Tips for eating healthy during a long-distance move

Eating healthy during a long-distance move is something that is easier said than done. The fact of the matter is that your relocation is going to take up much of your time and energy and that you might not be in a position to prepare healthy meals throughout the process. Even if you hire one of the top rated moving companies to help you move, you will still have about a million small tasks to accomplish. That being said, if you are willing to make a few small adjustments, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have your cake and eat it, so to speak. How? Well, that is what you will find out in this article.

Eating healthy during a long-distance move 101

Undergoing a long-distance relocation requires a lot of energy. This is something that you might want to have in mind when planning your meals. It may be in your best interest to create a balanced meal plan, one that may be a bit “stronger” than what you’ve been used to until now. That said, you will still want to prepare accordingly. If you are moving with children, make sure to prepare your children for a move, as well. As for eating healthy while moving, here are the steps you might want to take:

1. Create a plan
2. Utilize the ingredients that you already have
3. Create a meal schedule in advance
4. Make sure to eat a well-rounded breakfast
5. Get a cooler
6. Ask your friends or family members for help
7. Balance is the key

As you might imagine, these things will take up a bit of your time. Therefore, it is important that you act accordingly and start with your preparations as soon as you can. With that in mind, let’s see what these steps entail.

A good plan can have you eating healthy during a long-distance move

Before you start packing, you will want to take some time to figure out your meals in advance. If you wait until the boxes are packed, chances are that you will have to resort to ordering food from a local joint. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it is not necessarily in your best interest. Instead, you will want to plan your packing process so you can cook meals in the middle of it.

Alternatively, you may want to plan to prepare some meals in advance and heat them up when you feel hungry. This will have the added effect of minimizing anxiety during a move, as you will know that you always have healthy food ready to go. If you find that you simply can’t afford to prepare the meals on your own, you might want to look into healthy restaurants that do food delivery. It might be a bit pricier, sure, but the added convenience is something that you might appreciate.

Planning your route

Depending on how you plan to travel to your new home, you might want to make additional preparations. If you are driving, for example, you will want to carefully plot your route, noting any restaurants and food joints along the way that can provide you with healthy meals. If you are flying to your new residence, take note of any restaurants that are in between the airport and your new home. You can, of course, eat at the airport, but that is a costly proposition.

Planning your route may take you quite a bit of time, however, so be prepared for it. Luckily, you can employ our 12 time-saving interstate moving tips to make up the difference. Time is your most valuable resource, and you will want to ensure that you are making the most of it. Speaking of using valuable resources:

You will want to make use of what you already have

If you are worried about eating healthy during a long-distance move, chances are that your pantry already has some healthy ingredients. What you want to do is use up all the ingredients that you already have. Get creative and make a unique recipe or three. In other words, go wild! The process of planning a nationwide family relocation is all about being creative and making the most use of things you already have. You can, of course, skip this part entirely and purchase everything you need, but that can be a big waste. Your pantry will need to be trimmed, anyway, so you might as well make the most use of it.

A meal schedule will help you stay organized

Even though long-distance relocations can get hectic, it is still possible to create a meal schedule and stick to it. Healthy eating is all about structure and discipline, after all. What you don’t want is to lose all the healthy routines just because the relocation is going on. Of course, you will be enticed to grab a snack or order some fast food instead of cooking a meal. However, if you have a strict meal plan, it will be much easier to resist that temptation.

The fact of the matter is that the more you think about meal plans and healthy eating, the easier it is to stay on course. If you think about your meals even when you are packing your home for relocation, you are on the right track. That being said, you don’t need to “overdo” it, either. The only thing you want to do is avoid having to make last-minute food decisions.

A well-rounded breakfast is extremely important

The best way to start your day is with a nutritious, healthy breakfast. Many people forget this fact and start working on their relocation tasks from the moment they get up. If you want to be eating healthy during a long-distance move, don’t be one of those people. You may also want to increase the calorie count of your breakfasts, as you will be moving around much more than you are normally used to. Eggs, whole-grain oatmeal, yogurt, and lean meat are all excellent additions to your breakfast.

By making sure that you eat a strong breakfast, you will minimize the risk of going extremely hungry throughout the day and help with the various mental challenges of moving. When we are hungry, we want to eat sugary and processed foods. And, as you already know, they are not exactly healthy.

Purchasing a cooler will allow you to bring more items with you

If you have a long trip to your new home ahead of you, you might want to consider purchasing a cooler. Most healthy ingredients require a cool temperature to stay fresh, after all. Your new cooler will allow you to bring anything you might need for a healthy meal during the trip. The longer the trip, the larger, the cooler you need. All in all, eating healthy during a long-distance move is a lot easier if you have one of these nifty items.

If you don’t have the time to prepare meals, ask for help!

Undergoing a long-distance relocation might mean that your time is extremely limited. You might find yourself in a situation where meal preparation is practically impossible. If that happens to be the case, you might want to lean into your social support system. Let your friends and family members know that you are concerned about eating healthy during a long-distance move, and they will most likely offer their assistance. They might be able to cook for you and bring you healthy meals right to your doorstep. As a bonus, you will get to spend more time with the people you love the most.

As with most things in life, balance is key

To be completely honest, it is extremely difficult to maintain your eating habits throughout the relocation process. Most of the time, you will need to make some sacrifices. And you know what? That is perfectly fine as long as you are striking a balance. If you happen to grab a bag of chips throughout the day, it is not the end of the world. However, that means that the rest of your meals need to be “extra healthy” to balance it out. The fact of the matter is that you will need calories. Chips might not be healthy if you eat them every single day, but they will provide you with a short-term calorie and mental boost. After all, a healthy diet can accommodate much more than water, fresh vegetables, and fish. If you strike a good balance, that is.

Overall, eating healthy during a long-distance move is all about planning, preparation, and discipline. The more you think about it, the easier it gets. As a last note, you will want to make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the process, particularly when you engage in strenuous physical activity. Don’t wait to get thirsty, either; take a sip whenever you can!

And if you want to make your relocation as easy as it can possibly be, refer to the Consumer Opinion Guide for tips, tricks, moving companies, and much more!