Traveling as a picky eater

Posts: 95
7/9/12 9:09 A

I live in Asia and have completely different options available to me than in the US. When travelling I make it a point to try the exotic cuisines but always keep in mind what I've had so that I can make good choices come meal time. Fresh fruit and grilled meats are my go-tos when travelling abroad and I usually feel pretty good about these snack choices

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7/8/12 9:55 A

When our family travels, I plan ahead and buy good snack food and healthy foods for meals that will travel well. That eliminates most packaged foods however, it includes produce and a select few boxed foods such as nuts and healthy cereals. If we end up eating out I stay away from creamed and fried foods and lean more toward veggies and lean grilled meats without sauces. Arby's seems to have a few healthy fast food choices as well as Chik fil A. Since I've become really picky about what I eat, I really don't eat out very much at all and I'm completely okay with that!:)

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7/8/12 8:57 A

On my last road trip, i picked one motel to stay at that was adjacent to a real restaurant with a good menu (not a chain, and not really pricey either). Excellent food! I also packed for travel food on the way out there -- hard boiled eggs, bananas, etc. On the way home, I picked another motel about two hours after what turned out to be an absolutely lovely Lebanese restaurant. While they did give me a free piece of baklava on the way out the door, I was able to give that to a co-worker when I got home and back to work. And I did take out of their grape leaves for a healthy snack for the next day's drive.

Didn't succeed so well at the event that was the actual cause of this road trip: a family reunion with the food being organized by the people who lived in that area. I did stay away from the ground meat products with hundreds of animals in each bite, and from the fake pastries/cookies (the latter make me feel ill to begin with), and any salad with pasta in it, and stuck with the celery sticks, and the relatively healthy salsas and the over-sweetened grilled chicken. One cupcake since it was homemade, and lots of water. But hey, how often do I go to family reunions? I think the last one was about 15 years ago.

Posts: 482
7/7/12 4:56 P

I try to avoid eating in restaurants because it's so difficult to determine exactly what's in the food. That's the main reason I hate business travel. I'm very sensitive to food additives and preservatives plus I need to watch my salt intake. I find that most restaurant employees have no idea what's in their food and I'm not willing to gamble with my health. If that makes me "picky," so be it.

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7/7/12 9:59 A

Being a picky eater may help - I find that when I travel there is too much salt, too large of portions, etc. I look at resturaunt menus online and look at calorie counts a head of time. And most sit-down places now cater to some special requests - have them in mind when you go in. The problem is the social aspect - you just have to get over that hump.

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7/7/12 9:51 A

When my family travels, or even when it's just me and my husband, we skip hotels and B&Bs and look for vacation rentals (apartments, usually). They're often times much more economical than a hotel, you have a lot more space, and typically have a full kitchen. There's inevitably a grocery store within walking distance, but I've also sought out local farmer's markets,fruit/veggie markets and the like, which has been great in terms of experiencing and interacting with the local culture and foods. I'm not really a picky eater, but rather quite adventurous and look forward to trying most anything new. I think traveling with food might be ok if you're going by car and such, but traveling by air will be difficult, and traveling by air internationally is going to be pretty impossible, as there are customs checks where they will probably find your food and not allow you to bring it along (of course this depends upon what it is, how it's packaged, whether or not it's been opened, etc.). It just seems like a headache to me. Plus it takes up a bunch of space in your luggage, weighs down your bags, etc.

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7/7/12 8:43 A

I am the worst picky eater ever! So I completely understand! What I do is to make sure and pack lots of snacks that I do like to have on hand just in case I can't find something out. For example, I have a cooler with Diet Cokes, low fat whole wheat spinach & turkey sandwiches, 50 calorie string cheese, and apples.

But if I do have to/want to eat out every place that I know either has a low fat grilled chicken sandwich option (and I eat it open faced, so using only one piece of bread to further break down the calories) or a salad with chicken and a simple balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Add a side of veggies (I really hate veggies but I do eat salad so I get that) and you're golden!

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7/6/12 11:12 P

I bring snacks so that if I am some where and do not want to eat the food I will already have something on my stomach.

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Posts: 21
7/6/12 6:44 P

DEFINITELY offer to cook - and to shop if you can! It will help your hosts and avoid sabotaging your goals!! Who knows, your hosts may learn some new tips, tricks and pick up a new recipe or 2!

