During my
most recent trip to San Francisco I had a breakfast meeting with two key
colleagues one morning and with another on a subsequent day.
One
breakfast was at a restaurant that I find challenging to make good choices and
frankly, wasn’t willing to waste the calories on the carb bombs they serve as
the bulk of their menu. They do, however, have a phenomenal tea selection and
local honey to put in the tea. So while others chose 800+ calorie meals, I had
a large tea with a teaspoon of honey. I
had already enjoyed a protein latte at 6a after coming back from a 6 mile run,
so I was still quite fine and feeling fully fueled when we met shortly after
8a. I tried a new tea and it’s on my
favorite rotations now! Mighty Leaf African Nectar. It is my second favorite
tea and watch out Yogi Perfect Energy…it might bump you out of the top spot
soon!
There seem
to be two schools of thought when I don’t have something traditional or
expected when I dine with others. One is to be somewhat pecked to death on why
I should eat what they are eating, the other is to ask me about my choices and
the benefits. I had a session of each this week. The two ladies were a bit
mystified that a, I wasn’t charging a big breakfast to my expense account and
b, that I was satisfied by 20 oz of tea. I did remind them that I was keeping
to an eastern time zone schedule for sleep and waking and had been up for more
than 4 hours at that point, which seemed to satisfy them for a bit. But I could
tell they really would have preferred me to eat alongside them.
The other
happened the very next morning. The person with whom I was meeting had said he
brought his breakfast in and did he mind if we ate in his office as we
discussed the topic at hand. I brought a protein latte to sip and he was
fascinated that I was eating healthy on the road and we took a segue way down
the nutrition path for about 10 minutes. I could tell he was genuinely interested
and he had a breakfast of uncooked oatmeal, berries and yogurt…something I do a
great deal of the time and find exceptionally filling. So many feel they must soak those oats in
boiling water, but wow are they ever filling when simply mixed with yogurt! I’ll even sprinkle unflavored protein powder
based on my needs for that day.
The
interested corollary I drew was that the first two people both lamented at
least 20 lbs to lose and were a bit bothered by my healthy choices while the
other colleague is quite fit, focused on healthy choices and was highly
supportive of my desire to do the same regardless of being at home or away. He
was leaving later that day for two nights out of town and told me I’d given him
great ideas to incorporate on the road. Going to the grocery store when
traveling is seemingly anathema to so many. Unless they understand the value to
their health and then it becomes a viable, sought out solution. This colleague
was traveling to a city I’d been in late last year and was staying at the same
hotel I’d chosen there. So I was easily able to share where the walking
distance grocery store was and how the hotel was set up (full size fridge in a
kitchenette) that made it ideal for healthful eating.
When I stay
in a place as I recently did in SF where I have to empty out the mini-bar and
store things in a miniscule fridge or cart larger items into the office and use
a communal fridge, it has a bit more of a challenge, but still have not come to
one I could not make work. Even those that do not regularly have a fridge in
the rooms have always provided one to me for asking and never with a fee,
though I do hear of folks having to pay a small charge at some hotels for a
fridge.
I think it
is easy to say that you are on the road and eating out and just didn’t have a
choice about healthy eating. But that’s an excuse. First, even at the carb bomb
restaurant I could have made a good--though higher calorie--breakfast option,
it just would have not been my first choice and I went with my first choice.
Second, if you are making healthy eating and lifestyle choices then really
there IS no choice about not doing so when on the road. Doesn’t matter if you
travel one day a year or 364 of them, what’s more important to you than you?
And why would you make a poor choice about YOU?
So what are
some of the best tips you have for eating healthy on the road? I’d love to hear
about them!
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