Is this you? Early morning, you’re at the airport, heading to your gate. Along the way, you stop for a caramel mocha Frappuccino blended coffee (with whipped cream) and a caramel pecan sticky roll.

It’s noon: You’re at your destination and between appointments you wheel your rental car to the drive up window at a popular burger place. In minutes you and your grab-and-go lunch are on the road. At the end of the day, you’re beat and you don’t feel like going to a restaurant or calling room service. You raid the hotel room mini-bar for a processed cheese-and-cracker snack pack, a bag of peanuts, a couple beers, and some chewy chocolate caramels for dessert.

If this is your typical on-the-road lifestyle, it’s time to seriously consider what it’s doing to your health. For starters, you can:

1. Calculate the nutritional value of the foods you eat now.
2. Know which airports have the healthiest foods.
3. Carry an emergency food stash.
4. Plan client meetings at restaurants that feature healthy fare.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tally the calories in your favorite foods

Better sit down; this will probably shock you. A quick burger-and-fries lunch with a shake can add over 1,300 fat-packed calories to the ledger. Even an innocent-looking salad can sink a fitness program. It’s better to know what’s lurking in there BEFORE you order it.

I recommend: List the items in your typical on-the-road meal and then check the nutritional information charts at Calorie King, touted by some as the best calorie database on the internet. At McDonald’s “Bag a Meal” site for example, you can fill a “cyber bag” with your favorite selections then calculate the various nutritional values.

Look for healthy restaurant options at airports

Let’s face it. With all the flight delays and cancellations, airports are becoming like second homes to many business travelers. Surprisingly, some airports have made an effort to offer healthier fare.

I recommend: Review best-to-worst airport restaurant rankings. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine which annually ranks the busiest U.S airports finds most have made improvements on the healthy food front. Here’s a sneak peek: Chicago O’Hare is currently at the top of the list and Las Vegas McCarran continues to be firmly planted at the bottom. Peruse available restaurants at these airport websites so you can make informed choices before you travel.

Schedule client meetings at restaurants with healthful menus

Packing in heavy fare at lunch or dinner is a surefire way to lose your sharp mental edge at a time when you need it most. To stay on top when you’re working to seal a deal, ease up on the calories and look for menu items tagged “lo-cal” and “heart healthy.”

I recommend: Check out Diet Facts for a lengthy list of popular chain restaurants and their menu items. It can be an eye-opener.

Carry an emergency snack pack

One thing is certain about business travel: nothing is certain. Flight delays, schedule changes, meetings that run long, meetings that don’t happen at all---it’s all part of a typical business trip. Don’t get caught with a tummy screaming “feed me!” when there’s no food in sight.

I recommend: Fill a few zip-top bags with healthy snacks to help tide you over when you’re stranded or need a quick energy boost. Check out Snacks for Life for product ideas. It’s not terribly elegant, but turkey jerky is a low fat snack that’s highly transportable. Buy trail mix in bulk and parcel into packets as needed.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Dehydration, like heavy foods, can slow you down mentally. To top off your tank, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
• •  The airlines did travelers a favor when they eliminated high calorie, high fat onboard meals. If you carry food onboard with you when you fly, make sure it’s the healthy variety.
• •  When airport fast food is all that’s available, keep the grilled chicken breast, toss the bun and take a pass on the fries.
• •  If you’re a diehard meat-eater, try vegetarian-only at least one meal a week.