I try to eat a balanced diet—with fruits, vegetables, grains, and pulses. But when travelling, a balanced diet gets tricky. Outside my own kitchen, it’s harder to achieve.
Recently I’ve noticed how hard it is to eat healthy food in places where rich meals are the norm. In Paris, breads, cheeses, and meats dominated all meals. In Florence, it was pasta and pizza—carbs on carbs. Then in Edinburgh—haggis, potatoes slathered in butter, and bacon sandwiches were plentiful.
And I love this kind of food! I know that the word “foodie” is overused, but I truly get so much joy from a nice meal. Having said that, if I’m spending more than a few days in a place and I can’t find vegetables, beans, or other sources of fibre, I tend to feel sluggish and bloated, and sometimes have an upset stomach—which is not what you want when spending a full day walking around the city. No one wants a stomach ache!
So because I’ve been trying to solve this problem, I thought—maybe I could help other people. If you’re trying to get enough fibre while travelling, I recommend:
Search for vegetarian restaurants or menu options
I’ve done this with varying success—usually when the protein in a meal isn’t meat-based, it’s still filling. So a lentil burger, a vegetarian pasta, or a salad will help with your fibre goals!
Seek out whole wheat options
If you’re getting a loaf of bread for the week, opt for a whole-wheat loaf; starting your day with 2 pieces of toast will give your body the fibre it needs. There’s also whole-wheat pasta for easy evening meals!
Make and bring your own snacks
This one can take a bit of planning and prepping—but getting enough fibre for travel makes it worth it. You can always bring high-fibre travel snacks to fill up with: dried fruit like apricots, dates, and raisins, or nuts. I tend to stay away from crackers/veggies and humus, only because I find them difficult to travel with. But there are also a lot of recipes out there for healthy deserts that contain drupes. My favourite recipe is GQ Jordan’s chickpea blondies, but there are also black bean brownie recipes out there that people swear by!
Buy skin-on fruit like peaches, apples, and pears
If you’re out and about looking for a snack, choose one where you can eat the skin instead of disposing of it (like kiwis or bananas). Skin-on fruit like peaches, apples, and pears make great treats where you’re eating the most fibre-filled part of the produce. (This is also true for potatoes—a skin-on potato will have more fibre in it than a peeled one!)
Don’t be afraid to opt out of local cuisine
I felt like a bit of a poser in Paris, because with all the delicious French food I was surrounded with, I spent nearly all my evenings at a Korean restaurant near my hotel. Why? Because they did a great vegetable-filled bowl I couldn’t find anywhere else. My system became to eat whatever I liked for breakfast and lunch, and save the healthy stuff for right before bed. Eating non-French food once per day meant I could enjoy French food even more! My favourite places to look are fresh-food Asian places (not buffets, I mean), Latin American restaurants (Mexican and Peruvian food are my favourites) and Mediterranean-based cuisines.
Food supplements can also help
When all else fails, look to the chemist. Pack a fibre supplement for travel with you—in case of any emergencies, or as an antidote to ultra-rich food. Your stomach will thank you!
How to you keep your gut healthy when you travel? Let me know in the comments—happy travelling!
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