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Posts: 451
7/6/12 2:47 P

I found it much harder visiting friends.

I don't want to be picky (food allergy, changed a LOT since march), but I know I will regret it if I eat all ...

In the summer we will stay with a friends house for a bit more than a week. And I'm scared :(

perhaps I offer to cook?!

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7/6/12 2:44 P

The places we visit are really just extensions of our home. There is no reason that we can't apply the same diligence to our eating "away" as we do to our eating "at home". In both cases, it takes planning.

I travel long distances (7 - 12 hours) by car frequently. I have a foldable cooler that fits on the floor of the front seat and I fill it with bottled water, fresh fruit and veggies, and healthy finger foods. I also pack greek yogurt, celery with peanut butter, cheese sticks etc. so that I am not tempted by the convenience store / gas station. I put nuts, trail mix, or granola bars within reach. Driving gets boring, and boredom leads to mindless eating, so I try to plan for that with interesting books on CD / iPhone.

When I travel in the States, I hit up the local grocery store for fresh produce and things that I can microwave. It's interesting to find farm fresh produce in different parts of the country, and a great way to meet the locals!

When traveling internationally, I pack "dry" snacks (veggies, fruit, nuts, granola, wraps) for the plane and hotel room, buy bottled water post-TSA-security, and try to find the local farmers' markets and greengrocers when I arrive. Talk about interesting selections!! I have expanded my food horizons to include new tropical fruits and foreign veggies prepared in interesting new ways!

When ordering from room service I can usually find healthy choices (fish, salad, steamed veggies), and I decline the bread basket (or send back if they ignore my request).

For client / vendor dinners, sushi restaurants are great, trendy choices - there are plenty of options for everyone - but even at a steakhouse I can order a salad with lean protein.

There is really no reason why eating away while traveling has to be any different from eating at home, especially if you plan ahead, select hotels with refrigerators or carry a portable cooler!!

Edited by: THISTIMESFORME at: 7/6/2012 (14:46)

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7/6/12 11:33 A

Like some others, I too was vegan for a year and am now a vegetarian (for 2 plus years)-- I modify traditional restaurant foods all the time!

Example: "I'd like the chicken wrap with no chicken and avacado instead, please. And I'd also like to switch the fries for some vegetables instead." Some really good, very helpful posts here! Any waiter or manager will be happy to combine your specific ideas into their menu, if you ask nicely. I also buy my own snack food to supplement my meals when I travel, and it sounds like lots of us do this. Best of luck to you and your body deserves the best!!

Edited by: MORGEN11 at: 7/6/2012 (11:34)

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7/6/12 6:45 A

If you are travelling around why not book into bed and breakfast establishments that offer an evening meal if pre-booked? I am sure many of these small businesses would be happy to pack a picnic lunch too, so long as they are given some warning, and almost any accommodation where meals are prepared on the premises can cater for special diets if they are notified in advance. It is always possible to buy multipacks of unsweetened juices, and fruits at local supermarket, to say nothing of filling a few water bottles each morning from the hotel tap.
But don't let diet mania get in the way of enjoying your holiday, just be sensible. A week or two of being less strict isn't the end of the world, just pick up as usual when you get home.
If your car has a cigarette lighter socket you can buy an electric coolbox and transformer from a caravan or camping retailer to keep your lunches and drinks cool and fresh.

Posts: 2,118
7/6/12 6:02 A

do loads of forward planning - look at restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor if you plan to be eating in restos. If you are renting an apartment, you can cook for yourself of course, so that makes things easier. If you're eating in your hotel, try to book one where for example, dinner is a buffet and you can choose the healthy stuff to eat.

And don't forget - you're on holiday! Allow yourself a fixed number of treats, say 3 a week, or one a day, then you won't feel you're missing out.

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7/5/12 1:50 P

NEVER be afraid to ask the waiter to change a meal. If they can't, they cant, but 9 times out of 10, especially if you say you're watching your cholesterol or something, they'll steam rather than saute, grill rather than fry, or use a healthy oil instead of butter.

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7/5/12 1:26 P

Love ALL those ideas!

Thankfully lots of fast food places now offer "healthier" options--like apple slices & salads & yogurt parfaits...so you don't have to suffer so much while traveling.

No two ways about though--traveling is really HARD when you're trying to lose weight!

