Travelling and eating well away from home

An athlete's nutrition plan works at home, where the kitchen and the shops are known.

Away from home it becomes the main practical problem, and it is more consequential than most of the fine detail people worry about.

Before you go

Research the destination. What is available, what the local cuisine offers, whether there are shops near the accommodation.

Most cuisines have substantial plant-based traditions, particularly where meat was historically expensive. Knowing three dish names solves most meals.

Book accommodation with a kitchen where possible. This single decision removes most of the difficulty, particularly for longer trips and competitions.

Learn the phrases, specifically. "No meat" is frequently understood to exclude only red meat. Being specific about fish, eggs, dairy and stock matters.

Contact the venue or team caterer in advance. Catering at events can generally accommodate requirements with notice and cannot improvise on the day.

Do this weeks ahead, not on arrival.

What to pack

The single most useful preparation.

Protein powder, which travels well and solves the protein problem anywhere with water.

Pack it in a labelled container. Powders in unlabelled bags attract attention at borders.

Oat sachets, which need only hot water and provide a reliable breakfast.

Nuts, seeds and nut butter sachets.

Dried fruit and bars.

Your usual sports nutrition products, since local equivalents may not be available or may contain animal-derived ingredients.

Supplements, in original containers, and check the rules for the destination — some supplements are restricted in some countries.

Electrolyte tablets, particularly for hot destinations.

A flask or shaker.

Between them, this covers breakfast, recovery and snacks anywhere, which is most of the risk.

On arrival

Find a supermarket immediately. The first task, before anything else.

Buy: fruit, bread, nut butter, tinned legumes if you have a tin opener, soy milk or yoghurt, and whatever is easy.

Having food in the room removes the situation where you are hungry at ten at night with nothing open.

Identify one reliable restaurant near the accommodation and use it repeatedly rather than exploring before a competition.

Novelty is for after the event.

The competition-specific points

Nothing new. The rule applies with more force away from home, where the temptation and the necessity to improvise are both greater.

Bring your own breakfast for the morning of the event. Hotel breakfasts are unreliable in timing, in what is available, and in whether they open early enough.

Reduce fibre in the days before, which is easier when travelling than at home since local food is frequently lower in fibre anyway.

Be careful about food safety. Gastrointestinal illness before a competition is a common and avoidable disaster.

In higher-risk destinations: bottled water, avoid raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit, avoid ice, eat food that is freshly cooked and hot, and be cautious with anything that has been sitting.

Hydration during travel, particularly on flights, where the cabin environment is dehydrating.

Time zones

Adopt local meal times immediately on arrival, which helps with circadian adjustment.

Light exposure is the strongest signal for adjustment and is worth managing deliberately.

Expect appetite to be disrupted for a day or two, and eat on a schedule rather than by appetite during that period.

The training camp problem

Extended periods away with high training volume and catered food.

What helps: speaking to the caterer at the outset, not during; being specific about quantities as well as content, since portion sizes for athletes are frequently underestimated; supplementing with your own food; and monitoring weight, since unintentional loss during a camp is common.

Athletes on plant-based diets at camps frequently receive the same salad every day. Raising it early and specifically, with examples of what would work, is far more effective than complaining later.

The practical minimum

If you do nothing else:

Pack protein powder, oats and nuts. Find a shop on arrival. Bring your own breakfast for competition morning. Do not try anything new.

That covers most of the risk, and the rest is manageable.

General information rather than individual advice. Athletes should work with a sports dietitian, and should check supplement regulations for destination countries.