One of the toughest things to do when travelling is maintaining a healthy diet. You move around so much and you taste so many different kind of foods that you forget to ask yourself if what you are eating is good for you or not. I fall into this trap all the time and a lot of travellers probably do too. But I have become more conscious of this since I have been on the road for two years now and I don’t always have access to a gym. I started to follow my former healthy diet from when I played serious futbol. I look for ways to keep up with the eating healthy part of the diet while moving from country to country. I do a few things; one because it’s healthy to do and two, because it is cost effective. It can get expensive once you’v been on the road this long. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or budgeted.
Some of the things I do are:
Watch for greasy foods
I have always done this. I used to use a paper towel to soak the grease out of pizza before eating it. It’s a habit that has stayed with me because I catch myself doing it still. So, check how much grease what you are consuming has. A lot of fat comes sometimes not from the food itself but from the type of oil used to fry the food. For instance, potatoes are not fatty, but French fries are. But I didn’t find this to be a problem in Asia. In Korea and in China too, they used grape-seed oil; this oil is not common in the states. They also use olive oil and I didn’t see much of vegetable oil. The result, their fried food is much more healthier because the grease does not turn into fat in your body. Grape-seed oil, peanut oil and olive oil I have been told, are some of the healthiest oils to use when cooking. But while on the road and eating a lot of different foods from different places, I don’t think you will be going around asking what oil they used, or will you?
Eat less street food
Try not to eat a lot of the street food. Street food in Korea and Portugal is very good and tasty too, but it is also healthier than a lot of places. Some of the worst street food I have had was in China. I think it was a pig intestine or something like that, but I wanted to try it for the experience. The best street food I have had was in Korea; maybe because I spent more time in Korea and got to try most of the foods there and got used to the taste. I doubt it though because if you ask a lot of people that go to Korea for vacation or to teach English, you will hear them say that one of the best things about Korea is the food. But too much of it can become unhealthy too as with anything. But it is very cheap and it’s a great way to experience a different culture.
Use the grocery stores
Using the grocery stores becomes more important as you travel to more expensive cities. I can’t always eat out here in Paris because it is the most expensive city I have been in. Not only that, I have been here longer than planned and I am liking it. However, it is too expensive even for someone who budgets well like myself; well, not all the time. My alternative to eating well and healthy here is the grocery stores. And it is easy to eat well in Paris if you know where to look for the best and affordable, yet cultural items. Paris is a fantastic city much to the likes of New York because it has a little bit of everything. You can find anything you want in this city except good deodorant. I haven’t found one yet 
.
I get up in the mornings, go to the baguette shop around the corner for fresh bread. I buy a baguette for for 85 cents. Then I will head to the grocery store which is also not far from where I live. There I go to the grocery store particularly the freezer section. There are meals for about £4 each and I can eat each twice a day. And in the evenings I have the choice of eating out when I am around town or coming home again for dinner. This is a big money saver. Not only is it a money saver, the food is fresher most of the time. I buy fruits and vegetables and other items and I go and make a nice meal.
By using these three strategies, you can keep more money in your pocket and travel longer. God knows I am going to be moving around for as long as I am able. If tataPC, my computer and web design company does well who knows how long I might be on the road. But I am sure there are other ways to save money while travelling. Care to share? Or none travellers, any suggestions?
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