I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my diet. At home, it’s easier to stay balanced. But it’s so difficult to keep healthy when traveling. Since I’m always on the go, I’ve developed some healthy hacks to keep me nourished when I’m in different cities. Here are my top three go-to diet secrets for travel:

1. Always have snacks on hand.

Whenever I’m traveling, I make sure to pack protein bars and almonds. While some airports are amazing (love Real Food Daily at LAX!) others have very limited healthy options. And I too often succumb to the cheese plate when I’m on the airplane. So I try to have a few filling, healthier alternatives in my carry-on. I also keep them in my purse if I need a quick pick-me-up between meetings.

Before flights, I stop at Trader Joe’s to get travel-size raw, unsalted almonds. I also order protein bars by the bulk. My three favorites are ThinkThin “Brownie Crunch,” Luna Bar “Lemon Zest” and Larabar “Cherry Pie.”

2. Drinks daily vitamins.

I’m horrible about taking vitamins so my doctor recommended at the very least, to have a daily probiotic. The problem with probiotics is they shouldn’t be in heat. I packed my vitamins one time and had the worst stomachache after taking the tablet.

So when I’m traveling, I leave my probiotics in the fridge and instead use an effervescent supplement. There are a ton to choose from but ever since trying Berocca when I was in Australia I’m hooked! I brought back so many from Sydney but you can also find them online. You snap the vitamin in half, shake it in your water bottle and it instantly dissolves. It has caffeine in it too, which is great for a morning pick-me-up.

3. Add lemon to everything.

This is a trick I use at home, but it’s especially good for eating out. I love salad dressing, sauce, basically all the flavors that make a healthy meal fattening. So to trick my palette, I add lemon. When I order a salad, I’ll ask for light dressing and a side of lemons. The additional citrus makes it seem like there is more dressing, but you’re cutting your calories in half. I’ll also add lemon to veggies, fish, chicken, and, well, you get the point.

If it’s freezing in a restaurant, I’ll also order hot water with lemon. It helps your digestive system and is a healthier alternative to a third or fourth latte.

What are your diet secrets when traveling? I’d love to hear any tips you have! And let me know if you want to see more blog posts like these in future Ask Sydne columns!

Photo by Jodee Debes

Top: SheIn (on sale!)
Jeans: Forever 21
Bag: Charming Charlie (similar)
Shoes: Soludos
Watch: Swatch
iPhone case: Sonix
Bars: ThinkThin, Luna Bar, Larabar
Vitamins: Berocca
Nails: Essie “Tart Deco”