lsimpson33
Dryer sheet aficionado
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2018
- Messages
- 37
Here are my tips to max per diem and eat healthier on the road (not in any particular order):
1) Although it means skipping the per diem for breakfast, hotels with free breakfasts are great because I eat really well and don’t need a big lunch. And I grab a piece of fruit on the way out for a snack later. I really like Hyatt Places, always reasonably priced and great breakfast.
2) Request a refrigerator in your room. It helps if you have a "medical condition" you can claim, but usually just a request will get you one without argument. I always call when I book and request.
3) Go to the grocery store and stock-up on snacks. I buy fresh vegetables, greek yogurt and some fruit. If it’s a good store and I don’t have lunch meetings, I’ll also build some salads at the salad bar for lunches.
4) The morning or evening before a trip, I go to Whole Foods and make myself a salad with tofu as the protein and salad dressing on the side. My theory is (and I haven’t been proven wrong yet) that tofu can be out of the fridge a lot longer than meat (2 hours max for meat), so that’s a good protein choice. Then I walk that salad right through TSA and enjoy on the plane.
5) If the hotel doesn’t have breakfast, high protein oatmeal packets make with coffee maker hot water and nuts works. Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Corner Bakery, and Chick fil a all have breakfast sandwiches that are pretty healthy and not very expensive if you want something like that.
6) Find the local hole-in-the-wall vs. the touristy places. People who travel with me often joke about my ability to find the most hole-in-the wall restaurant with killer food. I don’t like Yelp as a company, but I have to admit they are great for this. For example, in San Francisco’s China Town, I found this bakery with amazing pork buns. A fellow customer had to translate for me, but I got 2 pork buns and a red bean bun for dinner for $6.
7) I pack kind bars, nuts, peanut butter and graham crackers with me for quick snacks. The peanut butter is also good on fruit I find at breakfast.
8) Request a room near the gym and take a water bottle. They almost always have filtered water in there, so I continually fill-up my bottle in there. Speaking of water, down as much as you can, especially on plane travel days.
9) Do a little recon before you go, what grocery stores are within walking distance? What restaurants are nearby that are healthy? This keeps me from making bad decisions when I’m starving. Even though I’m not vegetarian, I search for vegetarian friendly restaurants because they usually have great salads.
I’d love to hear what others do as well!
1) Although it means skipping the per diem for breakfast, hotels with free breakfasts are great because I eat really well and don’t need a big lunch. And I grab a piece of fruit on the way out for a snack later. I really like Hyatt Places, always reasonably priced and great breakfast.
2) Request a refrigerator in your room. It helps if you have a "medical condition" you can claim, but usually just a request will get you one without argument. I always call when I book and request.
3) Go to the grocery store and stock-up on snacks. I buy fresh vegetables, greek yogurt and some fruit. If it’s a good store and I don’t have lunch meetings, I’ll also build some salads at the salad bar for lunches.
4) The morning or evening before a trip, I go to Whole Foods and make myself a salad with tofu as the protein and salad dressing on the side. My theory is (and I haven’t been proven wrong yet) that tofu can be out of the fridge a lot longer than meat (2 hours max for meat), so that’s a good protein choice. Then I walk that salad right through TSA and enjoy on the plane.
5) If the hotel doesn’t have breakfast, high protein oatmeal packets make with coffee maker hot water and nuts works. Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Corner Bakery, and Chick fil a all have breakfast sandwiches that are pretty healthy and not very expensive if you want something like that.
6) Find the local hole-in-the-wall vs. the touristy places. People who travel with me often joke about my ability to find the most hole-in-the wall restaurant with killer food. I don’t like Yelp as a company, but I have to admit they are great for this. For example, in San Francisco’s China Town, I found this bakery with amazing pork buns. A fellow customer had to translate for me, but I got 2 pork buns and a red bean bun for dinner for $6.
7) I pack kind bars, nuts, peanut butter and graham crackers with me for quick snacks. The peanut butter is also good on fruit I find at breakfast.
8) Request a room near the gym and take a water bottle. They almost always have filtered water in there, so I continually fill-up my bottle in there. Speaking of water, down as much as you can, especially on plane travel days.
9) Do a little recon before you go, what grocery stores are within walking distance? What restaurants are nearby that are healthy? This keeps me from making bad decisions when I’m starving. Even though I’m not vegetarian, I search for vegetarian friendly restaurants because they usually have great salads.
I’d love to hear what others do as well!