Waisting Away: Dietary Tips for Traveling Light

Long-distance travel can be tough on the waistline. Junk food seems to call out from airport vending machines. Meals eaten aloft are mistakenly considered pass-the-time snacks. In the hotel room, the mini-bar beckons.

Some seasoned travelers, however, face these temptations and win. Edith Howard Hogan traveled 100,000 miles last year--and her weight fluctuated only five pounds. The slender dietitian, who has a private practice in Washington, D.C., has mastered some simple techniques that can be easily learned. Weight-conscious travelers can also expect more help from hotels and airlines, which are slimming down their menus more than ever.

When Hogan was stranded over Thanksgiving weekend at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, she turned to the snack pack she always takes along. Filled with dried apricots, bagel bits and small apples, it kept her away from the hot dogs, ice cream and other high-calorie, high-fat fare offered at the airport eateries. She not only reduced calories but also avoided long lines.

Water is a vital part of her pack, too. “It can keep you away from unhealthy soft drinks,” she said. It can also make you feel better by keeping you hydrated.

Frequent travelers who keep a toiletry bag ready for last-minute trips should also keep packed a “survival kit” of non-perishable foods, advised Evelyn Tribole, an Irvine dietitian and author of “Eating on the Run” (Leisure Press, 1992). “Pack instant bean soup, dried fruits like raisins, energy bars and mini boxes of cereal,” she suggested. “If you get caught at an airport, you have nutritious food.”

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If you arrive at your hotel ravenous and find its restaurant closed and your snack pack empty, walk to a nearby grocery and buy something fresh and healthy, Hogan suggested: “Or order room service.” It costs a little more, but might be worth it, she said. Many hotels have nutritious breakfast foods available round-the-clock on the room-service menu. If you eat a big meal at night, go for a walk later, Hogan suggested, even if it’s a leisurely stroll around the hotel corridors. Or check out the hotel fitness center.

“Boredom during travel invites eating,” added Sachiko St. Jeor, professor and director of the Nutrition Education and Research Program at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno. She tells travelers to “disassociate” boredom and eating. “If you are not traveling longer than three or four hours, you probably don’t need a snack,” she added.

Being health-conscious doesn’t mean missing out on regional food favorites, Hogan said. With some ingenuity, you can enjoy the most nutritious of regional favorites, capturing the flavor of the city without overindulging. “In New Orleans, try beans and rice,” she suggested. “In the Midwest, you can ask for lean cuts of beef. You don’t have to get the 16-ounce steak.” In San Francisco, try Chinese food, being careful to eat more steamed rice than other foods.

“Detroit has a large Greek community,” Hogan added. “Try roast lamb and rice.” If you’re in an Italian community, get pasta with red sauce, generally much lower-fat than cheese or cream sauces.

More hotels are defatting their menus. Last year, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts launched its Cuisine Naturelle menus after test-marketing showed great demand for the low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-sodium foods. More than 80 items are on the menu, including specially prepared pizza and apple strudel.

Hilton Hotels is testing Weight Watchers’ foods at six hotels, according to Susan Whyte Simon, a spokeswoman, and might expand the program to additional hotels. Hilton also offers “Fitness First” lower-calorie menu choices in about 100 of its hotels.

A new breakfast menu is being phased in at Marriott Hotels, said spokesman Gordon Lambourne, with items such as whole-wheat pancakes that are lower in calories and fat than some traditional breakfast foods. More nutritional information than ever is included on menus, he said. And the hotel mini-bars now include more healthy choices. Besides the usual chips and sodas, there is also light popcorn, spring water and bagel chips.

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Some airlines have reduced the advance notice required for ordering a special meal. At USAir, for instance, passengers can request special meals with just six hours’ notice instead of the previous 24, said Susan Young, a spokeswoman. “We’ve gone, as society has in recent years, to more ‘heart-healthy’ meals,” Young said. “We’re serving more chicken and more fish. Vegetarian is our most popular special meal.” Other options include the fruit plate, low-fat/low cholesterol, low-calorie and seafood meals.

There are still other ways to avoid weight gain during long-distance travel, according to the American Dietetic Assn.:

* Don’t eat in the car while driving; calories can rack up quickly. Save snacks for rest breaks.

* Take along something to keep your mind off food: a crossword puzzle, audio book or stitchery.

* Skip the airline meal if you know you’ll eat dinner soon after landing.

* Consider certain words on a menu “red flags”: buttered, creamed, bearnaise, au lait , crispy, a la mode, deep fried, hollandaise and prime.

* If a restaurant menu does not specify healthy choices, make your meal more nutritious by asking for sauce on the side or for grilled meat, not fried.

Of course, hotels, restaurants and airlines can only do so much in helping guests maintain weight. So far, no one’s come up with a way to quash that “I’m on vacation, I deserve a treat” mind-set. In fact, one Hilton survey found that people who chose Fitness First entrees often wound up ordering dessert, said Simon.

The American Dietetic Assn. offers a free brochure--”Traveling Lite: A Traveler’s Guide to Healthful Eating.” For a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped business-sized envelope to ADA, National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics, Traveling Lite, 216 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Ill. 60606-6995.

The Healthy Traveler appears the second and fourth week of every month.