A bit of a controversial post here – but no matter what your opinion of the low carb diet, it is gaining popularity fast. And the more popular the keto diet becomes, the more knowledge and access needs to be out there to make it an easier transition and lifestyle choice for anyone wanting to make it work. It’s hard enough at home, and even trickier when travelling. We are here to help with our top tips on low carb travel.
Whether you call it low carb, LCHF, keto, or atkins – a low carb diet is essentially a whole foods diet that has eliminated sugars and grains. Each person has their own take on it and everyone does what works for them best.
Personally, we have been following the ketogenic diet for about 8 months and include meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, some dairy, some fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats in our diet. No added sugars, no wheat, no gluten, no grains, no artificial oils. When you look at a low carb diet as a whole foods diet, it’s hard to argue against its effectiveness and health benefits.
The keto diet lifestyle has been a huge game changer for us. We have both dropped to and maintained a healthy weight (most notably in that stubborn abdominal area), have more energy, have better mental focus, improved blood pressure, have less cravings, reduced hunger, and no low blood sugar ‘crash’ throughout the day. I have lived many different dietary lifestyles – vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean – the keto lifestyle has been the only thing that has produced the results listed above. It has been a godsend for us and has become an adopted lifestyle, not a diet.
There is a huge downside for this type of lifestyle – it’s a lot of work! I cook 3 meals a day, I am constantly shopping, meal prepping and baking, and I’m always researching to gain more knowledge and find new recipes. This is all hard enough at home and even harder while traveling.
Since travelling is a big part of our lives, we need to ensure we can stick to our low carb diet because it is so easy to fall off track. We have come up with lots of strategies to make low carb travel work. I want to share them with you because I feel your struggle. The more strategies you have the more likely you are to stick with it!
And truly, these tips work for anyone who wants to eat healthy while travelling. This is not just low carb travel, this is healthy travel! The overall message is to avoid the constant temptation of fast food, processed food and convenience food we see while travelling.
Do you find low carb travel difficult? Let us know what your biggest roadblocks are in the comments below. We would love to offer some tips if we can!
Traveling on a tight budget? Check out our posts on budget travel:
How to order meals and off the menu on a low carb and keto diet.
Low Carb & Keto Restaurant Options
Here are some great low carb travel tips you can use at any type of restaurant:
Ask the server to please not deliver the free bread basket, breadsticks or tortilla chips – it’s just better to avoid that temptation all together.
If you cannot find a main dish that works for your diet, you could order a few apps instead – there tends to be a few good appetizer options on most menus: ‘spinach and artichoke’ type dips with veggie sticks to dip, shrimp cocktail, garlic shrimp, grilled calamari, grilled or unbattered chicken wings, meatballs, cheese or meat plate, Caesar salad, green salad, soups, spicy green beans, edamame etc.
I have found most restaurants to be very accommodating – the traditional ‘meat/veggie/starch’ meal can easily be fixed by asking for no starch and extra veggies.
Ask about ingredients in sauces and dressings to ensure they do not contain added sugars.
Many restaurants are catching on to the low carb idea and you can usually get a lettuce wrap to replace a tortilla, bun or bread.
If you know your restaurant meal will be fairly low fat, ask for some butter or olive oil on the side.
Pick your beverages wisely – stick to still or sparkling water, coffee, tea, dry wine or spirits.
Unfortunately, you will probably have to skip dessert – my tip is to order a coffee with heavy cream after dinner or bring your own dark chocolate along for that post-dinner sweet craving.
Low Carb Travel Tips For Fast Food
Perhaps inevitable, but you can make it work for low carb travel with a few hacks:
Stick to a burger or grilled chicken without the bun, but with all the toppings (bacon, cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, mustard) and a side salad.
Be careful when ordering a fast food salad – check the ingredients of the dressing to make sure there is no added sugar; make sure the chicken isn’t breaded; and avoid ingredients like dried cranberries, candied pecans, apples, oranges, corn, beans, and tortilla strips.
For breakfast, make a sandwich with two sausage patties and egg and cheese in the middle.
