You’re excited about your upcoming vacation with friends and family, but there’s one thought that keeps nagging you: how to stay keto or low-carb while travelling?

Don’t fret; we’ve got your back. Here are a few tips to help you adhere to your healthy diet whether you’re on the road, in airports or exploring your destination’s local food scene (but, hey, if you indulge a bit while trying local food, that’s OK!).

1. Plan and scope your options ahead.

Don’t wait until your plane lands before scoping out keto-friendly or low-carb dining options in your destination. Instead, plan ahead—days before your flight. Go online to check out your hotel’s room service, nearby restaurants & local dining places.

Here are some things you can do while planning:

• Consider Airbnb instead of hotels: If you want to be strict with your diet while on vacation, you should consider booking an Airbnb place with a full kitchen instead of a hotel. That way, you can cook low-carb/keto meals for yourself. 

• Ask the hotel some food-related questions: Is your family set on staying in a hotel in Thailand or Mexico? Just ask the hotel if the room has a fridge to make it easy for you to store some keto meals from nearby restaurants. Also, see if the hotel’s breakfast menu includes eggs, bacon, sausage and other staples in a keto meal. Call ahead; it won’t take over ten minutes to know the answers.

• Survey local restaurants: There’s nothing like trying local food when you’re travelling. So don’t forget to check out the most popular local restaurants. See if their menus include steaks, seafood and other options good for keto. This is especially beneficial when you’re travelling to countries where rice, tortilla or other starchy food items are staples in every meal. 

2. Pack some low-carb snacks.

How about eating while waiting at the airport or on the road? You can’t rely on vending machines and airport shops to have keto-friendly offerings. So it’s best to pack some low-carb snacks. Put almond nuts, pistachios &walnuts in a sealed bag. You can also bring your favourite keto cookies or low-carb crackers. These snacks are enough to tide you over until you can eat a veggie & protein-packed meal. 

3. Tell your server you’re on keto.

Dining out during a vacation is a rewarding experience. You get to sample the local cuisine while getting a glimpse of the place’s culture and traditions. But then again, you might feel anxious once you see the menu is different from what you saw online. 

Don’t be shy to tell your server you’re on a keto or low-carb diet. They will likely help steer you towards the appropriate dishes. Keto diets have become popular in recent years, so you’re probably not the first customer to ask for keto accommodations in that restaurant. And if the server happens to be unaware of it, just ask if it’s possible to remove sugar, starchy items & other keto no-nos from the dish you’ve ordered. 

4. Make conscious choices.

Travelling is a good opportunity to try new food. So don’t feel guilty if you do indulge a bit. Just make sure to pay attention to serving sizes and portion control, so when you do deviate from your diet, you won’t completely jeopardise your health goals.

For instance, if you want to try different arepas on your second day in Colombia, plan not to have other starchy or high-carb items for the rest of the day. That way, you can allocate your carb intake and keep it under the daily limit of a typical low-carb diet (around 50 grams) or keto diet (around 25 grams).