Travel Fit Tip: Eat Oatmeal for Breakfast

Oatmeal is an excellent choice for a healthy travel breakfast.

Any frequent traveler will tell you how difficult healthy travel can be. Between the constant meals out and lack of activity, business travel can quickly derail health goals. The good news is that healthy travel is possible with planning. Today, I want to shine a light on oatmeal, your soon to be preferred healthy travel breakfast choice!

Whether your hotel offers a buffet of tempting treats or a basic continental breakfast spread, nearly every hotel serves oatmeal. With cooler weather rolling in, it is a perfect time to incorporate oatmeal into your morning routine.  Oatmeal is nutrient rich and when made with water, a serving of oatmeal (1 cup cooked or 1/2 cup dry), has 150 calories. There are a lot of healthy things you can mix in with your oatmeal, including milk, protein powder, nut butter,  fresh fruit, and seeds. Oatmeal has many benefits that business travelers will appreciate.

See Related: Upgrade Your Hotel Breakfast with Mix-Ins

Stay Fuller Longer

Most business travelers have no idea what time lunch will be served. Thanks to the fiber in oatmeal, you will feel fuller, longer. A study conducted by the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that subjects who were given oatmeal reported feeling less hungry up to four hours later than subjects who were given cereal.

Eat Less Later in the Day

Another study found participants who consumed oatmeal for breakfast, ate less at lunch. Considering the average restaurant lunch clocks over 1,000 calories, eating less at lunch can make a major impact for those who dine out for lunch frequently.

Lower Your Cholesterol

A lot of data points to the unhealthy side effects of business travel, but one study reported extensive travelers are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Oatmeal’s famous health benefit is the proven ability to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. WebMD reported an average of 7% drop in LDL from regular oatmeal consumption due to the soluble fiber called beta glucan.

Keeps You Regular

An undiscussed side effect of frequent travel is constipation. Increasing your daily fiber consumption can naturally relieve constipation. One serving of oatmeal has 4g of fiber, 2g are insoluble. I will spare you the details, but in summary, increasing your fiber intake will reduce constipation. You can increase the fiber in your oatmeal by adding flax seeds, chia seeds, or fresh berries.

Easy to Find

Oatmeal is easy to find when you are traveling. If you skip breakfast at your hotel, you can find oatmeal at many coffee shops (including Starbucks) and even at some convenience stores. Oatmeal also travels well, you can easily pack oatmeal packets along for your trip and heat up in your hotel room.  If you find yourself in-flight during breakfast time, stop into Starbucks at the airport before your flight and request the oatmeal without water. When you are ready for breakfast, ask the flight attendant for hot water and mix it up.

What is your favorite healthy travel breakfast? Please comment below!