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7/5/12 11:10 A

Make it a game! I know a few people have suggested changing the mental mindset, so how about making this a fun challenge? Go to a convenience store and make it a game to search for healthy snacks- low-sodium turkey jerky, pumpkin seeds, raisins, protein bars, unsalted almonds, snack packs with carrots and ranch dressing...it's your choice.

I will be travelling this summer with my younger brother (something I haven't done in a loooong time) and my one year-old. I prefer to stay in a hotel with a kitchenette (or at least a refrigerator since my baby drinks whole milk), so I can make my own food from a nearby grocery store. If I tell my brother we're playing a game, I know he'll be down for a challenge!

Also, I'm packing a couple of meal replacement powder mixes- if all else fails, all I need is one of these packets and some water to tide me over! Good luck!

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7/5/12 10:55 A

Stop in at markets or grocery stores to pick up what you need to get by. Also, very interesting to shop in a new locale wherever your travels take you. Also, eating from the appetizer menu is a great way to control those portions and try new foods!

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7/4/12 6:44 P

What I do whether traveling or not, and the entrees don't sound that healthy, is to order from the appetizer portion of the menu. Portion size is more in line with what is healthy, too. I am going out of town for ten days later this month and I will be facing so much junk food at my brother's house and during our annual family reunion. May the force be with me.

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7/4/12 12:25 P

I have always been a picky eater in some senses of the word. If I am eating healthy I tend to be picky - when I was not eating healthy not so much. Now that I have been on Spark for a year or so, I have become more picky. At holidays and parties, I tend to splurge a bit on the junk - chips, pretzels, those type of things. However even when traveling there are good choices, a yogurt parfait at McDonalds - not the best or oatmeal and fruit - seafood shrimp cocktails - make healthy choices for two meals of the day and then splurge a litte at one meal.
My probelm is always getting the exercise on holiday.

Posts: 166
7/4/12 9:23 A

though i am a vegetarian, i don't consider myself picky--it's just that my choices and preferences are not at the center of the bell curve. no big deal as a rule. i do make efforts, however, not to make others uncomfortable with my choices--and, if there is little that interests me, i eat that--just more of it, and then eat again afterward. if i know there won't be anything i want to eat, i eat before going out--and it's always easy enough to pick up something quick at a grocers or mini-mart. also, i find looking at the nutritional stats on the unhealthy items to be an excellent deterrent to bad behavior, generally.

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7/4/12 5:43 A

My philosophy when travelling is 'screw it'!! I eat the stuff that I like, but obviously try to make healthy choices, such as fruit when it's available. The hard part for me is avoiding the cake stands!

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7/4/12 3:16 A

great. heading out on friday-will bring own food. track food. plan meals.

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7/3/12 11:45 P

I am facing traveling with people who have no concern for diabetic issues. It's up to me to say yes or no. I plan on bringing my own food, offering to cook some nights, and making the best of it with the rest. I'm hoping to track and maintain, I doubt I will lose.

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7/3/12 4:36 P

I feel your pain. I only travel for work, and that is always to a hotel (without any way of cooking) and a convention center with a 10-hour day that leaves no time to go to the store if I could find it. I have discovered that there is usually at least one snack bar at the convention center that has a grilled chicken sandwich, and that hotels usually have some kind of deli or restaurant where I can get food made the way I need it made. I am diabetic, plus I can't eat onions or peppers without serious digestive issues, so my advice is to be as picky as you need to be. Ask them to put the sauce on the side, make it without whatever it is you can't (or refuse to) eat, and ask the waiter for healthier options. Also, look for grilled or baked options, instead of fried. Above all, if you are asking for advice or making special requests, be polite to your server, and make sure your tip is commensurate with the service, especially if you are likely to eat at the same place several days in a row. As my mom used to say, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

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7/3/12 1:23 P

I'm a vegetarian so I guess that makes me "picky". I usually end up eating out a lot for meals, but for snacks I try to bring things like Luna bars, apples, etc. I really like DANNIELLEMARIE's advice. I was vegan for a year and I consistently "ate" out with others by getting a drink and enjoying their company, getting a fruit plate if I was lucky enough for it to be a menu choice!

