Healthy Eating While "On the Road"

Dapos

Hey everyone,

Just doing a bit of a research assignment on healthy eating and one area I'm looking into is how difficult it is for people on the road to eat health i.e. people who travel around the country for work, truck drivers, taxi's etc. I'm sure it's been covered before but hope you can help.

Some interesting comments I've got so far are "Convenience food and healthy eating do not go together" and "I expect to eat unhealthy while on the road".

I also spoke with a owner of a store who had fruit on display but no-one bought it.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Stheno

Are you talking about people who are away from home and staying in hotels etc?

I travel a fair bit with work, both day trips and overnights/weeks and don't find it much hassle

Señor Fancy Pants

It would be better if you experience it yourself if you havent done it.

Get yourself in your car or on public transport. Spend 3 days travelling around the country day and night and see whats available to you.

In fact, you dont even need to leave the house. Imagination research ftw!

Lia_lia

I came back from a 7 day work trip once and had put on 3 kilos. Mainly because of the massive hotel breakfasts.

adamshare01

Get yourself in your car or on public transport. Spend 3 days travelling around the country day and night and see whats available to you.

Stheno

Lia_lia wrote: »

I came back from a 7 day work trip once and had put on 3 kilos. Mainly because of the massive hotel breakfasts.

See that's fatal

My standard hotel breakfast is fruit, juice, porridge and coffee

DEFTLEFTHAND

This might be of interest. The guy is a long distance lorry driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTIEopQ2uY

strelok

Lia_lia wrote: »

I came back from a 7 day work trip once and had put on 3 kilos. Mainly because of the massive hotel breakfasts.

well most of that would be water weight and digesting food, you'd be eating very very (very) well to put on 3k of fat in a week

Sir Osis of Liver.

Qiaonasen

In the past 2 years I have spent close to 500 living in a hotel in Beijing. I travel between there and Germany for work. When I am in the hotel I find that eating healthy is quite easy with the breakfast buffet. But the lunch and dinner it's hard to do. You have to eat out all the time. Don't have a kitchen. The result is every single night you are in a restaurant or a bar. This means I end up eating something unhealthy and drinking alcohol quite a lot.

I am still undecided if lunching with my Chinese colleagues is healthy or not. We eat lots and lots of fried food but having said that I have maybe in two years put on two kg. I now weight 69kg at 178cm tall so I am quite a skinny guy.

I find the bigger problem with travelling is regular excercise. Beijing is not really an outdoor city. I could use the hotel gym but find that most nights I just lie on the bed. Definitely not the most healthy lifestyle.

On Monday I am heading back for an 8 week stint. I'll let you know how healthy I eat.

ahnowbrowncow

Im away about 7 days a month with work and I accept that I'm not going to eat the same as when I'm at home. I cant say no to all the bread, pastry and cereal on show at a continental breakfast and its too easy to say yes to a fry.
Lunch and dinner or as bad if not worse

But I always find time for exercise whether its a 30 minute run, calisthenics in my room or use the gym if the hotel has a decent one

Dapos

Stheno wrote: »

Are you talking about people who are away from home and staying in hotels etc?

I travel a fair bit with work, both day trips and overnights/weeks and don't find it much hassle

That is another side of it so too which I hadn't considered. I was thinking of people driving around the country or just travelling around Dublin in meetings and how it can be difficult to access healthy food

Dapos

adamshare01 wrote: »

Get yourself in your car or on public transport. Spend 3 days travelling around the country day and night and see whats available to you.

Cheers for that, I've spent a lot of time on the road with work but I don't want all the input to be my own experience. I've found it difficult to eat health on the road.

ygolometsipe

The trick is to wash the road kill before cooking it.

Also, don't eat any road kill that looks like road runner...

... beep beep

Dapos

ygolometsipe wrote: »

The trick is to wash the road kill before cooking it.

Also, don't eat any road kill that looks like road runner...

... beep beep

Another option I guess

Dapos

Any other comments or insights?

Mountainsandh

I think the situation is dire in Ireland. It is very hard to find a healthy salad in a petrol station, or even your average cafe/lunchtime restaurant. There's always lots of sauces, coleslaw, mayonnaise, sundried tomatoes drenched in oil, etc... I don't really have to travel for work, but often get my lunch in petrol stations since I struggle to be organized enough to bring mine in.

