I had just finished cleaning up after an epic Friendsgiving dinner last month, and was in the process of sleep-packing (like sleepwalking, but packing) for an eight day work trip to New York and Boston. I was leaving the next morning on a 7am flight.

All of a sudden, I felt panic creeping up on me. I’m not sure how it didn’t dawn on me sooner, considering I’m pretty much always thinking about food, but…

How on earth was I going to stick to the elimination diet while on the road for eight days with several other people? Would I have seven sleepless, acid-y nights ahead of me when I needed to be fresh and peppy for work?

I forced myself to calm down and then came up with a game plan.

Here’s a list of tips that helped me while traveling on the elimination diet:

1. See if you can book a hotel or condo with a kitchen.  While not always an option — especially when traveling for work or in a group — this will give you the most control over your meals.  You’ll also want to see whether or not you’ll have a fridge in your hotel room for storing snacks and leftovers.

2. Find out where the nearest grocery store is to your hotel.  This way, once you get to your destination, you’ll be able to make a quick grocery run to grab snacks and foods for your stay.

3. Carry fresh fruit and rice crackers with you on the road.  It might take some time to find a place to eat while you’re on the road.  It’s a good idea to have some healthy, elimination diet-friendly snacks on hand while you’re on the hunt.  I like to carry apples, grapes and other fruits that don’t get smushed easily.  (Or, you can always buy a banana guard, ha!)

4. Seek out juice & smoothie bars. I suggest using Yelp and Google to peruse the options and reviews. Your best bet is one that talks about organic, locally sourced ingredients. This is certainly easier to do in cities than it is in suburban/rural areas, but if you can find one, chances are you’ll have access to healthy, delicious juices, smoothies and açai bowls.  Thanks to Yelp, I had the best açai bowl I’ve ever had at Juice Generation in New York City and had multiple delicious smoothies at a little spot called Fruitata at the Prudential Center in Boston.

5. Look out for salad bars. These are often better than the salads you’ll find at restaurants since you’ll be able to pick and choose which ingredients you’d like to include with your leafy greens. Once again, you can use Yelp and Google to check out your available options.  I discovered Sweetgreen (locations in New York City, Boston and more) for amazing, fresh seasonal salads.

 

6. Find a handful of restaurants that serve sushi, American food, and seafood. These restaurants will typically have great options for folks following the elimination diet.

7. Scope menus and call restaurants ahead of time. This way, you’ll know what you can order and whether or not the chef is willing to accommodate food allergies and/or sensitivities.

8. Tell your waiter you have food allergies. It’s much more powerful than saying you’re on a diet or simply don’t want to eat a certain food.

9. Write down a list of the foods you can’t eat on a Post-It note, and give it to your waiter. Makes for a much easier, clearer transfer of info from you to your waiter to the chef.

10. Don’t stress.  Embrace the challenge.  Traveling on the elimination diet isn’t easy, and chances are you won’t be able to follow the diet to a T while you’re on the road.  The most important thing to keep in mind: your goal is to feel good.  So, listen to your body, do the best you can to avoid the foods you know for sure have a negative impact on your body, and take comfort in knowing you can get 100% back on track when you get home.

Have any other tips for folks traveling on the elimination diet?  Share them in the comments below!