tracking macros on the go: navigating nutrition goals while traveling

Emily Field (00:00:00) –  Welcome to episode 28 of the Macros Made Easy podcast. Today we’re discussing how to maintain your macro goals while traveling. Whether you’re flying across the country or hitting the road for an adventure. We’ll be sharing practical strategies, tips, and ideas to keep your nutrition on track throughout your journey. First, we’ll cover planning. Learn how to research food options at your destination to find meals that fit your macros, dietary preferences, and budget. We’ll discuss leveraging apps and websites to scout out restaurants offering healthier options. Next, we’ll dive into packing for your trip. Discover the best portable snacks such as jerky, nuts, and popcorn to keep your energy up on the go. Whether you’re flying or driving, we’ll provide tips on prepping meals that comply with travel regulations and are easy to transport. You’ll get ideas for snacks that don’t require refrigeration and keep you satisfied throughout your trip. Finally, we’ll address the challenges of longer road trips where convenience stores and fast food restaurants are often the only options. We’ll explore what’s available at convenience stores and share strategies for customizing fast food orders to make healthier, protein rich choices.

Emily Field (00:01:01) –  Tune in for all this and more to ensure your travels don’t derail your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Welcome to Macros Made Easy, the podcast that takes the confusion out of tracking macros. I’m your host, Emily Field, a registered dietitian that specializes in a macros approach. In each episode, I help you learn how to eat in a way that supports your health, body composition, and athletic performance goals. We’ll cover the basics of macronutrients, how to track for various goals, the role of macros in your health, and how to make sustainable changes to your habits. I’ve helped hundreds of people experience more food freedom and flexibility while navigating their nutrition. So whether you’ve tried macros and it just didn’t stick or you just heard the word macros yesterday, I can’t wait to help you too. There is absolutely going to be some planning ahead, some research, and some preparation that has to come together when you are tracking macros and traveling. So the first piece I want to talk about is researching those food options at your travel destination, because that’s essential if you’re focused on tracking macros.

Emily Field (00:02:01) –  Planning ahead enables you to align your meals with specific protein, carb, and fat targets, ensuring you stay on track with your nutrition goals. Now, I’m not saying you’re going to research every single place you go during your trip and pick something from the menu and decide how it’s going to fit your macro targets. However, I do encourage you to look at menus ahead of time, because this is going to allow you to know if there’s any option there for you. Is there something that you could track if you wanted to? Could you easily estimate what’s on your plate? Is it healthy and wholesome? Does it have some sort of semblance of a balanced meal with protein, fat and carbohydrate? I don’t know how many people tell me that their family is the type to fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to eating while traveling, they’re just going to figure it out as it comes. But anyone who’s tracked macros for any length of time knows that that will never work. You’ll never stay on track with your higher protein needs, especially if you’re an active strength training person.

Emily Field (00:02:57) –  You will not stay even near your calories, because if you’re eating out for every single meal of the day, it’s going to absolutely blow your calorie needs out of the water. There is a bit of planning and researching that kind of comes into this first step. You have to think forward, even if that just means where am I eating out across this trip? Is there something for me on the menu? Can I make some semblance of a well-rounded meal here? We’re just talking basic forward thinking here. Try to embody the person who values eating in regular intervals, eating well-rounded meals, staying on top of their nutrition while away from home. You can be that person that cares about the nutrition while away from home. We’re not talking about obsessing and bringing a food scale to the restaurant, or mapping out your macros every single day. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about knowing when you’re going to eat, maybe basics of that menu, knowing that there’s something for you, honoring that you need some protein, fat and carb at that meal, just simple things like that.

