General Guidelines for Eating on the Road

Most guidelines require advance planning. Just as an athlete must pack his or her uniform, he or she should also give thought to where, when, and how the right foods and beverages can be obtained to satisfy needs. The worst thing that can happen to an athlete while traveling is to become hungry or thirsty and not have anything quickly available to eat or drink. Make sure this doesn't happen by trying to follow these general tips for eating on the road:¹²

• Bring your own snacks. Fresh fruits, fruit juices, crackers, low-fat rice and pasta salads, and low-fat energy bars are nutritious and easy to carry.
• Watch out for hidden fats. Creamy soups, bread-type flaky pastries, mayonnaise-based salad dressings, and sauces in sandwiches add unnecessary fat to food. However, good alternatives are available. Consuming clear, broth-based soups instead of creamy soups may provide all the nutrients but with considerably less fat. Using lemon juice- based salad dressing rather than mayonnaise-type dressing lowers the fat and makes it possible to eat more salad.
• Consume grilled, baked, boiled, and broiled foods rather than fried or sauteed foods. You must ask for it the way you want it. Make no assumptions about how food will be prepared by the way it is described on the menu. When possible, request lower-fat dairy products and lower-fat salad dressings.
• Order "a la carte" to get exactly what you want. Full dinners often don't fit the way a serious athlete should be eating. For instance, the grilled fish may be exactly what you want, but the full dinner may come with mashed potatoes that are soaked in gravy, broccoli that is covered with cheese sauce, and a piece of apple pie with ice cream. The serious athlete would be better off with broiled fish, a plain baked potato, broccoli with lemon juice, and fresh fruit for dessert.

• If you travel by air, tell the travel agent you'd like to eat vegetarian. There's a greater chance you'll receive foods that are higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat. However, you need to give the airlines fair warning of your special dietary requirements, so make certain the airlines are notified at least 24 hours in advance of the flight.
• If you're changing time zones, get on the local schedule as soon as possible. Have dinner when the local population is eating rather than at the time you eat at home. You'll still have difficulty getting your eating pattern on track because traveling and changing time zones are tiring and disorienting. To make certain you're completely ready to compete, try to arrive at the competition site early.