I love the rolls and sandwiches here, but absolutely dread the deli attendants' portions. I have to explicitly restrict the portions every time : one slice of ham, one boiled egg, or "a little bit of" cheese... and the notion of "little bit" varies greatly so I often end up with "a lot".
I find the policy seems to be to fill in a roll with as much as it can take, and charge a high price, rather than deliver something lighter at a lighter price.

I end up paying the same price as people with a full to the brim roll for less, but I just can't cope with 3 slices of ham and a mountain of cheese as well as lettuce etc... it spoils the roll imo, and is so unhealthy.

edit : I'm in the South East, small town, rural places.

LordSutch

Apple.

Healthy, refreshing, good for the teeth, and when you're finished you can throw the 'biodegradeable' core out the window into the bushes, for some fox/squirrel/rabbit to chew on

OhDearyMe

I suppose the fact that you're sitting the whole time can't help either.

Mountainsandh

LordSutch wrote: »

Apple.

Healthy, refreshing, good for the teeth, and when you're finished you can throw the 'biodegradeable' core out the window into the bushes, for some fox/squirrel/rabbit to chew on

Apple for breakfast, lunch and dinner it is so ?

allibastor

I used to be on the road a good bit, about 6 hours a day driving for work.

I found:

Breakfast, try to eat at home as much as possible before I go out, something like muesli or porridge/

Lunch, usual make up some form of fruit salad of thing like that. You would be surprised at the fruit items for sales in tescos and such, usually good.

Dinner, depend if I am out I will eat out, but usually try and get the main dish, like meat, and only eat a smaller amount of the side portions.

All depends really, I actually lost weight on the road as I was too busy to eat, but I know my old boss put on 5 stone in a year and half, looked very bad from it. He usually had 3-5 bars a day, crips, coke etc in the car with him, then ate his big dinner in the evening.

osarusan

Buy fruit and especially vegetables that you can eat raw - tomato, avocado, cucumber, carrot even, and fill up on those. Get some tins of tuna or sardines or whatever. Carry a knife, fork, and spoon round with you in your car/van. Bring bottles of water.

If you are talking about a situation where somebody wakes up every morning in their own bed, it's not difficult at all to put together a healthy meal every day.


When I go anywhere with my kids I always slice up a couple of carrots, boil them with some broccoli florets, and throw in some cherry tomatoes and maybe an avocado into the lunchbox. It definitely takes less than 10 minutes in total to prepare that. Whatever junk they eat at the play area/zoo/beach wherever, it will be on top of that healthy stuff.

Mountainsandh

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I think the situation is dire in Ireland. It is very hard to find a healthy salad in a petrol station, or even your average cafe/lunchtime restaurant. There's always lots of sauces, coleslaw, mayonnaise, sundried tomatoes drenched in oil, etc... I don't really have to travel for work, but often get my lunch in petrol stations since I struggle to be organized enough to bring mine in.

I love the rolls and sandwiches here, but absolutely dread the deli attendants' portions. I have to explicitly restrict the portions every time : one slice of ham, one boiled egg, or "a little bit of" cheese... and the notion of "little bit" varies greatly so I often end up with "a lot".
I find the policy seems to be to fill in a roll with as much as it can take, and charge a high price, rather than deliver something lighter at a lighter price.

I end up paying the same price as people with a full to the brim roll for less, but I just can't cope with 3 slices of ham and a mountain of cheese as well as lettuce etc... it spoils the roll imo, and is so unhealthy.

edit : I'm in the South East, small town, rural places.

The ham is probs better for you than the rest of the roll

_Kaiser_

I used to spend a fair bit on the road travelling between multiple sites and between sittign in the car for hours and living out of petrol stations on coffee, snacks and massive rolls, I'm acually amazed I didn't balloon up.

biko

I have no particular thoughts on his topic.

strelok

bluewolf wrote: »

The ham is probs better for you than the rest of the roll

the hell is wrong with cheese and lettuce?

strelok

strelok wrote: »

the hell is wrong with cheese and lettuce?

