Buffet breakfasts, long lunches and three-course meals are just some of the temptations that come with travelling. While one big breakfast or one three-course business dinner won’t break the scales, daily over-consumption combined with a lack of exercise can make maintaining your weight when travelling near impossible.
Large portion sizes, oily meals, easily accessible food in mini bars and smorgasbords can all lead to overeating. But, with a bit of planning you can organise your meals before you even arrive.
A few weeks before you travel, ring the hotel and ask for their room service and to be emailed or faxed to you, and ask them about the cafes and restaurants available around the hotel. From this you can plan your meals and make special requests before you even arrive. Hotel staff will be more than happy to accommodate requests such as smaller portion sizes, gluten-free options or steamed vegetables; you just need to give them plenty of notice.
So that you’re never going hungry, purchase healthy snacks such as low-fat yoghurt tubs, fruit, cereal bars, popcorn, rice crackers, nuts and dried fruit from the local convenience store upon arrival. Keep them in your hotel room or in your brief case or handbag for those times you get a bit peckish. And if you find the mini-bar tempting, ask the hotel to remove it before you even arrive. To keep your eating in check next time you travel, follow this eating plan:
| |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Breakfast |
Room service of 1 serve of Special K topped with skim milk
Piece of fruit
Cup of tea (no sugar) |
Fruit salad topped with yoghurt
1 slice of wholegrain toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Skinny latte in hotel restaurant |
1 cup of Bircher muesli with stewed prunes and slithered almonds off the buffet
Glass of juice |
Room service of 1 serve of Weet Bix topped with skim milk
Slice of fruit toast with table spread
Cup of tea (no sugar) |
Room service of 1 serve of Weet Bix topped with skim milk
Piece of fruit
Cup of tea (no sugar) |
2 x poached eggs with wholegrain toast and grilled tomatoes in the hotel restaurant |
1 cup of Bircher muesli with berries and slithered almonds off the buffet
Piece of fruit |
|
Morning Tea |
Regular skinny latte and a cereal or nut bar |
30g mixed nuts and dried fruit |
Apple |
Fruit salad with low-fat yoghurt |
30g unsalted cashews |
Fruit salad with low-fat yoghurt |
Regular skinny latte
1 slice of fruit toast with table spread |
|
Lunch |
Tuna and salad wrap
Small apple juice |
Small build your own salad with pasta, broccoli, 30g feta, spinach, tomato, avocado and vinaigrette |
Entree seafood marinara with a side salad |
2 x sushi roll with lean meat, chicken or seafood |
Soup of the day (minestrone, pumpkin or vegetable) with wholegrain bread 2 x sushi roll with lean meat, chicken or seafood |
Lentil salad with 30g reduced-fat fetta, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, roasted beetroot, sweet potato and cherry tomatoes |
2 x sushi roll with lean meat, chicken or seafood |
|
Afternoon Tea |
Orange |
Small bag of air-popped popcorn |
30g unsalted cashews |
1 cereal or nut bar |
Fruit salad |
Small bag of air-popped popcorn |
30g unsalted almonds |
|
Dinner |
Grilled chicken breast (100g) with 2 chat potatoes and steamed vegetables |
Lamb cutlets with 1 cup mash potato and steamed vegetables |
Grilled chicken (100g cooked) salad with a vinaigrette and a small dinner roll |
Vegetarian lasagne with a side salad |
Eye fillet (150g cooked meat), served with 3 chat potatoes and steamed vegetables
Glass of red wine |
Grilled salmon with 1 cup dill risotto, carrots and asparagus
Glass of white wine |
Room service of a tofu and vegetable stir-fry with 1 cup of steamed rice |
|
Dessert/
Supper |
200g tub low-fat yoghurt |
2/3 cup of Special K with Chocolatey Flakes |
200g tub low-fat yoghurt |
62g tub of chocolate mousse |
30g cheese with 4 crackers (shared a cheese platter with work colleagues or partner) |
2 scoops of lemon sorbet |
200g tub low-fat yoghurt |
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