Emily Field (00:03:57) –  And it does take a bit of forethought, but that preparation stage helps you avoid unexpected surprises due to regional variations in cuisine and food availability, and that allows you to make an informed choice that meets your dietary needs. And if you have somebody that you’re traveling with or you yourself have allergies or specific dietary restrictions like gluten free or vegan diets, researching just a little bit ahead of time ensures that you can find that suitable option so you can have a safe and enjoyable dining experience wherever you go. I will also say that if you know the typical cost of a meal in advance, you can make more informed choices about where you want to eat and how much you want to spend, so you’re not compromising your budget to embrace those cultural experiences that come with eating while traveling. So some of my favorite ways to perform this research is to leverage online resources like Yelp, TripAdvisor, maybe even Google reviews, where user generated feedback can highlight the restaurants with suitable options. I also like social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook because I can see menus, I can look at pictures, I can see recent pictures of the menu and the restaurant.

Emily Field (00:05:10) –  I can also see where they are on the map as compared to where I’m staying. This is also really important to me I’m not going to be driving 20 or 30 minutes for something I could easily walk to, or I’d rather walk to while on vacation. So the way that I would use Yelp or Instagram, Google reviews all of this is to use specific words in my search. I might draw on the map where I’m staying and look for restaurants that are near me, but I might look for words like farm to table or wholesome or gluten free or vegan friendly, maybe protein rich or low carb, because if that’s kind of trickling through some of the menus and like the restaurant has maybe made it apparent that they cater to those specific dietary requests, it’s likely that they’re going to be a bit more wholesome. They’re going to be a bit more ingredient forward, maybe quality forward than other places that might just have bar food, for example. So my favorite things to search for would probably be farm to table small plates or protein rich.

Emily Field (00:06:13) –  Those usually reveal some results that I can work with. And then from there, I’m doing a little bit of digging to look up where the restaurant is, what the menu looks like, how expensive it is, etc. I will say to you, if you completely skip this step and you do not work ahead by researching or mapping out where you’re going to go, feel free to talk to hotel staff or even the host of your Airbnb where you’re staying, because they’re going to be able to find those hidden gems, those healthier, maybe more popular spots, and provide some recommendations based on your specific criteria. They love to do that. That is their job. They want you to have a great day. They want you to come back. So really utilize or leverage those resources if you have to. Another way that you might be able to leverage technology to find dining options for you when you’re traveling is to use the tracking app that you use to track macros to find suitable options in the area. So if you find something that maybe looks like a chain or it looks super popular, you may try popping the restaurant right into your chronometer, your MyFitnessPal, your macros first database, and seeing if any of that nutrition information, the menus, any customization options kind of come up there.

Emily Field (00:07:23) –  There is. I mean, these apps have extensive databases for restaurant meals. It may not be exact. One thing I tell clients all the time is that you might not find your Ma and PA option on the app, but what you could do is find something similar from a chain. So when you’re first starting to track macros and you have no idea what the nutrition content is of much of the restaurant food you eat, maybe take a look at Applebee’s or Chili’s or Red Lobster or Domino’s or whatever it might be that has something similar, like a wide range menu that has a similar option a Caesar salad, fajitas, steak and baked potato, things like that that you can get an idea of what a restaurant portion and restaurant calories and macros look like for a dish like that. So you know how to properly assess what you might be eating in the restaurant that you’re eating at. So even though there might not be an exact match for the meal that you’re eating at a restaurant, you can certainly get a good idea.

Emily Field (00:08:22) –  And that can help you wrap your brain around your needs, like leveraging the food that you’re about to eat in your needs. I have a lot of luck with health and fitness blogs as well, so just doing a general search for travel blog of the area that you’re going to, and typing in words like macro friendly or healthy options. There’s going to be somebody that’s written about this somewhere. So consider reviewing some of those blogs and some of those websites, maybe even review forums like Reddit to get insight and firsthand experiences from other travelers that can help you find some of the best dining options that fit your needs while on the road away from home. So it’s very possible when you’re traveling, that you are not going to meet your macro needs from restaurant food alone. And this is where packing comes into play. You’re going to want to bridge the gaps in your nutrition with a few portable, macro friendly snacks. I always recommend packing something, usually on the protein side because this is the harder macro to get, especially while you’re traveling, it’s harder to get.

