It’s not always easy to eat healthy while traveling, especially when your routine, kitchen, and go-to foods are all out of reach!
Travel can be such a beautiful opportunity to expand, explore, and connect with new experiences, but it can also disrupt the rhythms that keep us feeling our best.
Travel does more than shift your scenery, it can temporarily reshape your gut microbiome! A recent study showed that even short trips can significantly alter the diversity and balance of gut bacteria.
Your digestion might slow down, your skin might feel a little dull, or your energy might dip, and suddenly you don’t feel quite like you!
That’s why I always come back to our Four Cornerstones: Food, Body, Emotional Well-Being, and Spiritual Growth. When these are nurtured, you can feel grounded and vibrant wherever you are, whether you’re navigating airport snacks or a new city’s offerings.
In this guide, I’m sharing the simple practices, mindset shifts, and travel essentials I rely on to eat healthy while traveling and to support my body and energy from the inside out.
1. Start Every Meal with a Salad
One of the simplest ways to eat healthy while traveling is to start your meals with a salad. Not only does it support digestion and keep your energy steady, but it also ensures you’re getting beautifying fiber and enzymes.
These are two things that often go missing when we’re eating out or grabbing food on the go!
Even if it’s just a side salad, you can ask for a double portion, and be sure to rotate your greens! I always look for lemon wedges or olive oil at restaurants so I can skip the creamy dressings and still enjoy something light and fresh.
This simple habit helps curb cravings, supports regularity, and creates space for better choices at the rest of your meal!
2. Choose Simple, Digestive-Friendly Meals on the Road
Keep your main meals as simple and clean as possible. Travel already challenges our digestion with time zone shifts, stress, and unfamiliar foods, so we want to help our bodies, not overload them!
Instead of mixing heavy proteins and starches (like steak and mashed potatoes), try sticking to one main energy source per meal.
You can focus on probiotic-rich foods to keep your digestion running smoothly. You could go for classic healthy staples like steamed veggies with quinoa, a veggie stir-fry with tofu, or a salad with lentils or grilled fish. You’ll feel lighter, less bloated, and more energized for whatever your travels bring next.
Eating healthy while traveling doesn’t mean being rigid! That’s basically impossible to do if you are on vacation or traveling for work!
It just means being prepared!
Related Reading: How Traveling Can Lead You Towards True Wellness
3. Plan Your Nutrition Ahead of Your Trip!
I always bring a few staples with me when I’m away from home, especially if I’m flying or heading somewhere where I’m unsure of the food options.
Some of my go-tos include sliced veggies, gluten-free crackers, raw nuts, and plant-based protein bars. You might also want to eat a small, nourishing meal before a big event or dinner out.
That way, you won’t feel so hungry that you overeat or settle for something that doesn’t make you feel your best.
A little planning helps you stay grounded in your intentions while still fully enjoying the journey.
4. Support Your Body (and Gut!) with Daily Supplements
Eating healthy while traveling often means we’re not in full control of every meal, but we can still support our body’s natural balance from the inside out.
That’s why I never travel without my Feel Good SBO Probiotics and Detoxy. Truly, they’re right up there with my passport and phone!
Plus, they’re so easy to pack! I tuck them right into my bag so I can stay consistent no matter where I am.
When I’m on the road (or in the air), I know how much my mood, energy, and immunity depend on keeping my gut balanced.
If I’m hopping between time zones or just eating out more than usual, these little travel companions help me stay regular, feel lighter, and keep my body’s natural detox process humming along.
This is where the Body Cornerstone really shines! When you give your body tools to thrive, it becomes easier to bounce back from those heavier meals, longer flights, or occasional indulgences.
5. Stay Hydrated and Nourished with the Right Beverages
Don’t forget that what you drink matters just as much as what you eat. Air travel, hotel air conditioning, salty snacks, and long days can all dehydrate your system and leave you feeling sluggish, bloated, or fatigued!
