This post is sponsored by Great Lakes Gelatin. All unbiased opinions below are 100% mine – I used this product long before they offered to sponsor this post!
Sticking to your macros and getting in your micros when you’re not at home is hard. Carbs and fats are so easy to come by. Just stop into any coffee shop and you’ll have endless options from fruit to bagels to pre-packaged snacks. Protein is another story, though. And at 32 weeks pregnant and still traveling for work (just for two more weeks, don’t worry!), it’s even more important that I’m feeding my body right. Skipping out on protein just isn’t an option.
With my Collagen Endurance Plus pre-dinner pick-me-up
Then again, there’s also nothing worse than trying to choke down two scoops of whey protein mixed in lukewarm water in a hotel room at 10pm when you realize you’re short 40g protein (speaking from experience…). So how do you avoid it?
Whether you’re a road warrior, have a trip coming up, or are just super busy and looking for something to grab on the go, we’ve got some tips for you!
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
The worst thing you can do is get caught somewhere when you’re hungry and you’ve got no plan (#hangry). Regardless of how you get in your protein, building a plan for the day before you get going will help you hit your macros no matter where you are. Look into restaurants that are near where you’ll be staying if you’re traveling. Book a hotel with a fridge and stop by a grocery store. If you’re staying local, figure out what you’ll be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then plan snacks based on where you’ll be midday and what will be most convenient. It’s more difficult to cheat if you already have it all mapped out and your food purchased/prepped!
CARRY AN EMERGENCY STASH
In 2017, I spent more than 70 nights in hotel rooms and flew more than 100,000 miles. In an ideal world, I always travel with my meals perfectly prepped (see here on how to fly with food). But in 2017, I spent more than 70 nights in hotel rooms and flew more than 100,000 miles. Nothing ever goes as planned – and carrying my food isn’t always easy or convenient when I’m switching cities each night. I keep a container with pre-measured protein packs in my bag at all times, which are perfect for supplementing the protein I may be missing from my usual snack and meal options.
Collagen protein is one of my absolute favorites to keep in this “emergency kit”. I mentioned before how there’s nothing worse than trying to get in a few scoops of vanilla protein in lukewarm water (yuk!). Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate is flavorless and mixes easily in hot or cold water. That means you can mix it into your coffee, make a steaming cup of collagen tea, or just drink it in plain water. And, it comes in pre-measured, single serve packs that are perfect for travel!
WATCH MY RECENT FACEBOOK LIVE ABOUT PROTEIN ON THE ROAD
Even better, pack a few containers of Collagen Endurance Plus, which has all the benefits of collagen protein but with added vitamins and caffeine for an afternoon pick-me up!
If you don’t have single-serving packs, you could also pre-measure a few scoops of your favorite protein and place them in snack size ziplock backs for easy transport.
BRING MAKE-AHEAD SNACKS
Traveling by car, even just around town, makes things a little easier. An easy solution to the hangry problem is to have something ready that you can grab on your way out the door. I mix up a big batch of smoothies on Saturday mornings, then pop them into two separate cups I can grab on our way out the door on Saturday afternoon errands (one for me, one for the hubs). The sweetness of the berries keeps that afternoon sweet tooth in check while the flavorless Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate protein keeps us full until dinner.
Other favorite make-ahead snacks include protein pancakes (collagen protein + just-add-water pancake mix, prepped per package with a little extra water to hit the right consistency) or a piece of fruit + water bottle with your favorite protein drink pre-mixed (Great Lakes Collagen Endurance in Strawberry and Black Cherry is so good!). You’ll also get the added benefit of hair and nail growth plus improved regeneration of bone and joint damage by taking in just 2 TBS of collagen protein a day! That’s reason enough to make the swap to collagen protein.
Save 20% on any Great Lakes purchase until March 15, 2017 with code GLGLife20.
How do you get in your protein when you’re on the road?