The ketogenic diet can be intimidating at first, especially when you know you’ll be out of routine and traveling. After all, starting a new diet can be hard enough as it is.
Adding travel, restrictions and limited options to the nutrition plan can seem downright impossible. But no need to worry, the keto diet is very manageable while traveling if you keep a few key tips in mind.
In this article you’ll learn 5 simple tips to help you remain disciplined and motivated even when your routine is completely nonexistent.
These 5 tips include:
- Properly preparing
- Utilize coffee to suppress hunger
- Utilize intermittent fasting
- Do your research
- Choose alcohol choices carefully
5 Tips for keto dieting on the go
#1 Properly Prepare
When it comes to setting yourself up for success, preparation is key. When preparing for a trip, whether it be for work or pleasure, what is one of the first things that comes to mind?
Yep. What to pack.
Then shortly after you’ll plan your schedule for the days. But why is preparing what you’ll have to eat any different?
With a long flight and limited keto-friendly options at the airport, you’ll want to prepare a proper meal before you head out the door. Worried about what you’ll eat on the plane or once you arrive?
Make sure you pack plenty of keto-friendly snacks. These snacks can include low carb protein bars, jerky, nuts and other prepackaged keto goods.
#2 Utilize Coffee To Suppress Hunger
If you’re in the beginning of transitioning to keto, chances are you may still experience hunger. One way to decrease hunger is by consuming coffee, particularly Bulletproof Coffee.
One serving of Bulletproof Coffee typically includes 1 cup of organic coffee, one or two tablespoons of MCT oil and one tbsp of grass-fed butter. Blend that all together and you’ve got yourself a delicious coffee filled with healthy fats sure to keep you satiated and full.
Grass-fed butter plays a key role in Bulletproof Coffee. It gives it its creamy texture while providing you with all of its fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, K and E. These important nutrients are abundant in the milk of grass-fed cows due to their ability to graze on grass freely.
Grass-fed butter isn’t the only ingredient that makes Bulletproof Coffee a nutritional powerhouse. MCT oil is the new buzzword in the media as of late and it’s no secret why.
What makes MCT oil a go-to addition to any nutrition plan? Some of its benefits include:
- Provides instant energy.
- Increases fat burning during exercise.
- Improves cognitive health.
- Contains fatty acids that fight off bacterial growth.
- May help prevent heart disease.
- May lower LDL cholesterol.
- Improves blood sugar levels.
#3 Utilize Intermittent Fasting
If you’re out of high fat snacks and Bulletproof coffee, another option is intermittent fasting (IF). While IF is only recommended if you have previous experience with fasting, there’s no strict guidelines on how to ease your way into fasting. However, the easiest way to start IF is by simply skipping a meal (often times breakfast is the easiest one).
A great method of fasting is to start with the simple 16:8 method. This involves a 16 hour fasting period and an eight hour eating period. For example, if you’re last meal of the day is at 8pm, you wouldn’t eat again until noon the next day.
As your body begins to get better adjusted to fasting, you can try longer periods of time such as an 18 hour fast or 24 hour fast.
Intermittent fasting is more than just a convenient option when you’re limited on food. It provides a number of health benefits as well.
Some of these benefits include:
- Reducing inflammation
- Reducing blood pressure
- Reducing LDL cholesterol
- Increasing cellular repair and growth
- Increasing fat burning
- Improving blood sugar
#4 Do Your Research
So what about when you arrive at your destination?
We mentioned earlier preparation is key. This includes doing your research before you even book your trip. Some things you should ask yourself when searching for a place to stay include:
- What are the restaurants in the surrounding area like?
- Is there a grocery store close by if I need anything?
- Will this place have kitchen for me to prepare my own meals?
Asking yourself these questions is key to following your keto diet and sticking to your goals.
#5 Choose Alcohol Choices Carefully
Drinking alcohol is always tricky when it comes to any diet, but especially when it comes to maintaining a ketogenic state. The obvious options you should stay away from when in ketosis include beer and sugary mixed drinks. So what drinks can you have on vacation (if any)?
Some keto-friendly alcohol choices include:
- Champagne
- White wine (limit to one or two glasses)
- Red wine (limit to one or two glasses)
- Dry martini
- Whiskey
- Vodka + soda water
- Tequila
Some alcohol choices to completely avoid on the keto diet include:
- Beer
- Wine coolers
- Cosmopolitan
- Vodka + orange juice
- Margarita
- Rum + coke
Worried about traveling while in ketosis? No need to stress. While dieting during a busy travel or vacation season may be a challenge, in order to be successful in anything it’s important to remain committed.
The keto diet allows for tons of flexibility while staying on track with your health goals. Keeping an open yet committed mindset will help you maintain balance while still allowing you to have fun and avoid feeling restricted.
So What Did We Learn?
Traveling on keto — it can be done!
- Set yourself up for success by properly preparing for your trip (including meal prep, schedules, etc).
- Utilize coffee to help suppress your hunger (especially with Bulletproof or Keto Coffee).
- Utilize intermittent fasting (IF) but make sure you’ve tried it before so the first couple attempts aren’t a huge struggle.
- Thoroughly research where you plan on staying before you book your trip. Make sure there are plenty of keto-friendly restaurants, grocery stores, markets, etc. so you have options.
- Be very cautious when it’s time to drink. Make sure you’re choosing alcohol options that are low in carbs so you maintain a ketogenic state.