Nothing, it wasn't mentioned in the second paragraph except as an "or"
so i thought it was like a roll with 1 slice of ham

my teapot is orange

I bring my lunch to work. I find salads you buy out are either very unhealthy, or the other extreme, just a few vegetables and nothing else, they would leave you starving. I make a lunch box salad of rice, pasta or potatoes, loads of vegetables and meat.

OhDearyMe

allibastor wrote: »

I used to be on the road a good bit, about 6 hours a day driving for work.

I found:

Breakfast, try to eat at home as much as possible before I go out, something like muesli or porridge/

Lunch, usual make up some form of fruit salad of thing like that. You would be surprised at the fruit items for sales in tescos and such, usually good.

Dinner, depend if I am out I will eat out, but usually try and get the main dish, like meat, and only eat a smaller amount of the side portions.

All depends really, I actually lost weight on the road as I was too busy to eat, but I know my old boss put on 5 stone in a year and half, looked very bad from it. He usually had 3-5 bars a day, crips, coke etc in the car with him, then ate his big dinner in the evening.

I'd be starving on a fruit salad for lunch. So there.

the evasion_kid

As a delivery driver I did the whole breakfast roll,jam bons diet....nowadays its bagels,coffee,nicotine and running on pure hate...

Mountainsandh

bluewolf wrote: »

Nothing, it wasn't mentioned in the second paragraph except as an "or"
so i thought it was like a roll with 1 slice of ham

So a roll with 1 slice of ham is worse than a roll with 3 slices ???

I always have lettuce, cu umbers, peppers etc...

My point was that when each ingredient is piled on, be it cucumber or ham, it spoils the roll, and if it's ham or cheese heaped on it's just ridiculous calorie wise.

beks101

Tupperware is your friend. I'm over and back to the States with work quite a bit while trying to eat a high-protein diet and find the best way to manage is prepping the chicken breasts/boiled eggs/salads/raw nuts and packing tins of tuna and raw veg before I head out the door.

If I'm away from home more than a few days then I just have to be that asshole who's specific about exactly what I want with restaurant staff. Always easy enough to get a nice cut of meat and some fresh veg if you ask for it.

The main issue is the social one - "you're eating that rabbit food? sure you'll have a drink surely?" It's the same everywhere though

ThunbergsAreGo

beks101 wrote: »

Tupperware is your friend. I'm over and back to the States with work quite a bit while trying to eat a high-protein diet and find the best way to manage is prepping the chicken breasts/boiled eggs/salads/raw nuts and packing tins of tuna and raw veg before I head out the door.

If I'm away from home more than a few days then I just have to be that asshole who's specific about exactly what I want with restaurant staff. Always easy enough to get a nice cut of meat and some fresh veg if you ask for it.

The main issue is the social one - "you're eating that rabbit food? sure you'll have a drink surely?" It's the same everywhere though

Yeah i do this as well, always bring food into work

There are times i just need hot food though!!

donegaLroad

a friend used to work in coronary care in the local hospital and he told me what the doctors would advise patients with a heart condition:

no sausages, no steak and kidney pie, no mince meat with a high fat content.

black_frosch

There's no healthy eating when you have too many friends!

Muckyboots

Extra care with "sports bars" or " protein bars". Dangerous trend where these are appearing at eye level ( buy level) in the grab and go sections of conveniece stores, juice bars and supermarkets. All 200 calories plus !! Protein Bars should only ever by used as meal replacers or pre/post workout. In my view they will have the same neagtive impact on obesity as the walls of high sugar sports drinks now taking up the majority of shops fridges. Should really be regulated now rather than try to deal with the damage in 3-5 years time.

Mountainsandh

Muckyboots wrote: »

Extra care with "sports bars" or " protein bars". Dangerous trend where these are appearing at eye level ( buy level) in the grab and go sections of conveniece stores, juice bars and supermarkets. All 200 calories plus !! Protein Bars should only ever by used as meal replacers or pre/post workout. In my view they will have the same neagtive impact on obesity as the walls of high sugar sports drinks now taking up the majority of shops fridges. Should really be regulated now rather than try to deal with the damage in 3-5 years time.

I've noticed that too ! Although it's debatable whether a kid who doesn't have a clue (but was out to get chocolate anyway) is better off with a protein bar or a starbar, no ? I would guess most choc bars would be 200 calories plus too, only guessing.

