New smells filling your nostrils and signalling your stomach to growl, food vendors calling at you to come over. New supermarkets you have never seen, brands you have only seen in youtube videos. This all sounds great right? Travelling and eating all the new amazing food is exciting but if you do it for too long it can leave you feeling a bit too far from your health and fitness goals. Today's post is all about indulging but learning that you can be healthy on holiday as well, it doesn't have to be a huge cheat day until you get back home.
When your off-jet setting across the world for longer than just a two week holiday it’s really hard to stay true to your goals. Staying away from exciting temptations and new cuisine can be very difficult (especially if food is cheap like in Thailand!). Trips that last longer than your typical holiday time period make you feel guilty ditching your healthy eating habits. Recently I went on a three-month trip where I allowed myself to let go a bit and enjoy myself. One month in and I was feeling sluggish, gross and extremely unfit! I had enjoyed all the foods I had tried and don’t regret a thing, but it was time to get back on track.
Being healthy on holiday brings a few more barriers than when you are at home. You’re not working as much so you aren't as distracted. There are new café’s, restaurants, food carts and markets surrounding you, rather than your desk and that one piece of fruit you brought from home. Along with new surroundings and less distractions is that you may be on a budget. All countries are different when it comes to what food your money can buy you, but what I have noticed is healthy food in most countries seems to be more expensive. I’m not talking about all food, you can grab fruit from a food cart in Thailand for a few cents however a plain salad is more like 10 dollars. You have to do some research; what places are around you and what food does this country have that it is well known for. Check if there are markets and what kinds of foods are healthy to get from a local market. You might even have to splurge if you can, spend a few more dollars here and there to get some decent healthy food, it can be worth it. The last thing is that you may not have a kitchen. When your back packing or staying in cheap hotels sometimes you might find you don’t have access to a kitchen so making the easy healthy food you know and love is a lot harder. Healthy snacks is the best way to go, keep yourself fuelled throughout the day with nuts and fruit, then if you have something for dinner that may not be 100% healthy it's better than not being healthy at all.
Health and travel is all about being smart and researching. When I was in Thailand I loved eating Pad Thai for every meal but I knew it wasn’t very good for me so I started to opt for some stir-fried vegetables or I’d go to the local market and grab some roasted corn or sweet potato. Healthy foods do exist they just take some searching for sometimes. 7/11 was on every corner in Thailand and became a staple for snacks or lunches if there was nothing else nearby, I had to hunt for the healthy food. I managed to find fruit, bags of nuts, dairy free yogurts and drinks. Luckily for me Asia didn’t have much bread, however some countries bread is a local staple and you have to get some will power to not eat danishes and baguettes for every meal.
Having a budget for food each day is a life saver for healthy eating. On my last few days in Thailand I had to plan each meal to see if I had enough money for the day. Id eat cheap breakfast and snacks and splurge for either dinner or lunch at a local vegan café with huge healthy meals that kept me full for a long time. Doing this helps your mental health especially if you love food like I do. Thai street food is known for being cheap which is great, but it was carb and sauce heavy, don’t be afraid to ask them not to include certain things to make a dish healthier. For me I had to ask for no meat and no added sauces which surprisingly most Thai people understood, language doesn’t always have to be a barrier.
Being healthy on holiday can be fun, you will be forced to try new things and go out of your way to find the best food around. Don't be afraid to ask people around you or visit grocery stores or markets like the locals do, the locals know all the food tricks. Just remember not to forget to treat yourself from time to time, your still on holiday after all!
I hope you enjoyed this chatty post, Leave a comment and share your healthy eating holiday tips! I will be posting a blog all about my favourite vegan spots in Thailand so stay tuned.
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