Keto While Traveling: 5 Practical Tips!

Summer is around the corner and that mostly means: time for a well-deserved holiday! Are you planning to go on a trip soon, and would you like to stay keto while traveling without the hassle? Good news! It doesn’t have to be difficult to stick to your keto lifestyle while enjoying your trip to the fullest. Become a low carb traveler by implementing the following 5 practical tips, whether you travel for leisure or for business purposes.

Remember that practice makes better, and that this process of becoming an experienced keto traveler comes with trial and error.

Oh, and if you travel with others, stay true to yourself and your values. Explain why you want to maintain your keto lifestyle while traveling, and ask your company to respect your decision.

1: Prepare yourself

Traveling keto is easier when you prepare yourself. Research your travel destination before you go, and find out about the local food habits and dishes. If you love traveling, this research part is also a perfect way to get excited about your trip. Don’t forget to pack your own keto-friendly snacks, so you always have a back up if your destination doesn’t have that many low-carb options. We don’t visit places without macadamias for example. If you don’t have that much space to bring along snacks from your home town, then find a local supermarket to get some keto-friendly snacks such as nuts, dried meat or fish, cheese, olives or keto bars.

2: Discovery mode: on!

See this trip as a fun opportunity to discover new international delicious low-carb meals! It’s amazing to get new inspiration during your travels, so you can try to make these meals at home. Even if you can’t seem to find keto-friendly options, write down the dishes you would have really liked to try. Once you get home from your trip, try to make them keto proof. This also allows you to re-enjoy your trip, and invite friends to tell them everything about it!

Another important thing is to allow yourself to make ‘mistakes’. Especially if you go to a country where you don’t speak the language or where you can’t understand half of the menu, it is likely to happen that you will end up eating something high(er) in carbs. Forgive yourself, move on, get back on track, and laugh about it! Don’t be too hard on yourself, trips are meant to be enjoyed.

During my trip through Southeast Asia, I was definitely not always eating keto-proof. As a result, I was not feeling my best but at the same time I turned this not so ideal situation into inspiration for new keto recipes! Being back home again, I was able to make a lot of high-carb Asian recipes keto friendly and I discovered amazing new possible dishes!

3: Simplicity is key

Simplicity is key when it comes to staying keto while traveling. Experiencing a successful keto travel is all about following the keto basics. Try to keep the same approach as you normally have, and include as many food products as you would normally do at home. Look for the green vegetables, fresh meats & fish, eggs, cheese, avocados, butter, oils, cream, and nuts in supermarkets, in restaurants, and at food markets.

If you stay in an apartment, an easy meal to make could be scrambled eggs with leafy vegetables, cream, and avocado. To spice it up a little, and include the flavours of your destination, you could try to find local herbs & spices on local markets.

4: Dining out on keto

A pizzeria abroad is not suddenly offering another menu than the pizzeria in your neighbourhood. Therefore, pick restaurants where they serve different kinds of foods, and check the menu before you enter the place. Almost every restaurant has options for fresh meats & fish, eggs, and salads. Just skip the breads, pastas, and pizzas how you would normally do while dining out. Instead ask for some extra vegetables and olive oil and butter! If you fancy a drink, pick low-carb alcoholic drinks such as dry wines, and clear spirits such as vodka, gin or tequila.

Click here to read more detailed information on how to eat keto when dining out!

5: Stay active, maybe try intermittent fasting

If you find yourself struggling with sticking to keto, try to boost the depletion of your glycogen levels by staying active! Walk around to explore the area or go on a hike or for a swim for example (the activity depends on your destination of course). If you don’t want to follow a strict keto approach, implementing intermittent fasting is a great way to deplete your glycogen levels quicker, and boost your energy levels. You can decide for yourself what window you pick, but fasting for 16-24 hours mostly perfectly fits within every travel schedule. Just drink enough water, and black coffee to still the hunger. Fasting also saves time, money (hello nice souvenirs!), and allows you to experience a sense of control.

Bottom line

There is no right or wrong approach when it comes to traveling keto. The most important thing is to make conscious decisions that are aligned with what you feel / need. If I decide to indulge for example, I make sure to fully enjoy it at that certain moment. The next day however, I get right back on track by implementing a longer fast.

In the end, traveling is all about enjoying yourself, exploring new environments, expanding your knowledge, spending time with friends and family, re-energizing, and relaxing. Therefore, have an optimistic approach, and see traveling keto as a fun way to challenge yourself and expand your database of international keto friendly dishes! Happy keto travels!