Is Healthy Nutrition Possible When We Travel?

In my post “Food for Healthy Life” I shared my dietary habits, what I choose to eat and what I avoid, to maintain good health. Sticking to my routine is relatively easy when I’m at home, where I control the food that I buy, prepare and cook. But is it still possible to maintain healthy nutrition when we travel? Let’s take a look at my past travel experiences. Back then, I didn’t pay much attention to my diet or consider how my food choices affected my health.

HEALTHY NUTRITION AS A LIFESTYLE

The concept of my current diet evolved gradually over time. As I read more books on healthy nutrition, I began to gain insight into a field that had previously been completely unfamiliar to me. The shift to my current dietary regimen didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual process shaped not only by newly acquired knowledge, but also by personal experience. I started to notice improvements in my overall well-being after eliminating harmful foods from my diet, which further reinforced my commitment to these changes.

Visiting distant destinations and experiencing unfamiliar cultures is always an exciting adventure. One essential aspect of travel is food. After all, we all need to eat several times a day. Our culinary experiences often shape our perception of the places we visit. When we eat well, we feel satisfied and content, which positively enhances our overall impression of a destination.

This is especially true in countries where the cuisine is vastly different from what we are used to. Trying new, unfamiliar and sometimes strange-looking or unusual-tasting dishes can be both thrilling and rewarding.

When it comes to food, I’m quite open-minded. I usually like to try everything at least once, so I can decide for myself whether I enjoy it or not. There aren’t many foods I absolutely refuse to eat. However, due to my dietary choices and health considerations, there are many things I choose to avoid because I don’t benefit by eating them.

Interestingly, people around the world often use similar ingredients, but the way they prepare them can vary dramatically from one culture to another. That diversity is a good thing. It adds a sense of novelty to what might otherwise feel like the same food that we eat at home.

For me, dinner is usually the most important meal of the day. It’s more than just eating, it’s a meaningful ritual that marks the close of the day. It’s also a moment to reflect, to process the experiences and impressions gathered throughout the day.

So, let’s take a look at some of the dishes I tried during my previous travels and consider whether they aligned with my current dietary habits and principles of healthy nutrition.

CHINESE FOOD

I like Chinese food. Although many ingredients used in Chinese cuisine are the same as those in various European cuisines, the flavours are distinctly different.

When I visit China, I eat only Chinese food. What I appreciate most is that Chinese cuisine is largely based on meat and vegetable dishes, just like my usual diet.

Rice and noodles are also common, but they are easy to avoid. Personally, I don’t consider a Chinese meal complete without some egg fried rice.

I’ve also noticed that eating only meat and vegetables isn’t always very filling, unless I order several different dishes, which they typically serve in smaller portions. The idea is to try a variety of items, similar to how Spanish enjoy tapas.

THAI FOOD

I also enjoy Thai food. To me, it feels quite similar to Chinese cuisine, although I’m sure both Chinese and Thai people would argue that the differences are significant.

Perhaps there are certain flavours or ingredients unique to Chinese cooking that Thai cuisine doesn’t use. But coming from a different part of the world, I find it hard to notice such subtle culinary distinctions.

Of course, there are distinctly Thai dishes like Pad Thai, but China also has many similar noodle-based meals. During my time in Thailand, I had some truly excellent meals.

ITALIAN FOOD

One country that’s very famous for its cuisine is Italy. Italians say that you always eat well in Italy, which is mainly true. If you stay away from touristic restaurants in heavily visited areas and if you go to places frequented by locals, you will certainly eat well.

When I’m in Italy, I normally go to family-run establishments that cater to the local population. For such places to be successful, they have to maintain a very high standard.

But, Italian cuisine is largely based on carbohydrates, with pizza and various pasta dishes offered in abundance. Pizza, a dish invented in Italy, is happily consumed all over the world.

Another iconic Italian delicacy is ice cream. For some reason, Italians seem to make the best ice cream in the world. While it’s possible to find good ice cream in other countries, in Italy it’s almost guaranteed. Excellent gelato is available nearly everywhere.

I once sent the photo below to a friend of mine who is a nutritionist. His response was just two words: “poisoning people.” Admittedly, that may have been a bit harsh, although indulging in two or three scoops of pure sugar probably isn’t the healthiest choice.

Still, the pleasure and satisfaction of enjoying an ice cream, especially on a warm summer evening, is indescribable.

SPANISH FOOD

I also enjoy Spanish food. When I ask my Spanish friends if they believe Spanish cuisine is the best in the world, they always say yes without hesitation. Interestingly, when I ask my Italian friends the same question, they also respond with a confident yes every time.

I find this quite amusing. I don’t think it’s accurate to claim that any one country has the best food. You can find good food everywhere. If you use fresh, quality ingredients and prepare them well, the result is bound to be delicious. The strong opinions expressed by Spanish and Italian people about their own cuisines likely reflect what they’re used to, rather than an objective truth that their food is the best.

When I go to Spain, I especially enjoy tapas – small plates that you can order in multiples, offering both novelty and variety.

When I was in Barcelona, I enjoyed many seafood tapas. Being a coastal city, seafood is prominently featured on restaurant menus and it was quite affordable.

TURKISH FOOD

I like visiting Turkey, especially because Turkish cuisine shares many similarities with Serbian cuisine. This isn’t surprising, considering that Serbia was part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years. Many dishes are nearly identical. In fact, I wrote a post about my culinary experiences during a trip across Turkey back in 2019.

Turkish cuisine might be considered more authentic, as it hasn’t been as influenced by various European culinary traditions as Serbian cuisine, where such influences are quite prominent. That said, I’m fairly certain that Turkish cuisine also reflects significant Arabic influences.

SERBIAN FOOD

What can I say? I love Serbian food, but that’s no surprise. I’m from Serbia and I grew up eating the dishes that my mother lovingly prepared. Like anywhere else, Serbian cuisine can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on the choices we make.

I also wrote a post about my culinary experiences during my six-month stay in Serbia back in 2020. You can judge for yourself whether I stuck to healthy eating habits.

INSECTS & CHICKEN FEET

Then there are dishes and food items that are completely unfamiliar to us. One example is the variety of edible insects sold at the night market in Chiang Mai. I tried a grasshopper. It was perfectly edible, although aside from its crunchiness, there wasn’t much to it.

Or perhaps deliciously looking deep fried black scorpions on offer in the market near the Wangfujing street in Beijing.

However, my favourite unfamiliar food, discovered on Pingjiang Road in Suzhou, was marinated chicken feet. It’s considered a delicacy and is a very popular dish in China. That said, there’s not much meat on them, chicken feet are mostly bone.

IS HEALTHY NUTRITION DIFFICULT?

My diet focuses on eliminating foods that cause rapid digestion and abnormal spikes in blood sugar levels, primarily carbohydrates. I avoid bread, pasta and other wheat products, while consuming rice and potatoes only in limited amounts. Looking back at the photos in this post, I realize that almost every meal included something that, according to my dietary principles, I ideally shouldn’t have eaten.

I’m not fanatical about healthy nutrition, but I do recognize how challenging it is to stick to my diet when I’m away from home. Temptations are everywhere and nearly every restaurant dish contains ingredients I try to avoid. At the same time, it’s difficult to resist eating when I’m hungry and everything looks delicious.

I plan to revisit the topic of healthy nutrition and be more mindful of what I eat while traveling. I’ll continue to assess how feasible this is and to what extent I can maintain control. There are ways to manage it. For example, staying in an apartment with a well-equipped kitchen, which I did during my six-month stay in Belgrade in 2020. This will be an interesting journey of exploration and I’ll share periodic updates along the way.