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7/3/12 11:24 A

I find some phone apps (like Urbanspoon) help me find healthier choices in new locations. Also burrito places like Moe's or Chipotle can be a lot healthier than fast food IF you make smart choices like ordering a burrito bowl (aka skipping the tortilla) and loading up on veggies.

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7/3/12 10:32 A

I pack along my own foods where ever I go-- but, especially when traveling.... keep healthy foods and lots of water in my car, in a cooler. I don't do fast food and drive thru any more. When we travel we opt for hotel room with a kitchen. Most meals I cook/make and we eat in the room. When get to the destination, I ask the employees of the hotel where they shop for groceries... and go there rather than the "tourist" stores. Also, we watch for road side stands of fresh produce along the way. If we are planning to eat in a restaurant, I look up their menu online and decide in advance what I'm having -- I do this even when I'm not traveling away from home. Most restaurants have salads and grilled chicken... or fresh fruits, if you just ask for them.

I've become a much more mindful eater... a more aware eater -- and I've come too far to want to take a vacation from feeling good.

-anne

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7/3/12 9:02 A

Summarizing from a lot of postings bullet points.
- try new things
- Salad
- pack food
- ask questions and make healthy requests

Here is a follow up. What restaurant chains have healthier items, I found some stuff on Ruby Tuesdays that we're good and healthy.

As far as myself - I do try new things, but I know what I don't like. I have lived in asia for 12 years, I have eaten things most americans have never considered food. I used the term picky eater, but maybe that sounds to immature. I would say that I will try a lot of things, but if I don't like I will only eat it to be polite. And some things I will not eat.

Tim

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7/3/12 7:03 A

If you are a picky eater you are picky at home or away from home. Either take some items with you or find a grocery store that has them. While eating at a restaurant try to pick meals that are close to what you would eat at home. Most restaurants have health meal choices, if they don't find another restaurant. Look on line at the menu choices and make decisions on where to go based on the best choices that are closest to your own while maintaining your calorie and nutrition values.

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7/3/12 6:41 A

I take a bag of food with me - nothing that requires cooking (ham, cheese, bread, seeds/nuts,small squeeze bottle of mayo, bottle for refilling with water etc).

Here in the UK there's usually some kind of grocery store within short driving distance of wherever we stay, where I can grab supplies, but I know that when we've stayed overseas in foreign countries, sometimes there is only "Tourist Food" aka junk food available in the stores. That makes it a bit trickier if you can't take your own food such as on an international flight. My suggestion is to look on the internet to see what stores are close to where you are going to stay (is there a market??). You never know, there may be a small grocery store or deli nearby which you wouldn't otherwise know about. Or call the hotel (or people you are going to stay with) and ask.

One of my sons has a restricted diet, (gluten and dairy free) so we've gotten really used to always carrying food and drink with us wherever we go. There are a lot of different packaged foods that you can keep with you, that will not spoil/melt (think crackers, nuts, seeds etc) and that way if you don't want to eat what is available at the time, it will tide you over until you can get something you prefer.

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7/3/12 2:10 A

You know what? You're not a kid anymore. And you know what that means? If you don't like something, you don't have to eat it.

Order something that will probably be healthy and that you're curious about. If you don't like it, don't eat it. The sky will not fall. You can leave it there, have it wrapped up and give it to someone else, or whatever. You can order something else, or just wait until the next meal; you won't die. It's especially easy to do this when you're traveling, because you're never going to see the waiter again.You don't have to care if they think it's strange that you ordered something and didn't eat it. Sometime they'll even offer to bring you something else for free.

"Picky eater" is a description of a child. You can't be an adult picky eater. The two things don't go together, because ALL adults pick what they want to eat. You may have a narrow comfort zone with food, you might be unadventurous, or you might just have clearly defined tastes, but you're not "a picky eater." That requires someone else to have some sort of power over what you eat, but no one does except you.

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7/3/12 12:15 A

I do not allow eating while traveling to be any different from eating when I'm home and have to go out. Fresh foods and easily prepared convenience foods that I check out for calories and trans fats and sodium make the grade, just as they would at home. If I won't eat it at home, I won't eat it on the road.

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7/2/12 4:57 P

When my family travels, we usually get a hotel room that has a kitchenette. We pack food for the journey, and then find a local grocery store once we arrive. We prepare most of our meals in the room, pack snacks for outings, and have one or two restaurant meals during the vacation.