Low Carb Diet Options for Different Types of Restaurant Cuisine
One vacation, you will want to dine out. And you can! We break it down into each type of cuisine to make low carb travel work for you:
Italian – Surprisingly, you can eat low carb at an Italian restaurant. Authentic Italian cuisine will offer an antipasti platter consisting of meat, cheese, olives and marinated veggies; salads (caesar and caprese); meatballs; and a wide variety of seafood and meat mains with lots of veggies.
Mexican – Can you say salsa and guac?! Order the tortilla-free version of any dish and you have a delicious low carb meal. Grilled seafood and meats smothered in cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole (a maybe a tiny side of refried beans) – yes please!
Asian – This is a tough category and I tend to avoid this type of cuisine, unless I am cooking it myself. I avoid Chinese restaurants as they tend to have dishes that rely on rice, noodles, battered meats and seafood, and sugary sauces. You may have luck at a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant – some options here would be lettuce wraps, curries and meat skewers. Japanese restaurants will always have edamame, sashimi and yakitori to enjoy.
Indian – There should be some good choices here. Most Indian restaurants serve paneer as an appetizer or main – this is an Indian cheese in some sort of tomato sauce. You will also find soups, yogurt dips, meat skewers, tandoori chicken and meat curries.
Buffets – If you can resist the endless temptation surrounding you, a buffet will guarantee you a wide variety of low carb eats. Stick to the salad bar, carving stations, seafood and meat dishes that are not in sauces, lots of veggie sides, and you may just find berries and whipped cream for dessert.
BBQ – This is probably the top choice for low carb eating. The best bet here is to order a sampler platter with a mix of brisket, ribs (no bbq sauce), sausage, pulled pork (without the sauce mixed in), chicken, coleslaw, green beans and collard greens.
Steak House – Another great option. Order up a fatty piece of steak (and perhaps a lobster tail?) with lots of options for sides – caesar salad, green salad, creamed spinach, steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms and peppercorn sauce.
German – You will luck out here as Germany loves their meat. Dishes to try include bratwurst, currywurst, rotisserie-style meats, stews, pork hock, meatballs, sauerkraut, braised red cabbage and hot mustard.
French – Skip the baguette and take advantage of their love for rich sauces full of butter and cream. French food has plenty of cheeses, stews, soups, roasted meats, seafood and vegetables. Some dishes to try: french onion soup (ask for no crouton), beef bourguignon, coq au vin (no potatoes), escargot and roasted lamb.
Greek – There are many options in Greek cuisine. The Mediterranean diet is a whole food diet – just watch out for beans, rice and potatoes. Dishes to try: tzatziki, saganaki, olives, greek salad, gyro meat, shrimp in creamy garlic or tomato sauce, grilled calamari, meat skewers and roasted lamb.
Pizza – Although intriguing, you’ll usually want to avoid the cauliflower crust option that is now becoming popular. Check the nutritional information as many are still quite high in carbs – California Pizza Kitchen’s contain 13g of net carbs per slice and Pizza Pizza’s has 16g of net carbs per slice. Some die-hard pizza lovers will just order tons of extra cheese and toppings and scrap it off the crust – to each his own. I prefer to order a caesar salad and always check if they serve unbattered chicken wings – dip these in hot sauce for a buffalo wing.
Starbucks – Let’s face it.. Starbucks is a must for most people. Luckily there are great keto options here. Look online for lots of ‘secret keto recipes’ that people have come up with. Or keep it simple and order an Americano, cold brew or iced coffee with heavy whipping cream. If you like your coffee sweet, they have a few flavoured sugar-free syrup options and stevia sweetener at the coffee bar. For food, the Sous Vide Egg Bites are quite delicious, protein boxes (you might have to ditch the bread or crackers), big salads (discard any high carb items included) and moon cheese.
Are you planning your next vacation? Let us help make your next trip go smoothly with our travel planning posts:
Tips, ideas and hacks for grocery shopping on a low carb and keto diet.
