An unintentionally healthy diet

While travelling on the road for a month can be a challenge to one’s diet, I found the opposite happened. Frequently travellers turn to fast food restaurants and a quick hamburger between tourist attractions. That is often the only food source alongside an interstate, except for the gas station with hot dogs and Slim Jims. Not the healthiest for 30 days straight.

As I headed back to the airport after seeing the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Burbank, I had some extra time to waste at Target. There is a Pizza Hut inside and many of the stores now advertise fresh groceries like fruit. Yes, there are so many other places I could have stopped. Some of the items I picked up included a salad, bananas, and chocolate milk. This is rather healthy compared to what I normally would eat before the trip.

If there wasn’t a Target nearby, a Walmart or, on the east coast, Shaw’s was a good place to look for dinner. I also went to Whole Foods a few times for a fresh salad bar. The salad bar usually closed up by 7pm or 8pm which caused a ripple in the effort for a healthier dinner.

For lunch I would have a sandwich from either a grocery store or a local deli. Some mornings I would buy a sandwich and keep it with me until lunch when I was running from place to place. It made for a quick lunch break and avoided wasting time in long lunch lines.

Often the hotels I stayed at had a decent breakfast that included juice and cereal. Although not as healthy, a bagel with cream cheese also accompanied breakfast. Sometimes there would even be a warm breakfast buffet.

Although I wasn’t intentionally trying to lose weight, over a month of running around and being really physically active (lugging up to 38 pounds of luggage around a city wasn’t easy), I managed to lose a few pounds. I’d love to find a program where you can travel instead of the expensive gym membership and become more fit while seeing new places. Whether healthier eating habits or just burning more calories than I took in, the factors are too complex for this post.

One thing I now realize looking back was that every time I chose something for dinner, I had a choice of fast food or something healthier (aka a salad). I would choose the healthier alternative even if it wasn’t the most “mouth watering” option. Since I returned home, I have kept up this habit. It has become so noticeable at times that when I drive by a fast food restaurant, I automatically think of something healthier that I could eat.

There are numerous factors that were responsible for my results and your results will probably be different. I hope the next time you’re travelling and see a fast food place, that you too seek a healthier alternative. It isn’t hard and could change your lifestyle. Even a little change is good.

And yes, the unlimited snacks when you fly on JetBlue didn’t help. I’m still trying to find where the FritoLay Munchies Cheese Fix are sold locally. If you know, please let me know.