy
checklist to ensure you’re eating well. |
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TOP OF PAGE
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HEALTHY EATING RESOURCES |
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►Expert
Recommendations
Need help navigating all the
so-called "healthy" foods? Food advocate Robyn Landis
provides a list of
recommended food brands and products at her
BodyFueling.com site. The list include cookies, juices,
soups, salsas, snack & power bars, and more.
►Hotel
Take-Aways
Many hotel chains offer "grab
and go" food service and boxed meals at selected properties.
Many say they can, with notice, pack up just about anything
on the dining room or room service menus for you to take
along with you. Ask about special menus for "to-go" items.
►Articles
Mubarik Dahi
tackles the weighty issue of staying slim and healthy for
Business Traveler magazine in "Weight
List, Healthy Eating on the Road."
►Dining
Options at the Airport
Every year the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine rates the availability
of healthy food options at airports around the country.
Click
here to see how your most-traveled airports fared.
►Vegetarian
Restaurants
You don't have to be a
vegetarian to appreciate the menu offerings of these
specialty eateries. Restaurant finders and books such as
those noted below can help you pinpoint local options.
•
Vegetarian Journal's
Guide to Natural Food Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada
• VegDining.com's
Online
Restaurant Guide lists over 1,000 fully vegetarian
restaurants around the world and includes mini-reviews
►Specialty
Restaurants
Keep your eyes peeled for
eateries featuring healthier options:
•
Healthy Express (Minneapolis)
•
Healthy Grill Bites (Fort
Lauderdale, Florida)
•
O'Naturals (Falmouth, Maine)
►Savvy
Strategies for Surviving a Salad Bar
A void
the dietary landmines hidden among the iceberg lettuce
and assorted offerings of the seemingly healthy salad bar or
food buffet.
►Now You
Know:
Get to the
Bottom Line With Fast-Food Counters
Need help
navigating the world of fast food to find healthy choices or
to meet specific dietary needs? Point your browser to
The Minnesota
Attorney General's Office Fast Food Finder, which
provides one of the most comprehensive nutritional analyses
of fast food we’ve seen.
With
multiple search criteria beyond calories and fat (by %
and grams) and item names broken out by food chain (you can
display by individual chain or for all chains at once), it’s
a great source of info for those who really need the
nutritional details of menu items.
Unlike other
fast food breakouts, the site also lets you search by
inputting maximum grams for both sodium and cholesterol—key
concerns for many folks with chronic health conditions.
Carbs, protein, sugar, and fiber
information is provided for menu items that you pull up
based on your initial search so you get the total
nutritional breakdown. The sugar data, often overlooked in
many breakouts, is particularly helpful for anyone seeking
to minimize or eliminate sugar in their dietary intake.
My search for 300 calories
and 10% fat for McDonald’s, for example, pulled up the
nutritional and caloric breakouts for beverages, sauces,
salads, and other food items (croutons) that fell within
those parameters. But the search yielded only one real meal
option—grilled chicken salad deluxe.
At Pizza Hut, the same parameters yielded only a dipping
sauce for a breadstick! (I had to up the calories to 600 to
even begin having options!)
You don’t need to be on a
calorie-restricted diet to benefit from clicking through the
site but if you must or wish to monitor what you ingest,
this is a must-bookmark online reference. If you’re
really serious, consider transferring select info to your
PDA or printing take-along sheets.
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NOTE: Every effort is
made to provide current, working links. However, given the nature of the
Web and the frequency of change on individual sites, some links may not
be available. If you can't find a noted resource, please
e-mail The Wellness Concierge®
and I'll
provide you with updated information, where available.
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“The only real value that we bring
to any other human
being on this planet
is our ability to make some of their stress go away.”
—Donald Cooper |
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Who is
The Wellness Concierge®?
Marlene R. Fedin
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MY MISSION:
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To provide road warriors with
travel-health information, resources, and inspiration to ease the
stress and strain of life on the road and encourage
healthier life choices. |
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Health & Wellness
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These individuals and their companies are personally and
professionally committed to helping
travelers lead healthy and productive lives.
EXERCISE & FITNESS
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Sleep
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HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL
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