Tips on a Low Carb Grocery List for Travel
If you have access to a kitchen while you are travelling, the best way to stick to your low carb travel diet is to continue shopping and cooking for yourself as you do at home. Luckily, most grocery stores have pre-cooked and quick cook options so you don’t have to spend hours of your vacation in the kitchen. Look for these quick cook yet still low carb options in any grocery:
Cooked rotisserie chicken
Pre-cooked chicken and steak strips available in the cooler
Deli meats and cured meats
Bacon or pre-cooked bacon
Sausages
Smoked Salmon
Frozen cooked shrimp
Frozen burgers, chicken breasts, meatballs
Canned tuna and salmon
Riced and mashed cauliflower in the cooler or freezer section
Large prepared salads and salad kits
Pre-cut veggies (eat raw or add to stir-fry’s etc.)
Eggs
Cheese slices
Ideas for healthy, on the go, keto and low carb travel snacks.
The Best Keto Friendly & Low Carb Travel Snack Ideas
For me, the most important thing that ensures I stick to my low carb diet is to have easy keto snacks on hand when I’m on the go. I do not want to be tempted by all the fast food and junk food that I will inevitably come across. When I travel, even if it’s a short day trip, I always have at least 3 snacks with me. There are so many great options for low carb travel snacks:
Mixed Nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, macadamia are the best low carb options)
Seasoned Peanuts or Peanuts in the Shell
Dark Chocolate – at least 85% cocoa or Stevia Sweetened Chocolate (my favourite brands are LILY’S Chocolateand Cavalier Chocolate Bars because they contain zero sugar, are amazing quality, creamy and delicious!)
Beef Jerky – Check the label. Many brands that you see in stores add lots of sugar. You may have to look online for sugar-free jerky. We love People’s Choice Beef Jerky because they cook it the old fashioned way which offers a healthier and more delectable product.
Pepperettes– This is the same deal as the jerky. We like Nick’s Sticks Beef Sticks which are grass-fed, hormone free, antibiotic free, and sugar-free.
Pork Rinds – a keto friendly snack classic.
Pickles & Olives
Hard Boiled Eggs
Low Carb Crackers – I missed crackers when I transitioned to a low carb diet. Especially with cheese. Luckily, I found a delicious low carb substitute. My absolute favourite brand is Jilz Crackers which are delicious seed crackers that are perfect to top with meat and cheese. They now come in a few different flavours to try.
Atkins Treats – We’ve been buying Atkins treats to have on hand when we are on the road. They are absolutely delicious and widely available. However, they are sweetened with maltitol and sucralose which are technically not keto-friendly, so it depends on your specific goals. These sweeteners, although calorie and sugar-free, have the potential to affect your blood sugar level. If you have a strict keto diet you should stick to products sweetened with stevia, erythritol or monk fruit extract. We are now in “keto-maintenance” so we have more wiggle room and aren’t afraid to include these treats into our diet once and awhile.
Coffee! An essential low carb travel item.
Bring your own favourite home-baked treats. I do a ton of low carb baking so we always have a treat on hand and so we aren’t tempted to go grab a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. I’ll list my go-to recipes with their link below:
Having the right food on hand will help you stay healthy while you travel. But in order to travel like a real pro you need the right gear! Check out our carefully curated Travel Resources page for the best travel gadgets, outdoor gear and helpful apps. In the meantime, here are our Top 5 Travel Gear Must-Haves:
Cooking for yourself while traveling and on vacation will help you stick to your healthy low carb and keto diet.
Cook Your Own Healthy Meals to Make Low Carb Travel Easy
The easiest way to be successful with low carb travel is to cook for yourself. So it’s best to find accommodation that gives you the ability to cook every day. For this reason, our favourite accommodation types are a camper van or RV if you are overland travelling, hostels with a community kitchen or booking through home rental sites like Airbnb. Not only does this allow you to control your keto diet, it also saves you lots of cash.
But I get it – a huge part of travelling is sampling the local cuisine and immersing yourself in the city and culture. Who wants to think of dieting and cooking while trying to enjoy a vacation?
The most important thing is that you live your life and enjoy yourself! Take everything in moderation. Cheat a little when you want to. And try out a few of my tips so you don’t end up too far off the wagon along the way.
Comment below if you have any other great tips for low carb travel or healthy eating on vacation. We’d love to hear them!
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