Emily Field (00:09:24) –  In general, you have to put some focus there, but when you’re traveling, this is going to be the least available macro to you. And this is because restaurants cook with a lot of fat. There tends to be a lot more availability of carbohydrates when we travel. Quick, easy snacks tend to be fat and carb rich. They don’t tend to be protein rich because that is the most expensive ingredient. So when you’re traveling, I highly recommend bridging the gap with some packable portable snacks that are more protein rich. So I’m going to share with you some of my top snacks that I might consider bringing on a trip. I’m just leaving this trip very open ended. I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing. I’m not exactly sure where I’m going. Okay, so let’s first talk about protein again. The macros that’s going to take the most work for you to get while traveling. I just think it’s a pretty good idea to get in the habit of packing protein powder. Some pre-portioned individual serving packs. You don’t have to bring your whole jug.

Emily Field (00:10:18) –  That can be a really great way for you to add to your breakfast. That’s going to tend to be pretty low in protein, or to bridge a gap between if you’re out all day dinners, not till 8 p.m., you gotta stave off some hunger. That would be a great way to stave off some hunger without walking into dinner, wanting to eat your hand. So protein powder is a pretty good I mean, obviously very portable way to bridge that gap and meet that need. You could also do protein bars. You’re going to want to choose bars that have a pretty good balance of protein, fat and carb, or a higher ratio of protein to carb and minimal added sugars. Some of those bars can be pretty high in calories, so if you are watching your calories, trying to stay in a deficit, or trying to stay under a calorie amount because you’re trying to lose weight or lose fat, I would go cautiously on the protein bars and just make sure you’re looking at labels. Another pretty easy portable protein option is beef jerky or meat sticks.

Emily Field (00:11:13) –  These are usually individually packed or small portable bag. This does not require any refrigeration. And again it’s something that you can snack in between meals. You can add to a breakfast or lunch if your protein is lacking for that meal. So we’ve talked about on previous episodes how fats in your diet seem to keep you fuller longer. So if you’re somebody that tends to get pretty hungry while you travel because your routine is thrown off, maybe it would be worth considering bringing some nuts and seeds. Or maybe some nut butter packets, things like that. Those are single serve. Maybe almond butter, peanut butter or some other seed butter or nut butter, but also like walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds something like that can absolutely bridge a gap in your nutrition there. It’s nice and easy to snack on. It provides that crunch. I like to put those nut butter packets right on to a banana or an apple, which is usually easy to obtain if you’re at a hotel or you are staying at an Airbnb and you do have some options to bring food.

Emily Field (00:12:11) –  I don’t know that I would pack a ton of fat, rich foods just because you know you’re going to get enough, probably by eating out, but I just wanted to put that there. As far as carbs go. These can be really great portable options to add to a meal or to. Again, bridge gaps provide you with some quick, easy energy if you’re out and active on your trip. I love instant oatmeal packets. These are obviously very easy to pack. They’re very flat. They can be prepared with just hot water. You can certainly add to this and I have before, especially if I have the option for refrigeration, maybe I’m doing a little bit of Greek yogurt. I’m throwing in some berries. Maybe I throw some nuts on top. Now I’ve got a very well-rounded meal there, but I’m just saying instant oatmeal packets can just it can become something other than just that oatmeal packet. Or it can simply just be that for a quick and easy snack. I also love a good rice cake again, that can be topped with nut butter.

Emily Field (00:13:04) –  Or you can throw some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese on that. Made a little bit of honey. Depending on what your travel situation is, or you have the ability to bring that or store it at an Airbnb. Dried fruit tends to be very easy to travel with. I love doing like dried mango or banana chips. I love raisins and craisins when my carbohydrate needs are high, or if I know I’m going to have a very active vacation. This is how I bridge my carbohydrate gaps, because it’s unlikely that you’re going to find a very high carb restaurant meal without also getting like a ton of fat as well. Again, we’re very open ended on our travel situation here. I’m not saying your air travel or car travel at this point, but I do think popcorn can be a really great crunchy snack like carbohydrate rich, crunchy snack. It’s also a whole grain. It can be a vehicle for other things, as in a trail mix, a very a much lower calorie trail mix than what you would buy at a convenience store from the grocery store.

