Believe it or not, most people find it difficult to eat healthy when they are traveling. When you’re at home or at work, you can control what food you eat and how it is prepared. But, when you’re traveling, it usually means you’ll have to dine out frequently causing you to lose control over how the food is prepared and what ingredients go into it. Here are a few tips on how to keep healthy even when traveling:

• Travel with a refillable water bottle Choose to bring a refillable water bottle wherever you go. Having clean water to drink helps keep you hydrated and may keep you from reaching for sugary drinks once thirst kicks in. Keeping hydrated also does wonders for your skin and health.
• Still observe chosen cheat days Try to still enforce designated days when you will choose to cheat. On regular days, choose to eat as healthy as possible, skipping the dessert and sugary drinks. For example, on a 7-day trip, choose two days when you will go all-out cheating. Make a list of food that you want to eat on your cheat day but make sure you “behave” on non-cheat days.
• Order simple meals when you can On days when you won’t be cheating, choose to order simple meals. For example, at a continental restaurant opt for grilled “naked” meats like steak or fish. Naked meaning sans the sauces and other things that make it unhealthy. Even with sides, opt for simple steamed vegetables instead of the other fattening options like fried potatoes, creamed spinach, etc.
• Bring fruits as your snack Stay away from bad choices when you’re hungry by snacking throughout the day. What’s the best snack option? Fruits! Bring easy to eat fruits in your bag so you can easily reach for something on-the-go. Fruit options like bananas, apples, and pears are easy to eat and pack. This allows you to not go into meals hungry. Remember, when you go to a restaurant hungry, it is a losing battle.