Mindful Eating on the Go: Ayurvedic Principles for Healthy Travel Nutrition
Traveling with kids and family can be an exciting adventure, but it often disrupts our regular eating habits. Exploring a new country and culture often involves trying different food, but this could both be good and bad for your digestive system and a bit overwhelming if you have a sensititve stomach or allergies. For busy mums, maintaining healthy nutrition while on the go is crucial for keeping everyone energised and happy and avoid getting sick. Incorporating Ayurvedic principles into your travel nutrition can help ensure that you and your family stay balanced and nourished.
Here’s how to practice mindful eating on the go with Ayurvedic wisdom.
Understanding Ayurvedic Principles
Ayurveda, an ancient system of natural healing from India, emphasizes balance and harmony within the body. It categorises food and lifestyles into three doshas: Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). Each person has a unique constitution, and maintaining balance among the doshas is key to optimal health. Here are some basic Ayurvedic principles to keep in mind:
Eat Fresh and Seasonal Foods: Freshly prepared, seasonal foods are more nutritious and easier to digest.
Mindful Eating: Eating with awareness and without distractions aids digestion and absorption.
Balanced Flavors: Incorporate all six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent—in your meals for balance.
Planning ahead
As travelling involves a lot of time on the go it’s important to pack some snacks and drinks to keep everyone hydrated and fuelled for their activities.
Healthy Snacks: Pack a variety of healthy snacks like fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, and homemade granola bars. Choose items that are easy to carry and require minimal preparation. Single-serving nut butter packets paired with whole grain crackers or apple slices are satisfying and nutritious.
Hydration: Carry reusable water bottles for everyone. Staying hydrated is essential, especially during travel and if you are in warmer climates.
If you have digestive issues packing some remedies that can help can save both you and your family from pain. I suggest to pack some natural digestive aids like ginger candies or fennel seeds even some peppermint tea bags can be useful.
Mindful Eating Tips on the Go
Although you are on holiday and maybe indulge in some more sweets and other food you generally don’t eat, it’s important to make wise choices to ensure the whole family get good nutritious food.
1. Prioritise Fresh, Whole Foods
Whenever possible, opt for fresh, local, and seasonal produce. Explore the local markets to find fruits and vegetables that are in season and packed with nutrients. Ensure your meals are balanced with proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Include a variety of colors on your plate to get a range of nutrients.
2. Practice Mindful Eating
Slow down and take your time to eat, even if you’re on the go. Chew your food thoroughly and savor each bite. Avoid distractions while eating. Focus on your food and the experience of eating.
3. Stay Hydrated
Ayurveda recommends drinking warm or room temperature water to aid digestion. Avoid ice-cold beverages, which can disrupt digestive fire (Agni). Sipping on herbal teas throughout the day can help with digestion and hydration. Ginger tea is particularly good for digestion, while chamomile tea can help relax you and your kids.
Dining Out Tips
When you travel it often involves going out to restaurants and try the local cuisine. When dining out, look for restaurants that offer fresh, wholesome options. Opt for grilled, steamed, or stir-fried dishes rather than fried or heavily processed foods. I know myself this type of food doesn’t agree even if it can be tempting but keeping to healthy options when you can is the best.
Restaurant portions can be large and sometimes I even share a portion with my daughter as it’s enough. Some countries like the US often have large portions or even offer half portions so if you don’t want to share consider this option. Remember to not overeat as you will find it hard to unwind and go to sleep. I’m a big fan of desserts so always opt for this instead of an entrée too many sugary desserts isn’t good either so go for fresh fruit or herbal tea to end your meal on a healthy note.
Keeping to routine
When you travel through different time zones, meal times can be at odd hours and disrupted especially when you are flying. Trying to sync your body as much as possible to the destination times and keep to regular meal times is crucial for your wellbeing. Kids are very sensitive to changes to their routine so ensuring they have a good nutritional diet will help them have more energy during the day. Keep to regular small meals and snacks to keep them fuelled. Put some fruit in their water such as berries or citrus fruit. to make it more interesting and encouraging them to drink more.
Travelling with my daughter when she was a toddler I always ensured I had some great snacks, fruit, rice crackers and muesli bars. It made such a difference especially on the plane as it kept her occupied and I knew what she was eating. The plane offer kids meals however they often include lots of sweet food and not lots of nutrition. If your kids have allergies I would recommend always to pack some extra food as it might be hard to get pending on what country you travel to.
By incorporating these Ayurvedic tips into your travel routine, you can help ensure that you and your family stay balanced, healthy, and happy while on the go. Mindful preparation, conscious eating, and maintaining routines can transform your travel experience, making it more enjoyable and less stressful. Embrace these practices to create lasting memories and a harmonious journey for you and your loved ones.
