As we all know, as soon as vacation season comes around there is an immense emphasis on hitting the gym, in a bid to realise that elusive beach body. However, as soon as you arrive at said destination, what tends to happen is all the hard work over the past few months goes to waste. After all, you’re on vacation, and part of the enjoyment is spoiling your body, right? Well, contrary to popular belief, there are some ways to eat healthily while travelling. It does take some willpower, but whether you are on staycation in Oxford or going to Las Vegas, here are some actionable tips that can help you stay in shape when you venture away.

Only eat when you are hungry

It sounds utterly simple, doesn’t it? However, you might be surprised at just how many of us eat on holiday when we’re not really that hungry.

We tend to turn to some really heavy foods when we’re on the road, and these are usually sufficient to keep us going for more than one meal. In fact, if you look at some of the cultures across Europe, you’ll find that lunch is the main meal of the day. Sure, residents will eat at other points of the day, but this is where their main meal is consumed.

Don’t feel the urge to eat as per your current schedule at home. Chances are, your body doesn’t need this.

There’s nothing wrong with packing snacks

You might be on vacation, but this doesn’t mean to say that you can’t be practical when it comes to your eating habits.

Not all of your eating has to surrounding restaurants and hotel food. There can be occasions where you go super-practical and take some nuts or an energy bar just to keep you going through the day.

Is it fashionable? Not really. Does it do the job for your body? Absolutely.

The importance of hydration when flying

If you have taken the plunge to jet off abroad, we really can’t emphasize the importance of drinking sufficient amounts of water around your flight.

If you haven’t heard the news, flying is something that can take it out of you and really dehydrate your body. This is one of the reasons why many of us feel so tired (and generally urgh) after taking to the sky.

Try and arm yourself with a large water bottle and consume as much as possible before, during and after the flight.

On the subject of flying…

While we’re at it, let’s make a point about airplane food. Sure, it might taste a bit better than it did a couple of decades ago, but it’s by no means the right answer for your body. It has a lot of preservatives added to it, for obvious reasons. You’ll tend to find huge amounts of salt and sugar bunged into these meals and particularly when you have so many restaurants waiting in your destination of choice, this is the type of food that you can do without for the time being.