How to eat well & save money while travelling?

I think now every human reading this blog knows; I’m a serious foodie. Indeed, I take this passion I have for food along with me when I travel. So, when I was looking for a place to stay in Dominican Republic over the summer, I knew I wanted one thing for sure: a proper kitchen. I have found a little, lovely studio with a nice kitchen, and even though it was a little bit more expensive than some other units on AirBnb, I decided that I would rather pay more there and eat less in restaurants. Indeed, this allows for budget conscious travels but also clean and healthy eating. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat in restaurants now and then, but maybe once a week, just like I would back home.

Step 1: How to eat cheap and clean in Airports?

Let’s start from the beginning. If you are a budget conscious traveler, it means you get the cheaper flights, and with cheaper fights often comes long layovers. Has it ever annoyed you to pay for expensive and often unhealthy food at the airport while you travel on layovers? Well, planning to bring to healthy and hearty snacks in your carry-on can save you some money. Indeed, there is certainly some food you can grab in your pantry or at the grocery store before you head to the airport, here are a few ideas.

Any consistent granola bars (Cliff, Nature Valley, Kashi, etc.)
Nuts. Simply.
Dried fruits.
Real fruits such as bananas and apples.
A Ziploc full of veggies.

Step 2: How to eat clean and healthy while travelling?

(No diets! Don’t worry!)

Now, I totally understand that nobody wants to be on a diet while travelling, I don’t either. What I am talking about here is just a few simple rules to follow everyday regarding the food intake. First, it will keep you healthy, fit and feeling good while you travel. Second, it will insure you don’t gain so many pounds that you need to spend 6 months in the gym when you return home. Thirdly, it saves you money!

Eat real food. Do I need to say anything more here?
Simply watch your portions, eat reasonably.
Avoid the liquid calories. No, you don’t need beers everyday while backpacking in South East Asia for 30 days.
Try to have detoxifying drinks now and then, or every day! Try adding lime, lemons, ginger, turmeric, etc., to your water or to your tea.
If you have access to cooking facilities, use them! It doesn’t have to be complicated and overwhelming, but it’s the occasion to cook some greens, or any veggies, and fuel on the good nutrients and vitamins.
Drink water. Plenty of it… and more! This is important as we may not notice it, but we tend to walk more while traveling, and even more while backpacking. The water intake is crucial as it keeps you hydrated, and it stimulates your digestion and metabolism, which helps the body process food and stay healthy.

Step 3 : eat local food. Simply know how to clean it.

This can be tricky in some countries to eat local, and especially when it comes to fruits and veggies. Indeed, we often get scared of bacteria or bugs we could catch when eating any fruit or vegetables with thin skin. BUT, all this food we are afraid of eating is often what would keep our diet fresh and clean while on the road… so there’s must be a way around it, right?

It’s one of the first rule of traveling third world countries that I was ever taught: if you don’t have to peel it to eat it raw, don’t eat it. But, to be honest, I have broken this rule so many times. Who can say no to a delicious starfruit while traveling in Mexico, the Caribbean or South America? Not me! Plus, kale, spinach and green vegetables are the base of my food intake, so I had to figure a way to eat them no matter where. Of course, I always minimize the risk as much as I can, and I believe it works since I’m not sick very often on the road (touching some wood now!).

Here are a few useful tips to clean fruit and veggies on the road:

Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to treat the veggies and fruits before you peel or eat them. Vinegar also does the trick. Let’s say, 1 tablespoon of chlorine in a purified water gallon, let the veggies soak in and then rinse in another bowl of purified water (with nothing added to it).
I’ve heard of this one on this current trip in Dominican Republic. Purified water + vinegar, pretty much half/half in a little spray bottle that you can get at the dollar store. Keep that with you, spray your apples, grapes, carrots, and everything you’d like to eat raw.
There’s a pre-made spray some people have mentioned but I can’t manage to get the name of it or find it. Maybe I’ll have more luck on my next trip!
Do you have and tips on this? We’ll never have enough! Any experience with Tea Three Oil (melaleuca oil) maybe? Please comment below!