Emily Field (00:14:02) –  Because it’s not mostly nuts and seeds, it’s going to be mostly popcorn with added nuts and seeds, maybe a little bit of chocolate, something like that. So again, it could be pre-portioned. You could have it already as a recipe in your food diary, and you could log that as you wish throughout your trip. The last thing I’ll note here about packing is that you might consider some hydration aid, some electrolyte packets, some mineral packets, something to add to your water because we are at a pretty high risk of dehydration while we travel. And we know that dehydration can oftentimes be mistaken as hunger. And so I would hate for you to feel miserable throughout your trip because you’re actually just dehydrated. Again, we are in a different climate. Oftentimes we’re in air travel. We’re in the airport. All of these things can just dry you out. And instead of just having plain water, which is I mean, it’s great. It’s a good start. We need those minerals and those electrolytes to pull that water into our cells and keep us hydrated.

Emily Field (00:15:00) –  We do a lot more when we add something to our water, like electrolytes, like minerals. For our hydration status, just keep a water bottle on your packing list. You’re going to use it. It’s something that you’re going to want if you travel by air or if you travel by car. It doesn’t matter. Just having it on your list and making sure it’s near you when you travel is going to help you from the perspective of staying hydrated, but also can lead to better GI symptoms, which sometimes can be a problem for people when they travel. One thing that I’ve been loving lately, a cute little hack, if you will, is using ChatGPT to help me with a packing list. Yes, I do know how to pack for myself. I’ve been traveling for many years. I am very organized when it comes to traveling, but the idea of making a list can sometimes be the real challenge there. So especially if you’re somebody that really takes their nutrition seriously and they want to stay on track with their macro targets, I would say use ChatGPT to help you just get a head start.

Emily Field (00:15:57) –  I just recently used ChatGPT to organize a packing list for me for a seven day trip. Told them the climate, told it the climate. It’s not a person told it. The climate kind of what I would be doing that it was air travel. And then the second prompt that I did for the ChatGPT was about packing food, giving me some ideas of what I might have to bridge some gaps in my nutrition. I mean, a lot of it was review, but it was helpful just to have it in one place. Just copied and paste that answer from that prompt into a note on my phone so it’s easily accessible when I go to the grocery store or when I’m running around town for a last minute thing. So again, just a quick little tip there in the spirit of using technology to help us. It is one thing that has been helping me a lot, and now that I’ve done it once, I can totally see myself using this for future trips. I’m headed to the cabin and I have very little fridge space and very few options at the local grocery store.

Emily Field (00:16:55) –  What are some things that I can bring to make sure that I have some well-rounded options? Or I’m going on a three day road trip out west. What can I expect for fast food options and convenience store options on my way? What should I bring that is cooler, safe for three days? Things like that? I really do think that embracing technology in this way can help reduce the challenge that comes up in our brain. It’s just a for whatever reason, sometimes people get really bent out of shape when they are thinking about travel and macro tracking and being off their routine. So this is just one way that we can help ease that stress in our brain and be a bit more organized. Okay, so I told you before that I was just sharing some general tips and ideas for food, regardless of whether that’s air travel or car travel. Now, I want to talk a little bit about that whole TSA thing, because this oftentimes comes up with clients like, what am I allowed to bring? I didn’t even know I could bring that, etc. so let’s talk about that and then maybe some meal ideas and some snack ideas that would be helpful for air travel versus car travel.

Emily Field (00:18:00) –  Okay, so here is straight from the TSA website. You can bring pretty much any solid packaged food on the plane, as long as it fits in your carryon. And that’s bread cooked meat, hard boiled eggs, candy, cereal, cookies, crackers, chips, dried fruit, nuts. But you can also do things like sandwiches and wraps, pizza, pasta, salads those are all great fine options to go through TSA at the airport and take with you. So the liquid question always stumps people. We know that liquid and liquid ish things. If you bring it on a plane, it needs to be about 3.4oz or less. So if you’re making a sandwich, absolutely you can bring if it’s already part of your meal. This is on the TSA website. It’s basically if it’s in in a part of your meal, that’s not what’s going to stop you. It’s usually if you have something separate from your meal, separate from your sandwich or your wrap or your pasta or whatever it might be. So that could be like hummus, cream cheese.

