By: Holley Samuel MEd, RD, LD, CSSD, CPT

Summer is almost here, which can mean vacation and travel season for a lot of people. A lot of people may even travel for work frequently year round, for destination races, or other reasons. Traveling can mean consuming foods that are unfamiliar, or cause many runners to feel sluggish and off their game. Nutrition to support training or health goals you may have even while traveling doesn’t have to be complicated. If travel is more occasional for you, it is important to give yourself grace if you make choices that don’t make you feel your best. If you travel very frequently, this can take up a significant part of your time, so it is important to set yourself up for success by adopting habits that support your goals and can be maintained consistently.

Use The Grocery Store

Whether road tripping or traveling over longer distances, gas stations and convenience stores at rest stops only have so many appealing options. Using local grocery stores to pick up snacks and meal items is a great tool for traveling during a road trip or once arrived at the destination. Grocery stores are usually equipped with everything one may need and more during a “rest” stop: bathrooms if needed, are usually close to gas stations and civilization, are usually not too far from a highway, have a variety of snacks and “to go” meal items, and usually tend to be cheaper than buying food from other places.

Use the grocery store to pick up non perishable items to keep on hand like: granola bars, protein powder packets or shakes, water, seltzer, electrolytes, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, dried edamame or chickpeas, crackers, nut butter packets, jerky, popcorn, tuna packets, microwavable instant oats, microwaveable protein muffin cups, instant rice cups, cereal, and pretzels.

If a fridge or cooler is handy (more on this in the next section), pick up perishable items too: bread/wraps, fruit, baby carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, mixed bags of salad, cartons of milk, hummus, yogurt (the Greek Yogurt drinkable options are great for on the go), cheese sticks, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, kombucha, nitrate free cold cuts, and more.

Grocery stores usually also have “to go” options like sandwiches, salads, and snack boxes which can be convenient too. Don’t forget plastic or reusable cutlery and napkins!

Pack Fuel and Snacks

Packing extra snacks usually doesn’t ever cause problems. Packing cooler bags that fold up small can be convenient so there is a way to store any perishable snacks on the go. Use them in the car with ice packs, or roll them up small and pack in a carry-on at the airport and find ice at the hotel, soda machine, or gas station to keep cool when you arrive at your destination.

As runners who usually continue training over travel or maybe even as a key part of the travel, it is important to plan out what fuel may be needed so you can get through your training successfully. What will you eat pre run? What about post run? Do you have any more challenging training runs that you need to plan out fuel and hydration for during? Where will all this fuel come from?

When planning ahead, it may be helpful to pack single serve packets (or the whole container if there is room) of protein powder, sports nutrition drink mix or electrolytes, gels or chews, applesauce packets, granola bars, or other easy staples that can keep you running fueled in case you get in a pinch at your destination. Don’t forget to pack any daily medications or supplements too- they don’t work if you don’t take them consistently or as directed!

Maintain A Consistent Routine

Yes, travel involves being somewhere new and maybe taking an intentional step away from the daily grind, but having a routine keeps the human body feeling good. Maintaining a familiar routine can help promote regularity in digestion and bowel movements, contribute to good sleep, promote sustained energy levels, and make it easier to do daily activities.

Components of a Good Travel Routine:

Stay hydrated (especially if travel incorporates hotter climates, or long periods of time in a car or plane)
Eat every 2-4 hours so keep energy levels up and choose some familiar foods if possible
Include carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber at meals and snacks to keep blood sugar stable and stay satiated
Manage stress levels and bring any tools along that help with this
Have a sleep adjustment strategy if switching time zones is a component of travel

Traveling for work or for fun doesn’t need to derail any progress you make in your health related goals. It always feels nice to return from a trip feeling good with some energy rather than feeling drained and out of place.

Nutrition Travel Tips for Runners