Keto Travel Kit

I've been keeping an eye on the forms, and for the most part, I've seen this scenario play out over and over. 

How do I eat Keto while traveling to....?

More often than not the answer is "enjoy your trip, do the best you can and get focused when you get home. 

In principle, I agree with this. For me, Keto is a lifestyle and what I do when I'm living my normal life. But when you're traveling for an event like weddings, honeymoons and once in a lifetime vacations, you should indulge a bit. Life is short, and food is a large part of travel and an area's culture. Soak it up.

That said, there's a case for best intentions and game-planning. I'm traveling for work soon to Madison Wisconson, and this is not a once in a lifetime trip. It's a business trip I'd rather not take. In this case, it makes sense to try and stay the course. The last thing I want is brain fog and a wanky tummy.

So here's my best guess for business travel.

1. This is a great time to play with some keto snacks. Be warned, however, that many of these snacks bend the rules of keto because they are "snacks," and the sugars and carbs are likely to be way higher than you're used to.

2. What's true at home is true on the road. The chances are that you can find a store near your hotel that you can hit upon the day that you arrive. While it might not be grass-fed meats and organic produce, you can, for a couple of days, relax those standards and live on:

• Cheese
• Deli meats
• Avocados
• Salad Kits (minus the dressings)
• Pork rinds
• Apples and peanut butter
• Coffee and heavy cream
• Protein shakes
• Olives
• Pickles

More often than not, I have at least a small refrigerator in my room, and 5 of the above will easily fit in it.

As for dinners with the crew:

Skip the bun, ketchup, and anything sugary and go with a burger. Most places will swap your fries for another side, as well. I like to try and get some salsa to pour over the top of my burger. Some fancier burger joints will have cream cheese in the kitchen, and that's an excellent option for a saucier burger.

There's always an option for a salad. If the salad is bland and boring, ask for some sort of protein to go with it.

Here's where it gets a bit more hypothetical but still doable. You could call your hotel and ask if it's okay to receive a package at the front desk. If so, you can order from Amazon and have it delivered the same day that you arrive. If you're not the Amazon type, try ordering from a healthier restaurant with the various food delivery services that have been popping up. Also, if you can time it right, ThriveMarket has a great selection of diet-specific foods.

Lastly, let's be real about drinks. You're likely going to have a few to a lot of drinks. Go as clean as you can with 100% agave tequilas and potato vodkas. If you're not into shots, ask for spiked soda water with a couple of wedges of lime. It's often cheaper and will allow you to consume at the same pace as your coworkers.

If all else fails, don't stress too much, and as others have said, enjoy the brief divergence and get focused when you get back home.