Emily Field (00:19:01) –  If you do a nut butter like peanut butter and jelly, honey, maple syrup, jellies, jams, oil and vinegar, make a salad dressing, salsa you could even do. This is like cottage cheese. This is Greek yogurt, things like that. So if it is a liquid ish item, a liquid ish food, and it’s already on a sandwich, or it’s already on a salad, it’s safely packaged and contained in your carryon, you’re definitely going to be fine. The rule is if you can spill, spread, spray, pump or pour it out and it’s larger than 3.4oz, then it’s going to have to be in a checked bag or TSA is going to throw it out. Now for me, this is game changer. This is avoiding nasty airport food by taking a sandwich or wrap or like a little protein like bento box that I mimic from Starbucks or something like that. It saves me money because everything at the airport is so expensive. It also is that safety insurance. If my flight gets delayed or changed and I’m not stuck in the airport with no option.

Emily Field (00:20:05) –  So I highly recommend that you think this through and consider just the simplest things of a sandwich, a wrap, leftovers that you would have otherwise thrown away because you’re going to bounce out of town for a few days. It can be so, so helpful and provide you that base that you need to have a really good travel day, because we know how long those travel days can be. And so you’re not, like, gnawing off your hand when you get to your travel destination. And probably more than willing to throw out your macro targets and your healthy eating habits just to get something in your mouth. So let me share a couple of ideas for you. I obviously have been referencing sandwiches and wraps. I just think that this is a really easy, portable option for both air travel and car travel. But if I was doing air, maybe it’s like a turkey and avocado wrap with a lot of non-starchy vegetables, something that doesn’t necessarily need refrigeration. It can be eaten lukewarm, but if you’re in the car and you have some like cooler space, maybe it’s like ham and cheese or a chicken salad wrap, maybe a tuna salad wrap.

Emily Field (00:21:08) –  I also love, like salads in a jar where you layer your ingredients, putting like the wet ingredients on the bottom, and then you layer up with all of your other non-starchy vegetables and cheese and things like that. So maybe like a Greek salad in a jar for air travel. Totally legal. From a TSA perspective, you have a very minimal amount of liquid and everything is self-contained in a jar. Fits into your carryon just fine. But if you’re in the car and you have some cooler space available, maybe you’re doing pasta salvage or you’re doing overnight oats. These can be great options for you to kind of keep you full and satisfied for longer trips. When it comes to like fruits and vegetables, I love like apple slices with some nut butter, maybe some baby carrots and hummus, or sliced bell peppers and hummus. Something like that. That works for obviously both air travel and car travel. You probably are less likely to take cut up fresh fruit in an airplane, but certainly could. I’m thinking like portable fruit in your carry on apple, banana, orange, cuties.

Emily Field (00:22:11) –  Things like that can totally work as single serve fruit options. You might be more likely to take your sliced veggies with some ranch dip if you’re in the car, because you can kind of keep that colder. Again, that fresh fruit that’s cut up like watermelon, pineapple, berries, it’s probably going to be a little bit easier in a car than it is going to be in air travel, just because of the juices and how easily some of those fruits can get bruised. If we’re talking like protein rich snacks, you can absolutely travel with hard boiled eggs when you travel by air. You could also do jerky or meat sticks. We’ve got beef, turkey, chicken, salmon. There’s a lot of options these days. But in the car that might be Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Could be meat and cheese roll ups, things like that. We’ve already kind of talked about how nuts and seeds and some of those carbohydrate rich snacks that are shelf stable. Those are going to be perfect for both air and car travel.

