Leaving town? Don’t leave your diet behind

Sticking to a healthy diet is easy to do within the routines of home and even work, but it can be just another stress factor while traveling — especially for people who may not know how to break a meal down into calorie, salt and saturated fat values.

“We know that one of the biggest barriers to eating healthy is a packed schedule. We want to change that,” says Niki Leondakis, president and COO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “People should not have to feel like they can’t wait to get home to restart their ‘real’ lives.”

The San Francisco-based Kimpton chain brought in nutrition expert and author Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN to help. Bauer — who is the diet expert on NBC’s “Today”  show and an associate faculty member at Columbia University — cooked up special “Travel Healthy” room-service menus with dishes that monitor calories, fat and salt contents for you. She also leads Kimpton’s new short in-room videos titled “Healthy Breakfast,” “High Energy Snacks,” “Tips for the ‘Morning After’” and “In Room Workout.” All are free to view on demand.

Bauer designed several items for in-room dining, from breakfast oatmeal to entrees like whole wheat pasta tossed with vegetables and creamy goat cheese. Each dish is under 500 calories, but she says they won’t leave you hungry and reaching for snacks.

“These healthy options are downright delicious,” she says, possibly with a hint of bias. “They also happen to be low in calories, sugar and salt — and loaded with high-quality carb and protein.”

But Bauer is quick to share the credit.

“At the end of the day, Kimpton was a stickler for ensuring that my healthy meals taste delicious,” she says.

Plan ahead

When venturing beyond your hotel room, Bauer recommends planning ahead.

“I
think it’s important to always carry an emergency stash of healthy
snacks, whether it’s some almonds or pistachio nuts, a nutrition bar or
fresh fruit like an apple or banana,” she says.