Dyr

Away from home, live off fruit, salads and where possible porridge. Big problem with travel is dependence on processed and packaged food. You've some hope with restaurant dinners that its not the worst quality wise

swimming in a sea

Going away for me used to be really bad, massive breakfasts and then all other meals on expenses, I felt like I had to order a lot or else the company was winning ...

I've got it now under control, I never include the breakfast when booking a hotel(usually something like €20 in Germany for an ordinary buffet) I stock up on some energy bars before going so that takes care of breakfast and for any time I get really hungry. When it comes to dinner I still go to restaurants but I order only the mains as I think the starter only makes you hungry for more.

Hotel gyms are never up to much so I try to get a in a few miles walk around the city.

Mountainsandh

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I love the rolls and sandwiches here, but absolutely dread the deli attendants' portions. I have to explicitly restrict the portions every time : one slice of ham, one boiled egg, or "a little bit of" cheese... and the notion of "little bit" varies greatly so I often end up with "a lot".
I find the policy seems to be to fill in a roll with as much as it can take, and charge a high price, rather than deliver something lighter at a lighter price.

I end up paying the same price as people with a full to the brim roll for less, but I just can't cope with 3 slices of ham and a mountain of cheese as well as lettuce etc... it spoils the roll imo, and is so unhealthy.

edit : I'm in the South East, small town, rural places.

You have to remember though most people want massive rolls filled to the brim or they will complain so the shops cater for this.

If i'm not eating fillings out of the wrapper of the roll as it was so full they fell out then I'm not happy :pac:

Muckyboots

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I've noticed that too ! Although it's debatable whether a kid who doesn't have a clue (but was out to get chocolate anyway) is better off with a protein bar or a starbar, no ? I would guess most choc bars would be 200 calories plus too, only guessing.

It's not the kids I would be concerned about. Kids will eat chocolate bars, always have, always will so they might as well eat starbars- as an occasional treat , of course. It's the adults who presume that protein bars are "healthy" or purchase them as meal replacers but eat them as snacks (done it). Because they are high protein they take a little longer to create a feeling of satiety and it's tempting to eat more. A snack should be less than 100 calories and no more than twice a day.

ThunbergsAreGo

swimming in a sea wrote: »

Going away for me used to be really bad, massive breakfasts and then all other meals on expenses, I felt like I had to order a lot or else the company was winning ...

Fantastic way of looking at it!

Mountainsandh

Mountainsandh wrote: »

So a roll with 1 slice of ham is worse than a roll with 3 slices ???

I always have lettuce, cu umbers, peppers etc...

My point was that when each ingredient is piled on, be it cucumber or ham, it spoils the roll, and if it's ham or cheese heaped on it's just ridiculous calorie wise.

never mind
Rolls are tasty

Mightydrumming

beks101 wrote: »

Tupperware is your friend. I'm over and back to the States with work quite a bit while trying to eat a high-protein diet and find the best way to manage is prepping the chicken breasts/boiled eggs/salads/raw nuts and packing tins of tuna and raw veg before I head out the door.

If I'm away from home more than a few days then I just have to be that asshole who's specific about exactly what I want with restaurant staff. Always easy enough to get a nice cut of meat and some fresh veg if you ask for it.

The main issue is the social one - "you're eating that rabbit food? sure you'll have a drink surely?" It's the same everywhere though

Tupperware is mighty, can't have enough of it!

I'm on the road a good bit with music myself and always try to prep my dinner before-hand. Usually pasta's, chicken, rice etc... Fruit is the tricky one on the road, apart from the odd Pink lady

Mountainsandh

Evelyn Narrow Windowsill wrote: »

You have to remember though most people want massive rolls filled to the brim or they will complain so the shops cater for this.

If i'm not eating fillings out of the wrapper of the roll as it was so full they fell out then I'm not happy :pac:

Yeah, maybe they should have 2 versions available : light, and regular.
I hate it with a vengeance when the fillings are every where, or you can't "close" the roll.

bluewolf wrote: »

never mind
Rolls are tasty

ROLLS ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS. :pac:

masculinist

Wet wipes, my trusty titanium spork , an avocado, a can of tuna or anchovies , a banana and I'm sorted on the road.