Emily Field (00:23:05) –  So I won’t repeat those. But some of the advantages of traveling by car and having some option for refrigeration and cooler space would kind of allow you to do more like the chilis or the soups, maybe like a Greek yogurt based parfait. You could do like quinoa or kidney bean, like black bean salad, something like that. Roasted veggies, maybe some grilled chicken in there. There’s a lot of different options here. And when I am feeling like I have zero ideas for what to eat, my first place I go to is Pinterest. And I use search terms. Because Pinterest is a search engine. It’s just a visual search engine, and it returns way better results than Google for food, in my opinion, especially for recipes and things like this. Searching for things that are road trip friendly bowls, road trip friendly salad in a jar, road trip friendly high protein meal. Something like that is going to reveal a lot of different options that can kind of jog your creativity and kind of get you thinking about your next travel experience and what you might want to bring.

Emily Field (00:24:11) –  I hear a lot of people get frustrated about the idea of navigating convenience stores and gas stations when it comes to hitting your macro targets, and while sure, in a perfect world, you have planned your car travel in a way that you don’t need to necessarily eat at fast food restaurants or convenience stores. But that’s just not real life. And there will always be a situation where you need to stop and you need to eat something. And rather than starve and eat your hand when you get to your destination, I would like you to feel confident that there are some options at convenience stores. And of course, this is going to be regional. I tend to travel mostly by car in the Midwest, and there really have been some much better options in my last ten years than maybe there were when I was a kid. Here are some of the things that I’m looking for at a convenience store when I’m on the road. Number one is, are there any Whole Foods? There are convenience stores with Whole Foods, things like apples, bananas, pre-cut fruit cups.

Emily Field (00:25:12) –  I love grapes or watermelon or cantaloupe, whatever that might be. There’s also veggie snacks that are usually paired with hummus or some other healthy dip. Sometimes those dips can get pretty high calorie, but again, you are looking at labels. You’re making good decisions for yourself based on your needs. I also think another great whole food option at a convenience store can be those nuts and seeds. Those are going to keep you fuller longer. They’re going to be fun to snack on in the car. So something like a plain or lightly salted individual packet of nuts or seeds. I want to avoid things that have added sugars or a ton of salt. Now, when it comes to finding protein rich snacks, obviously you’re at a convenience store. You’re probably going to find some sort of jerky. I’m not usually loving the options that I see at a convenience store. They tend to be pretty high and they could be high in carb. I can also be very high in fat just because that’s what makes jerky like edible.

Emily Field (00:26:09) –  You’re not like ripping flesh, it makes it more chewy. So I’m not loving always what I see for jerky at convenience stores. But there are some really great brands out there, so you can always check labels. You can look at, you’re looking at nutrition labels anyway. You’re going to find the best option for you. I think like a lower fat option is definitely going to be a turkey jerky or a chicken jerky. You’re going to be looking for minimal added sugar and as little preservatives as you can find on that label. More likely, you’re going to find something like a protein bar or something like hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese. Those individual cups are great. I’m also seeing more often. I’m seeing those ready to drink protein drinks, particularly from fair life or from Premier Protein. Those can be in the refrigerated section and they’re just like a ready to go pop the top protein drink that can complement any other, like whole foods that you might find in a convenience store. Many of the convenience stores that I might find myself in the Midwest do have some prepackaged, healthy meals, so they might be like a salad or a wrap or a sandwich.

Emily Field (00:27:15) –  They’re not bad, especially if you’re in a bind and are trying to avoid fast food or there’s really nothing on your radar, that’s what’s going to keep you full and satisfied. It’s going to be some sort of rounded option that will not totally derail your macro goals. You might also see those nut and fruit packs or like a cheese in nut pack. Sometimes they do like meat and cheese. If you just again looking at the label, making sure it’s not completely blowing the water for your fat targets because they can be pretty high in fat with the nuts and the cheese and the high fat meats, but they’re can sometimes be really good options there for a little bento box. Or we call them like adult Lunchables, which are always fun. Some people can get really bent out of shape about convenience stores and gas stations, and the reality of the situation is that fed is better than not. And when you’re picking apart these little micro decisions about food, always judging whether or not that food is good enough for you, or if it’s perfect or if it’ll fit your macros ideally.