I always bring a reusable water bottle with me to make sure I’m sipping throughout the day, bonus points if you can add lemon, cucumber, or mint to support gentle detoxification!
And when you’re choosing drinks out? Try to steer clear of sugary sodas, artificial juices, or multiple cups of coffee. Instead, herbal teas, room-temperature water, and green juice are great companions that keep your body hydrated and your skin glowing (even at 30,000 feet!).
There are also some super nourishing, hydrating food options you can keep an eye for when you’re venturing into local markets!
I know this sounds obvious now, but it won’t be so easy to keep in mind when you find yourself juggling 100 things in new places!
6. Stay Emotionally Grounded Through Mindful Eating
One of the most overlooked ways to eat healthy while traveling is through how you eat, not just what’s on your plate.
I know travel can feel fast-paced, unpredictable, or even stressful at times… which is why mindful eating is so important.
Take a few breaths before your meal. Pause and give thanks. Be sure to chew your food thoroughly! Even just placing your fork down between bites or eating without distraction can help you tune in and eat from a place of calm presence, not stress or rush.
This taps directly into the Emotional Well-being and Spiritual Growth Cornerstones. Because when we eat from a grounded, intentional place, we digest better, feel more satisfied, and naturally make more nourishing choices!
Stay Grounded On the Go
No matter where life takes you, remember that taking care of your body and spirit is always within reach. Stay connected to your breath, make the best choices available to you, and trust that your wellness journey can travel with you.
Safe travels, Beauty!
love, love, love! so helpful! I find eating out one of the hardest things and you just turned it into such a simple thing! thank you :)
Very timely!! I leave for Ibiza in 9 days and have been freaking out a little about what my stomach will feel like by the time I get home. :)
The Facebook page says the group is closed; is there another page?
I was really interested in watching this video. Unfortunately it would not play. Very disappointed.
2:25 – rice and beans on salad.
okay, so protein and grains together is only bad if it’s animal protein? or are beans not considered protein? I’d really like to understand this point. I’m traveling to TX the next two weeks, so Mexican will be had for sure.
Kim,
I love to eat a banana and avocado together for an on-the-go breakfast or lunch. But if fruits and fats do not mix well, is this a good combination?
Karen
Kimberly,
Please address the controversy of “raw” nuts. Is it true any nut grown in the USA can never really be considered truly raw ? And to be safe make sure we need to buy organic nuts or they could actually be subject to exposure to chemicals. The use of cashews (Are they actually a legume?) is a nut that should be avoided?
Thanks,
Tess
HI when making the ggs can you put organic ginger, and coconut oil in it
cheers Keely
Kimberly,
Thank you very much for posting this video just in time for my vacation travel! I really appreciate the tips – vacation will be much more enjoyable when I am not obsessing about food.
Sincerely,
Maggie vencill
Yes! Sometimes I smuggle raw pumpkin seeds and avocados into restaurants, even a raw tahini dressing…to doctor up a salad! I have also found that sometimes you have to order a double or triple salad if it’s meant to be the whole meal! It gets easier…
Hi Kim is your Glow bio available for franchise?
I greatly appreciate the transformative information you are sharing with the world, but I think you’re doing a huge disservice by talking about “animal protein.” Eating animals is directly linked to cancer, not to mention the torture and pain endured by the animals! I don’t understand why you would advocate eating animals?? Eating a plant based diet is the only way to ensure true beauty and health for all.
I agree. How can you be against dairy, but for eating meat!
Great! Thank you for sharing this tip.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing these. Keep posting.
Nice post. Very informative and helpful.
Great article. Informative and very helpful too. Keep posting.
Thanks for all the great information! I travel quite often, so sometimes I find it hard to stay on my healthy diet. Given that, I’m always on the lookout for more tips (also found some good ones in here during my research: https://fourfootprints.com/2012/06/guest-post-how-to-make-healthy-food-choices-and-save-a-few-bucks-while-traveling/) Can anyone point me in the right direction towards some good articles/books that I could check out? Thanks!