Healthy Eating on the Go
It's important to stay healthy while traveling, especially if you're traveling for a job interview, athletic event, or an audition. I only have the experience of traveling for auditions, so I'll share with you some of my experience.
Even if you generally eat healthy at home, you're faced with temptations while traveling and, since you're probably pressed for time, you might go for what's most convenient. You may be stressed out and that can lead to under-eating, over-eating and/or eating unhealthy comfort foods.
Keeping Satiated While in Airports
Airports can be the worst. In fact, most of the the air travel I've done has been for auditions. You're possibly sleep-deprived, agitated, and stressed out. Everywhere you look, there are brightly lit signs for familiar fast food chains, and the smell of french fries and Cinnabon fills the air. You see a man running with a cell phone in one hand and a half-eaten burrito in the other. Airports are beginning to carry more nutritious food options, but they're often over-priced sandwiches and salads that leave you unsatisfied while you watch another person munch down on a bag of Doritos. Here are some ways to keep yourself sane while in an airport:
- Pack something delicious. I like to bring a few homemade banana breakfast cookies with me. Pack clementines, apples, and dried fruit. Pack nuts, crackers, and pretzels. Pack snap-peas and baby carrots. (Okay, that's the only time I'll mention eating raw carrots - I actually hate them.)
- If you need to buy a meal, go for one of those salads or healthy sandwiches, and eat it along with your snacks to help keep you satisfied.
Navigating Restaurants in an Unfamiliar City
One of my favorite things about exploring a new city is getting to try their food! Unfortunately when you're traveling for an audition, though, you need to focus on your work and keep the food from distracting you. (or worse yet making you ill!) For me, the food needs to be simple, energizing, and easily digestible. After years of searching, I finally found my perfect audition meal - veggie maki/veggie sushi rolls! Virtually all cities have sushi restaurants and virtually all sushi restaurants can make vegetable rolls (at least here in the U.S. - I've been told rolls are really more of an American thing). I love how the sushi rolls give me a satiated feeling without that heavy full feeling I can get from consuming excessive bread, pasta, or fat. Soup and fresh spring rolls (from Thai or Vietnamese restaurants) also work well for me.
I like to research restaurants before I go, and I even try to book my hotel within walking distance of some good restaurants. The Happy Cow website and app make finding vegan-friendly restaurants very easy. You may want to avoid completely unfamiliar foods while traveling, but don't limit yourself to chain restaurants. Find what works best for you, and have fun!