Emily Field (00:28:16) –  That’s the mindset that keeps you stuck. That’s what’s going to keep you from progressing and seeing success not only in a macro approach, but in any health goal. So I really encourage you to get comfortable with the idea that at fed is better than not, and that meeting your nutrition needs with maybe perhaps the not the most high quality food is completely okay. So we can’t have an episode about tracking macros and navigating your nutrition goals while traveling without talking about fast food restaurants. And many people fear fast food restaurants is like something that will completely derail them from their macro targets. And that’s absolutely not true. There are likely something on every single fast food menu that you could eat, and that could be a really good, viable option for you. So let’s talk about some strategies for navigating fast food restaurants. One of the most basic tips would be to choose grilled options over those fried items, to cut down on the unhealthy fats and the calories. You can also customize your order by requesting sauces, dressing cheese on the side.

Emily Field (00:29:18) –  You can add extra vegetables to sandwiches and burgers. People don’t do this, but you can absolutely leave that mayo off or leave the dressing on the side, or hold the cheese, or leave the cheese on the side. You can ask for more onion. You can ask for more lettuce. You can ask for more tomato on those burgers and sandwiches. You can swap those high calorie sides like fries for a healthier option like apple slices or salads in many cases. but if you are tracking, you likely know that a small side of fries is not that big of a deal. So if you would like to enjoy some fresh hot fries, you’re just going to want a portion control, which is my next tip. You know those portion sizes, they are going to be pretty insane. So I think it goes without saying that watching your portion sizes by ordering smaller portions and sharing with your travel companion can be a really good idea. You can focus on protein rich meals on the menu, like grilled chicken or turkey or fish.

Emily Field (00:30:15) –  You can save calories and carbohydrate macros by ditching the sugar sweetened beverages and doing something that’s unsweetened, like iced tea, or doing water or a diet version of your favorite soda drink. Most fast food restaurants have an option for salads, so you could pick one of those with a grilled protein option. Plenty of vegetables you’re going to use a lighter dressing to kind of keep calories in check, but the real hero here is likely to just be using your chronometer, your macros first, your MyFitnessPal food database, your tracking app to find food options that are best for you at a fast food restaurants. Because they have multiple locations, they have to have a standardized menu. And the nutrition information is available online and therefore it’s uploaded into the database. So you could just check the nutrition information, I mean, on the website, but also just using your app mix and match options, hold ingredients, add ingredients, and kind of play out what you would like to eat at a fast food restaurant before you even go.

Emily Field (00:31:15) –  It’s a little bit easier for me to get kind of down and dirty with the specifics at different fast food restaurants, maybe better choices versus less than ideal choices if I have text to work with. So rather than rattle off a bunch of choices at McDonald’s or Subway or Starbucks, whatever it might be, I will just put those in the show notes and you can kind of click there and go over to my website to view those. So just click on the show notes if you’d like more of that detail hitting your macro targets, or at least just staying in line with your health goals while traveling is entirely achievable with some planning, research and preparation. By spending just a little bit of time researching food options at your destination, you can align your meals with your nutrition targets and avoid dietary surprises. Leveraging online resources and apps helps you find macro friendly restaurants, while packing essential snacks ensures you have healthy options on the go. Whether you’re flying or driving, mindful eating, and strategic choices at convenience stores and fast food restaurants can keep you on track.

Emily Field (00:32:12) –  Remember, the key is to stay informed, plan ahead and make conscious decisions, allowing you to enjoy your travels without compromising your health goals. Thanks for tuning in to episode 28 of the Macros Made Easy Podcast and happy travels! Thank you so much for listening to the Macros Made Easy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the one you’re listening to right now to share it on your Instagram Stories, and tag me at Emily Field so that more people can find this podcast and learn how to use a macro approach in a stress free way. If you love the podcast, head over to iTunes and leave me a rating and a review. Remember, you can always find more free health and nutrition content on Instagram and on my website at emilyfieldRD.com. Thanks for listening and I’ll catch you on the next episode.