Road trip means road trip snacks, hostel food is pasta with tomato sauce and travelling means eating at a different (or worse, the same!) fast food chain every day? Not anymore!
There is always an alternative. And with these tips, you won't have to rely on the pasta sauce, chocolate bars and burgers ever again.
Pack your snacks
flickr | Mariya Chorna
You can buy them on your trip, but if you bring some healthy snacks such as dried fruit, nuts and a couple of cereal bars, you know you get the ones you like, it doesn't come out of your holiday budget, and you have them at hand from the start.
Snacking may not sound healthy at first, but eating a few nuts will tie you over until you find your healthy eatery of choice at your destination
Cook your own food
flickr | seoulfully
Rather than buying ready meals and sandwiches in a shop, make sure you can cook or prepare basic food at your accommodation. It is cheaper, but more importantly, you know what you put into it.
Shop at a local market for fresh fruit and vegetables and you will get to try the local food as well as avoid ready-packed food.
Stay hydrated
flickr | Keoni Cabral
It's easy to forget to drink when you are out and about in a new and exciting place. Suddenly, you find yourself with an empty bottle and heading to the first shop you can find for a sugary drink.
Instead, bring a water bottle you can comfortably carry in your bag and fill it up at you hotel or hostel before you head out for the day. Then, fill it up whenever you find a water fountain.
Be patient
flickr | mattmangum
Fast food chains are everywhere and their big neon signs are the first thing you see. Always remember, there are other options! While you snack on your nuts, keep walking until you find a restaurant that suits you and check in food courts. You can look up healthy restaurants and shops that sell fresh food on the maps given out in hostels or find an app that locates the restaurants around you.
Don't forget breakfast
flickr | musicfanatic29
It seems easy to forget if breakfast is not included at your accommodation or if you missed it because of a lie-in, but it is called the most important meal of the day for a reason. Especially if you have a busy day ahead, you can quickly feel lightheaded and ill if you don't start with a good meal.
On your first day, just buy the essentials for your breakfast, and store it in the fridge at your hotel or hostel. If you are not a morning person, just have a little slice of toast or a few spoonfuls of cereal and pack a cereal bar to eat when you do get hungry.
It only takes a few little tricks to have a healthy holiday. With all the walking, hiking and other activities, you will probably be healthier and more active than at home! Just remember to always take a bottle of water and at least a snack with you on longer trips away from shops - you don't want to feel hungry or dehydrated once you get to the top of that mountain you have been dreaming to climb!