Saintly Behavior In The City Of Sin

With a decent amount of travel experience under my belt, I have tried (both failed and succeeded on separate occasions) to create a plan of attack for healthy eating on the road. With the best of intentions, I struggle every trip to maintain control of what goes in my mouth, when. 

I am not the only one striving for balance in unfamiliar settings, as one of my fellow conference attendees in Las Vegas reminded me. He, too, was on a quest to his healthiest booty, and amazed by Bill Clinton's recent weight loss, gobbled down The China Study, a book that exhibits research about the link between the consumption of animals and animal products and illness in different cultures. The culmination of The China Study prescribes a vegan, whole foods, and plenty of sunshine and vitamins diet. This gentleman I spoke with, inspired by the research, sought to change some of his eating habits to follow these guidelines. Only the problem was there were few non-animal protein options and too many cookie snack breaks included with our conference registration. Undoubtedly, he swung by that snack table and ate chicken for lunch, and I can hardly blame a newly health-inspired person for falling back on old habits. Even I was challenged by the lack of vegetarian and nutritionally rich foods available in and around my Las Vegas hotel. 

My goals for this 24 hour trip were simple and flexible: seek out protein and quality whole grains at every meal, and be sure to eat fresh vegetables. The vegetable part is easier said than done at times. I would up with mostly romaine lettuce-based meals and befriending the wait staff at the conference. Sometimes you just have to be a little nosy about what's in that stewed buffet tray, but I promise, as long as you're friendly, your efforts will empower you to make better choices. 

No time for dinner - whole wheat wrap with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, feta, olives and whole wheat pita chips with salsa

With few options, I selected a salad wrap for dinner with a side of whole wheat pita chips, and a plate bursting with veggies for lunch. In between I snacked from my on-the-go snack bag. And only slipped once with half a bag of chex mix on the flight home. Moderation was key here, and as an all or nothing person, as in all the chocolate chips or banning them from my house, this trip was a success!

Romaine lettuce with an array of antipasto and stewed squash