1) Eat out less aka prepare your own meals OR make better choices at restaurants.
Many travelers or expatriates get stuck in routines of eating out. It takes time and energy to grocery shop, plan meals, and cook - I am the first to admit it! However, regardless of where you are in the world, eating out adds unnecessary calories to your diet. If you have a kitchen, use it (at least most of the time). It is comforting to know what you are putting into your body and it is also healthier. Cooking your own meal you will feel much more confident about the nutrients you are receiving and, depending on where you are in the world, making your own food can prevent you from getting... food poisoning or milder versions of intestinal dis-ease!! Even here in the U.S. you don't know all of the ingredients that go into your food, you don't know how long those ingredients have been sitting out, and you don't know what kind of nasty oils are being used to make your food taste greasy and delicious! Of course you should go out a few times and sample the local cuisine, but you will most certainly be eating better and gaining less pounds if you choose what goes into your meal.
If you can, research places to stay and try to find somewhere that has a communal kitchen.
If you are a consultant or vacationer staying in a hotel it is understandable if you are eating out for most meals - but make healthy choices. Go for the oatmeal and fruit rather than pastries. Make one of your big meals a salad, ask if they can make fruit smoothies, and say no to the fries!
If you prepared ahead knowing you would not have a kitchen to make your own meals then add and eat the meal-supplements you brought. This brings me to the next piece of advice.
2) Bring supplements!
Bring supplements no matter if you are cooking your meals abroad or eating at restaurants, but especially if you don't have your own kitchen. What do I mean by supplements? Well yes of course I mean your vitamins, but I'll do another post on that... What I really mean here are things that can replace and/or supplement a meal. Meal bars, meal bars, meal bars!! I can't tell you how many times meal bars have saved me while traveling. If I'm too busy to cook a meal and don't want to eat out, I have a protein-rich meal bar. I will do another post on what kinds of meal bars I recommend.
Other forms of supplements include: nuts, dried fruit, almond butter, and flax meal. These are just a few examples. I use nuts as a snack instead of eating whatever the local fried delicacy is (although I totally support going for that at least once!). Dried fruit, almond butter and flax meal are great to add to your oatmeal or hot cereal. You can also sprinkle these things over a salad to make it crunchier, heartier, and more nutrient-rich depending on what comes on the salad. Almond butter is great to add onto your apples and bananas as a snack or for breakfast. As always, get creative and leave space in your suitcase for your mini-pantry!
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