Also, many people travel on a small budget, and one easy way to save is to spend less on food. There are also sometimes when you’re on the move and don’t have access to restaurants or food outlets, even if you did want to eat properly. Or, you may not be familiar with serving times conventions in the country you’re visiting. For any reason, it’s easy to look back over a few days and discover you’ve just had a series of snacks and sandwiches.
However, if you can make an effort to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and allow for some decent meal budgeting now and then, good food can help you stay healthy and maintain a sense of well-being, so it’s worth doing whenever you can.
We’ve rounded up a few of the best foods for those moments while you’re travelling that you might feel run down or a bit low – seek them out when you need them.
Blueberries to ease stress
Even though most people travel out of choice, there are elements to it that can be stressful. If you’re feeling tense before a long train journey or flight, it can be helpful to eat foods that will help lower your stress levels. Blueberries have high antioxidant levels and these are known to have a calming effect.
As they are one of the world’s favourite superfoods in the last few years, you’ll find blueberries creeping into plenty of menus. Pick up a punnet of blueberries at a local supermarket and enjoy them on their own. Alternatively, head to the nearest smoothie bar or health food café and get a vitamin and antioxidant fuelled hit before you embark on a long journey.
Clear that congestion with some spice
If you’re bunged up with a cold and are finding it hard to sleep, it can certainly take the shine off your travelling experiences. You can’t get as much out of the daytime as your head feels like it’s wrapped in cotton wool. To combat congestion, choose a spicy meal at lunch or for an early dinner, so that you can enjoy the soothing effect of hot soup or food on your sore throat but also decongest before you settle down for the night. Spicy foods trigger the release of watery fluids in your nasal passages, which can help clear mucus and allow you to breathe more easily. A dish like a hot and spicy Vietnamese pho can do wonders when you’re feeling fluey.
Settle that tummy with bananas
It’s not unusual for travellers to have a stomach upset on their travels. If your digestion is playing up, it’s generally good to avoid spicy foods for a few days and stick with the blander options like oats or toast. Bananas can be great stomach settlers, as they’re not irritating to the digestion system and are easily digested. While the fibre content will help keep bowel movements regular, the pectin in bananas can also help you get over a bout of diarrhoea, so no matter which way your digestion is stressed, bananas can help even things out. The vitamin B6 in bananas can also reduce bloating.
Often it’s easier to solve mild bodily discomforts through diet while you’re travelling as seeking medical assistance can be complicated and costly. An even better idea is to take a proactive approach to staying healthy while on the move by eating wisely on the days when you can.