This also saves money which can be spent on local attractions (or a fund for the next vacation). My children and I have various food allergies, so we have to be quite careful when ordering from restaurants. Preparing our own food takes a lot of the worry out of travelling, because we're less likely to get sick on the road.

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7/2/12 4:39 P

The great thing about this country is that there is literally food EVERYWHERE! No matter where you are traveling, you will always be able to locate a grocery store. While at the grocery store, buy whatever it is your heart desires. Or pack from home. If you need to heat it up, there's plenty of gas stations and hotels that offer microwaves.

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7/2/12 4:11 P

Travel to places where you have no choice but to eat locally...expand your horizons.

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7/2/12 3:17 P

I would say it's time to adjust your way of thinking.

"Mainly because it is hard to locate food that sounds good on a menu that I will enjoy. "

Food doesn't change the way it tastes because of how it "sounds" - you've programmed yourself to be unwilling to try things that you aren't sure you'll like or not. It' time to shake the attitude you had as a child, and open your mind to new things. :)

Challenge yourself on this vacation to try new things. Instead of avoiding something because it doesn't "sound good" try it anyway... get recommendations. Be adventurous! Challenge your palate!

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7/2/12 2:50 P

Be like Meg Ryan in "When Harry met Sally" Be high maintenance. Ask restaurants to prepare foods without extra butter. Get dressing on the side. eat lots of salad.
Use the internet and check out your location before you get there. Find the closest grocery story and stock in provisions.
Remember that this is for your health.

And more than anything, don't let the fact that you are traveling become an excuse. You can do this.

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7/2/12 2:22 P

Go NUTS!!

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7/2/12 1:41 P

When I travel for work, it's usually not too far away and in a hotel that has a refrigerator and microwave in each hotel room, so I take my own food, since I do have dietary restrictions on top of trying to eat healthy.

The only other time I travel is to visit my family, and we usually eat at home. I email a list of foods that I'd like (Cheerios, low-fat cheese, yogurt, various fruit and vegetables) and they're usually good at accommodating me like that.

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7/2/12 12:14 P

I travel a lot on my job, and to visit my mom who is in a nursing home in another state. I can plan ahead and pack healthy food for the first day. After that, I'm making the best choices that I can in restaurants. I DO sometimes pick up items at the grocery store instead (low fat yogurt & fruit for breakfast etc.) But some of my travel (for work) requires eating at restaurants with others. Then I just try to do my best (iced tea no sugar; salad with dressing on the side; grilled chicken or small steak; vegetable; don't eat the bread or too much starchy stuff ... or whatever choices come closest to my normal eating ...)

Where my mom is, eating is easy. The retirement center has a great salad bar and serves small portions in the dining hall; I get it to go and take it to my mom's room for a picnic meal. She is immobile and eating in her room; she eats more and eats healthier when she has company. Eating is a social experience -- but we can enjoy the social eating without eating too badly!!

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7/2/12 9:02 A

I wouldn't necessarily call myself picky but I don't relax my standards when I am on vacation or traveling. Most people I know do so that probably makes me seem picky by comparison. I have to eat gluten-free and I choose to eat vegan so that makes eating out more of a challenge than it's worth in most restaurants.

We go out of town for the weekend quite often so I have my routine down. I pack most of my food or stop at grocery stores along the way. I have a few packaged foods that I rely on when traveling. I keep a stash of them at home so it's easy for me to pack for a trip: Dr McDougall soups, Sea Tangles kelp noodles, Kaia Foods sprouted sunflower seed snacks, VegaOne shake mix, nuts. And I fill in with fresh fruit and veggies. I end up eating a lot of raw produce when we're out of town.

I rarely eat out. I'm really only interested in restaurant meals that are in line with how I want to eat and that's not always easy to find. The people we travel with eat very differently so when we go to a restaurant I defer to their choice and just eat before we go. If there's fruit or salad available I might snack but I often just go for iced tea and conversation.

I never eat food I don't want to eat just because it's the only option at the time. I plan ahead so I have my preferences as options.

Edited by: DANNIELLEMARIE at: 7/5/2012 (07:13)

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7/2/12 8:46 A

Although I have a lot of food I like to eat I often find when I am traveling I revert to unhealthy food. Mainly because it is hard to locate food that sounds good on a menu that I will enjoy.

Do other picky eaters have any tips....

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