A PCOS meal plan, so you can go on the road without going off plan.
It is REALLY hard to lose weight if you have insulin resistance / PCOS. Eating low-GI foods at a deficit and working out 5-6 days a week can equate to between half a pound and two pounds per week if you work it with absolute hardcore focus. It is slow-going to say the least and there is zero room for error. So, when you have a trip or vacation on the horizon and you don’t want to sacrifice the 2.5lbs you killed yourself to lose over the last friggin’ month, you need a PCOS Meal Plan for travel.
Don’t hope gas stations or airports will have healthy snacks. They won’t. Don’t assume the hotel breakfast will have a good source of protein. It won’t. Don’t count on your willpower to resist eating chips and candy with your partner or family if you don’t have an alternative. You won’t.
Plan to take your food as though every meal offered will be nutritional garbage. Then with backups in hand, if you find fresh, healthy alternatives en route, count them as a bonus and enjoy.
So, firstly, what is on plan? On the ‘We the PCOS Nutrition’ program, ‘on plan’ means we are eating in a calorie deficit while getting plenty of protein. You can review our proposed calorie and protein allowance here: How to Structure your Meals for PCOS Weight Loss.
PCOS Meal Plan Meals
Many states in the US and abroad offer a healthy food delivery service. You can order ahead and have healthy meals waiting at the hotel when you arrive to stash in your room’s fridge. Google these companies. They don’t deliver everywhere. Also, check to be sure your hotel has a fridge. If it doesn’t, request one. Many hotels will provide this. Not so much in Europe.
Don’t have access to a healthy meal service or would rather not use one? No problem. Pack your snacks for the trip, then hit the local grocery store as soon as you arrive in town and stock up on healthy meats, veggies, etc.
No time for the grocery store? A little planning will do the trick.
Breakfast:
Make protein pancakes (oat bran, protein powder, egg whites, etc.) ahead of your trip and pack them in your cooler bag. Eat them cold on the road or warm them up in the microwave once you arrive for high-protein breakfasts.
Pre-mix 100 g oat bran w a scoop of protein powder in Ziplock baggies. Carry a bowl and spoon, then all you need to find is some hot water and breakfast is ready.
Protein shake
Pour a scoop or two of protein powder into your shaker, then all you have to find is some water, almond milk, or skim / lowfat milk (if you aren’t sensitive) and you can have a meal in a few shakes. This is also great for meal replacement if needed.
Coffee
Some women are sensitive to caffeine, so adjust as needed. While traveling, you don’t want to increase your number of pit stops, so it might be an idea to substitute your typical coffee or cappuccino with an espresso. Carry a little stevia or erythritol with you to sweeten it. Add a small splash of cream if you don’t like it black and aren’t sensitive to dairy.
Or, if you’re not worried about pit stops and you want to up your protein game, pour your gas station black coffee into a shaker, add almond milk and a scoop of protein powder and voila! You have flavored protein coffee. For best results, shake the protein powder with your almond milk first, then add the coffee. Bring along a little stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit powder for sweetening.
Proteins for lunch & dinner:
Proteins are the hardest foods to find on the road. Good quality, lean protein, that is. Here are some go-to ideas to keep your daily protein count up to snuff.
Meat
Pre-cook chicken breast or other lean meats and carry them with you in a cooler bag. Is your travel time quite long? You can pre-cook and freeze chicken breasts and other lean meats, pack them in your cooler bag and they will be defrosted, but fresh when you arrive. Or just bring them chilled and eat anywhere.
Canned tuna
Canned tuna is perfect for traveling. Take easy-open cans and a fork and you’re good to go. Not a tuna-straight-from-the-can eater. No worries. Bring a plastic container for mixing and yogurt, guacamole, or light mayo + any seasonings already pre-mixed.
Hard-boiled egg whites
Boil them in advance, chill, and pack them in your cooler bag to eat on the road. (Bring zip-lock bags to dispose of the yolks.)
Jerky or Biltong
There are very lean options out there. Watch out for added sugar and fat content. This is a super-easy snack to pack and take along.
Protein yogurt
Get some plain, fat-free yogurt and mix it together with protein powder and whatever other flavoring you like – berries, stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. Pack them up in plastic containers, chill, then carry them in your cooler bag.
Protein bars
We aren’t big fans of protein bars. They usually have lots of extra ingredients, processed crap, and hidden sugars that make them the equivalent of candy bars. But if you can find some with very few ingredients and less crap, these could be an option.
Veggies:
Restaurant vegetable servings are always too small, and almost always butter-laden. Try to keep your veggie consumption high when you travel by snacking on fresh vegetables or microwaving them in your hotel room if you prefer. Between fruits and vegetables, veggies are better to fill up on. Go big on veggies.
Good travel options
• Red, green, orange, and yellow bell peppers
• Snap peas
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Celery
If you want to have cooked veggies in your room, a frozen bag of vegetables packed in your cooler bag could be a great idea. If snacking on raw veggies is not your thing, consider bringing along some healthy dippers. Just track the calories they add.
Dippers
• Yogurt-based ranch dressing
• Guacamole
• Hummus
• Nut butter
Fruits
Vegetables are preferred as snacks to fruits. But fruits are preferred to junk food. You can have any fruit you wish, of course. But some fruits are easier to eat in the car than others. Consider what is least messy and what will or won’t stain your clothes if you drop it. Some of our favorites:
• Clementines
• Apples
• Yellow Cherries
Fats & Higher Calorie Snacks
If you see traveling as a chance to treat yourself and eating healthy sounds like torture, you can add a few treats to your plan. Just keep serving size in check so you don’t completely wreck your calorie and protein counts for the day. Better for you to eat these better foods than clean out the gas station candy bar aisle.
• Almonds
• String cheese
• Pre-popped light popcorn
• Dark, stevia-sweetened chocolate
• Home-made cookies or brownies made with erythritol & other healthy ingredients
Don’t forget your PCOS Meal Plan Supplements
Pill holders are cheap and widely available online and in drugstores. We like the ones with dividers so you can categorize your AM and PM vitamins. Handy.
We wish you every nutritional success with your next road trip! You can do it. Plan for the worst and celebrate every little win. Even if you’re not perfect you can minimize the health effect trips take. Bon voyage!
More PCOS Help
Need some PCOS-friendly recipes for your destination? Have a look-see at our Recipes. Want to get an exhaustive list of individual foods that promote fat loss with PCOS and make your own travel snacks? Take a look at our PCOS-friendly food lists.
Check out our YouTube Channel for supportive videos weekly on PCOS Nutrition, PCOS Inspiration, PCOS Training, PCOS Mental Health, and PCOS Accountability.