Summer is a time for fun but if you’re still adjusting to a new lifestyle it can bring a few challenges too! I have to say that compared to many diets I have tried in the past, Keto is by far the easiest for me to stick with both inside and outside of my home. Traveling on Keto was stressful the first few times but now I don’t even think about it. Keto is filled with so many options when it comes to eating out that it’s likely you’ll be able to find something suitable no matter where you go!
That said I know it can be difficult when you’re still learning or if you haven’t traveled much since starting. With summer trips on the mind here are a few tips and tricks to keep you going!
Traveling on Keto, Tips to Keep You Going
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Traveling Tip 1 – Stick To Basics
No matter where you end up eating odds are that there are a variety of meat and vegetables available. When your traveling it’s time to forget about any keto bread and desserts you have been making at home. Stick to meat, cheese, and vegetables. If you can talk your party into going somewhere with an all-day breakfast then your golden! Fill up on those eggs!
If you go to a pizza place? Strip the toppings off of the crust. A burger joint? Order something with a double patty, ditch the bun and skip the ketchup. Italian or pasta based restaurants can be a bit more challenging buy generally have either fish or chicken dishes available. If worst comes to worst look for a salad with a vinegar/oil based dressing. Try to avoid a lot of sauces or gravies as they are likely thickened with flour and will have a lot of hidden carbs.
When it comes for vegetables avoid corn and mashed potatoes. Keep an eye out for cheese sauces too – they are often thickened with carb-heavy ingredients. Pick salads, steamed broccoli, asparagus or green beans as a side. If you can’t find a keto friendly side look through the appetizers or double up on a meat entree if you feel the need – jalapeno poppers can make an excellent addition.
Traveling on Keto Tip 2 – Take Car Friendly Snacks With You
Probably one of the most common questions I get asked by new Ketoers is how do you replace chips? I mean let’s face it we all ate chips when watching movies, and it’s probably the easiest snack to grab at a convenience store. If your go-to car snacks have always been chocolate bar’s, chips and candy then you’ll have to readjust your plans a little bit. Some of these may require ordering or buying ahead of time as some of these things can’t be found at roadside stops.
Car Friendly Keto Snack Ideas
- Pork Rinds – Hopefully you have already spent some time exploring flavors and brands to find one you like during your keto journey. If not you might want to start! Trust me, I hate most pork rinds but I love very specific ones.
- Almonds – Salted, flavored, roasted ..almonds come in so many different varieties and provide a suitable crunchy and filling snack for any long trip! Blue Diamond salt and vinegar almonds were my early Keto lifesavers on car tips.
- Beef Sticks – Beef sticks are widely available and easy to find which makes them the perfect Keto friendly car snack. They are great for a quick filling bit to eat and generally pretty cheap too!
- Keto Friendly Snack/Protein Bars – Some of these might require packing in a cooler but if your just not a pork rind or almond fan they might be your best bet. You will likely have to order or buy these ahead of time as your unlikely to find them in convenience stores. If you are looking for suggestions you might want to take a look at our Keto Krate review – I went over the pros and cons of serval options there!
Traveling on Tip 3 – Plan Your Drinks
If you plan on drinking alcoholic drinks remember to avoid beer and stick to alcohol like vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila and rum which are all zero carbs. Your mixers might be the hardest, if you are not following a strict keto diet then diet soda can work, if you are stricter then carbonated seltzer waters work alright. If your trip involves drinking at a friend’s house or hotel then pack the ingredients to make your own Keto Cocktails.
Planning for your drinks involves more than just alcohol, however! It’s always a good idea to carry a couple of packets of your preferred sweetener for coffee and tea in your bags. You never know what will be available while traveling so having them on hand just makes things easier. This also works for flavored water packets if you like! Bottled water is easy to find, flavored water can be hit or miss – if you carry your own flavoring then you’ll never be disappointed! If you typically use exogenous ketones such as those found in Perfect Keto, then don’t forget to pack those as well!Â
Traveling on Keto Tip 4 – Keep Everything in Perspective
This might not be a popular opinion but I believe in getting healthier so that I’m better able to enjoy my life, not feel like I’m restricted or missing out forever. Look – if you’re going somewhere super special and there’s a good chance you’ll never be able to experience this again? Enjoy yourself.
Life is for living right? I’m not saying go crazy and start eating every carb in sight but if there’s one thing you really want to try? It might be worth the cheat. Cheats should be special treats and you have to keep your own will power in mind. This is a personal choice where you have to weigh your own ability to eat a treat and then return to healthy eating. Cheating also has the potential to upset the stomach of some people so if you have never cheated before you might keep this in mind. The only thing worse than missing a treat is probably being sick for your vacation.
Eating Keto is a lifestyle choice for many of us and ketosis is not a once in a lifetime achievement. Unless you are following this for medical reasons than just keep things in perspective. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip on vacation. Enjoy your life, enjoy your vacation and know that when you get home you’ll be back to eating just like you were before.
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Excellent tips. Traveling can be challenging enough, throw in a special diet like keto or veganism and it throws in a bit of an extra curve ball. But with these tips, those doing keto shouldn’t have much of a problem finding something to eat. Bringing snacks with you is a great idea, as you can’t always guarantee pit stops along the way will have something you can eat. Plus having snacks in the car helps reduce the number of times you need to stop.
So true and I’m all for reducing the number of stops during a car trip! I just want to get there!
I’ve never had to follow a keto diet and TBH I wouldn’t know where to start but these seem like great tips. And, as you say, life is for living after all!:) Lisa
Thanks! I hope people find it helpful!
I think you summed up the struggle with food really well- it’s definitely a whole lifestyle isn’t it? These are great tips, especially handy for this time of year when everyones going on their holidays!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Yes! there are so many people traveling or planning trips right now and it can be stressful when you’re trying to stick to a particular way of eating! Thanks for reading!
These are great tips. I don’t follow keto myself; but I think you can definitely use these tips with any healthy diet. More so the mind frame to not beat yourself up if you do have that one dish as a treat. I think going away on trips can make it difficult as you get into ‘holiday mode’, so these tips definetly come in handy!
Thanks for sharing and hope you have a lovely summer planned!
Aimsy xoxo
https://www.aimsysantics.co.uk
Yes! I firmly believe that anyone, no matter what diet or way of eating they follow should keep a realistic and positive mindset about it! If your trying to be healthy but have a small slip up or purposeful treat it’s okay! It’s not one snack or one meal that made us unhealthy. It’s all about readjusting our mindsets so that those delicious but ultimately unhealthy foods are sporadic treats like they are meant to be, not consistent parts of our diet.
Not keto, but travelling vegan presents many of the same issues so I can relate to this well. I always carry things like nuts and bars so I know I’ve got something to eat with me. I think travelling is quite difficult for all diets x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
I can imagine that this is extremely difficult as veganism is even more restrictive then Keto from my understanding! It’s all about the preplanning I think!