YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Summer 2015) | Page 15
CLARE WOLSKI, APD
Clare is a passionate Accredited Practicing Dietitian with The Healthy Eating Hub (healthyeatinghub.com.au)
who loves empowering people with good nutrition information so they can make the best decisions for their long
term health. Clare loves food and the role that it plays in our lives, both as a provider of nutrients and as an
expression of our social and cultural environments. It was this interest that ultimately drew Clare to the study of
food and it’s impact on the body. While studying Clare also discovered a passion for understanding the role of
nutrition in the prevention and management of disease. Click here to learn more about Clare.
HEALTHY
EATING WHILE
TRAVELLING
Nutrition expert Clare Wolski shares her tips to eating healthily while travelling.
ecently, I was lucky enough to
have a ten-day holiday in
lovely New Zealand. It was so
great to have a break and see some
new places, but when tripping around
from place to place we were forced to
eat out – A LOT. Don’t get me wrong, I
love trying restaurants in new places,
but it can often hurt the waistline and
the back pocket. So, here are a few
things I did during this trip to keep my
cash and kilojoule budgets in check.
R
Supermarket snacks
I really enjoy eating at restaurants for
dinner and stopping at a nice cafe for a
coffee when exploring new places, but I
always drop into a supermarket and
grab some easily transported fruit and
snacks. This way we saved a bit of coin
on eating out and made sure that we
were getting a regular dose of vitamins
and minerals. Some ideas include:
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Apples
Mandarins
Oranges
Bananas
Small packets of nuts
Muesli and nut bars.
Buy your own breakfast…
When you’re eating out for most of your
main meals, buy a tub of yoghurt and a
piece of fruit for breakfast the next day.
This can be a great way to save money
and reduce your kilojoule intake.
…Or do brunch
Alternatively you could sleep in and have a
larger breakfast that can keep you full right
through to the afternoon. When we were
in Rotorua we took our time getting up
and ordered breakfast at a cute little cafe/
grocer. We ordered eggs with sautéed
mushrooms on toast and French toast
with mixed berries. It was very decadent.
The portions were quite large and we
didn’t feel hungry until dinnertime.
Carry healthy food with you
It’s always better to have something on
hand for when you unexpectedly
become tired and hangry (hungry/angry).
On one of our days away we went for a
walk from Lake Taupo to Hukka Falls.
It was only meant to be 3km – not too
strenuous. We didn’t anticipate so
many hills and by the time we got to
the falls I was pretty irritable. I was so
glad we had packed a couple of muesli
bars and some mandarins. I think my
travelling companion appreciated it too.
Take a water bottle
It’s so easy to forget to drink when
you’re out exploring a new
place. It’s also particularly
important to stay hydrated
when flying for many
health reasons. I take a
drink bottle with me
everywhere
and find
that it
prevents
me from
spending
money on bottled
water. Having
water on hand
also stops me
buying soft drinks
and snack foods
when we are out.
Order a side of steamed veg
I am always conscious of eating
enough fruit and veg when travelling to
prevent myself from getting sick. But I
have noticed that a lot of main meals in
restaurants are largely meat with only a
small amount of vegetables. In these
situations I like to order a side of
steamed vegetables or a green salad to
make sure that I am getting enough
vitamins and minerals to support my
immune system.
Listen to your body
This one is applicable to all situations
but I find when I am travelling that it is
particularly easy to overindulge in the
delicious new foods. In this case it’s
best to listen to your own body’s cues.
If you aren’t hungry don’t eat.
Sometimes this is easier said than
done, but it’s always worth a try!
Happy travels!
SUMMER 2015 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE
15