How To Eat Intuitively While Travelling This Summer

Part of the adventure of travelling is that we leave our everyday routines, habits and comfort zones.  For some people that feels like pure bliss. For others it can feel, well, uncomfortable.  

If you’re working on your relationship with food, travel can activate a lot of food-related anxiety—especially if you’re unlearning eating habits influenced by the all-pervasive diet culture.

The thing is, each of us have been intuitive eaters at some point in our lives—usually when we were children before outside messaging seeped in that told us what and how to eat. While the definition of intuitive eating is nuanced, a key aspect is being on the same team as your body and using your innate hunger and fullness signals to help guide your eating choices. 

As you begin to eat intuitively, it will start to feel more natural and you won’t have to spend as much time thinking about food. Instead, you’ll notice that you have more space to think about other things (like taking in the scenery on your vacation!). Plus, it lets you skip the crash diets, which don’t work long term. 

While travel can shake things up, it’s a wonderful opportunity to practice being flexible when it comes to food and eating.  If you’re in the process of unlearning diet culture-influenced eating habits, here are some tips for how to eat intuitively—specifically when travelling this summer:

1. Embrace the local foods.  Use this as an opportunity to branch out a bit and try something new! Give yourself permission to experience the flavours, textures and culture of local cuisine while you’re in a new environment and culture. To mitigate anxiety, I suggest sticking to foods that are more comfortable and familiar for you 80% of the time, and leaving the other 20% to try new foods. 

2. Check in with your hunger and fullness levels. As you’re eating, check in with your hunger and fullness levels, but allow for flexibility.  It’s totally okay if sometimes you’re caught up doing something and you forget to eat or if you eat too much….just try to ensure it’s not happening all the time. Balance is everything!

3. Pack snacks. Sometimes when we’re travelling, food isn’t as accessible between meals as it would be at home. This can lead to a crash in energy, “hanger” and a shift in mood. Bring a few granola bars or packs of nuts from home; this will ensure that while you’re on the road, you are able to easily stabilize your blood sugar and avoid overeating at meal time.  

4. Give yourself permission to eat! Notice what foods look good and would be satisfying, and then let yourself eat them. I remember travelling in France and wanting one of those amazing baguette sandwiches. At the time, I thought it was “too much bread,” so I avoided the sandwich but ended up bingeing on a bunch of other foods, trying to satisfy the desire. My recommendation: eat the thing you actually want, and then move on! 

5. Trust that your body can handle a change in diet while you’re away.  You don’t have to go on some wild pre-trip diet or “work it off” when you get home.  Our weight will always ebb and flow so step away from the scale and just immerse yourself in the present moment. Travelling is a gift, and you’re allowed to enjoy it!

Erin Treloar is a health coach, the founder of Raw Beauty Co. and the host of the Raw Beauty Talks podcast.