How to Eat Healthy While Staying in a Hotel – Best Tips & Tricks

Traveling is one of the greatest things to do in life. Not only do you get to take a break from your daily routine and experience new things, but you get to experience new cuisine as well. If you are on a diet and currently trying to lose weight, experiencing all of that amazing new cuisine might set you back, so we wanted to give our readers some nice pointers that will keep them smiling while on vacation and also when they get back and look in the mirror too. This will also help you keep it together on business trips as well.

First of all, you need to examine your goals and reasons for being on a diet. If it is for medical issues, then enjoying some vacation cheat meals may not be in your cards. However, if you are just trying to lose a few pounds, then indulging in a heavily caloric delight is something you might want to do, and probably should. In other words, if your health and/or livelihood do not depend on you having an immaculate diet, then you can spend a good portion of your eating efforts on your trip enjoying yourself.

Look in the Right Places

Let’s be honest, where you are vacationing or on a business trip, the location you are visiting plays a large role in the type of cuisine, hence the health level of the cuisine, you will have access to. For example, if you are in New Orleans there is going to be fried food everywhere you look, and if you are in Los Angeles you are going to have easy access to healthier dishes like sashimi or a delicious salad. However, no matter what city you are visiting, there are always healthy options you will have access to. All you must do is look in the right places. Choose restaurants that have healthy options and stay away from places that have limited menus with only heavy dishes. Cafes and grills are great types of restaurants to look for, because they usually have a large menu with lots of options like salads, meat dishes where you get to choose a couple sides, vegetable dishes, etc.

Choose the Right Type of Cuisine

If you go to a southern restaurant that specializes in fried foods, it might be tough to find a diet friendly option on the menu. Try to choose cuisine types that are more conducive to healthy food, such as sushi, Mediterranean, Italian, Greek, or Mexican. Sure, when you think about Italian food you probably think of a big bowl of spaghetti, and when you think about Mexican food you most likely think about a big cheesy delicious burrito, but you need to start checking out options that are not your classic favorites. For example, Italian restaurants offer delicious salads and fish dishes like branzino, or even a chicken piccata with a simple white wine and mushroom sauce. If you get that with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes, then you are doing great. And for Mexican, instead of getting a big burrito or enchiladas, try getting a grilled fish taco or Mexican chicken salad.

Always Check the Room Service Menu

If your hotel has room service, chances are they offer some healthy dishes you can order. Whether it’s a chicken breast with sides, a tasty salad, a bowl of fruit, or an omelet, most hotels that offer room service menus usually provide at least a few healthy options for guests. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for customizations, because most hotels cook the food to order when it comes to service. So that means substituting veggies for fries or asking them to cook something in avocado oil rather than butter. Another big diet perk when it comes to ordering room service is that you won’t be tempted to order alcoholic beverages. Sure, there might be a mini-bar that you have to deal with, but you won’t have a server asking you if you want to start off with anything to drink as you stair right into a menu that includes delicious looking specialty cocktails. Furthermore, if you are ordering room service, chances are you are eating alone, and that means you won’t have to deal with peer pressure. Even if your dining mates are not pressuring you, you are more likely to order something unhealthy if everyone else is doing it.

Set Aside a Special Cheat Meal

Allowing yourself to splurge and have a nice cheat meal is often a diet saver. It becomes incredibly hard to maintain a healthy diet, and the better and more disciplined you are, the harder it gets. Allocating one or two meals each week as a special cheat meal where you get to eat whatever you want can give you the relief and satisfaction you need to keep your diet going strong. So, while you are trying to eat healthy while staying in a hotel, the length of your stay will dictate how many cheat meals you can have. If you are staying in a hotel for a week, then you can get away with one or even two cheat meals. If you are staying for just 2 or 3 nights, then perhaps just one cheat meal will allow you to keep it solid for the rest of the time. Or you could just eat somewhere in the middle ground of healthy to keep it even and smoot, rather than starving yourself, eating things you don’t want to eat, or on the other end – just going crazy and eating whatever you want.

Prioritize Based on the Location

Where you’re visiting will play a large role in what you eat and how healthy your meals are. For example, if you are a cheesesteak lover and you are going on a business trip to Philadelphia, then it’s going to be hard to get out of there without trying one. For scenarios like this, it’s best to live your life and indulge a bit, otherwise you will have regrets and overall, you just won’t be as happy. So, when you are trying to eat healthily while staying in a hotel, examine the area you are visiting to see if there are any special dishes that are a must have for you. If that’s the case, you can be intentional and motivated when it comes to eating healthy meals outside of your special cheat meal. Also, building up the excitement and anticipation for that special dish will enhance the overall experience of your trip.

Don’t Stop Exercising

Just because you are staying at a hotel and on vacation or on some type of business or family trip does not mean you need to take a break from your exercise routine. Most hotels these days have fitness centers so you can get your workout in. Typical hotel fitness centers have free weights, workout machines, treadmills, exercise bikes (even Pelotons), stair climbers, ellipticals, and more. If they don’t have a fitness center, they might have a swimming pool. Swimming is a great form of exercise, and if the weather is right, it will be nice to get outside and take a dip. If your hotel does not have a gym, you can look into getting a day or week pass at one of the local gyms nearby. Most gyms offer these types of deals, where all you need to do is sign a waiver and pay about $10 to $20 for a day pass. The more you workout on your trip, the better food you can eat. Your workout balances out some cheat meals, or you can even keep your progress going by keeping both your diet and fitness plan intact while away.

We Hope This Helped

Going on vacation or getting away on a business trip can be a great reset, but if you completely throw away your diet and fitness plan while away, you are going to feel horrible when you get back. Use these tips above to find a balance between enjoyment and discipline. Surprisingly, it is easier than you think!