How to Eat Healthy On the Go​

This isn’t a list of menu items or a rating of restaurants in which one is healthier than another. In fact, “healthy” fast food is a misnomer. Rather, consider this a guide to maintaining bariatric-friendly eating habits when your normal routine gets disrupted and forgiving yourself when you do give into temptation.

Traveling for work, heading out on a road trip, running errands all day, or simply finding yourself away from home longer than expected can present a challenge when you’re trying to stick with a bariatric diet – convenience foods are everywhere.

You’ve worked hard to build healthy habits, diligently making better choices that provide the protein, nutrients, and hydration your body needs. Grabbing something quick that you wouldn’t otherwise eat isn’t a step backward and you aren’t abandoning your nutrition goals. Life doesn’t always happen according to your meal plan, and there will be times when you need to make food choices without your usual kitchen or prepared meals nearby.

Making Healthy “Fast Food” Choices

The same priorities that guide your meals at home should guide your choices on the road – start with protein, keep portions reasonable, and look for foods that have been grilled, baked, or roasted rather than fried. Keep it simple and try not to crowd out the nutrients your body needs most with sugary beverages or refined carbohydrates.

When your options are limited, think about what you’re ordering rather than where you’re eating. Grilled chicken sandwiches can be ordered without the bun, burgers can be wrapped in lettuce instead of bread, and salads can be satisfying when topped with lean protein and dressing in moderation. If breakfast is still being served, check out that menu also because of the eggs or other lean protein sources.

You also don’t have to eat something the way it’s served! You’re allowed to take away the bread, scrape off the condiments, ask for a fork to slow down your bites, or eat the protein first and leave the rest if you’re full.

A Note About Ultra-Processed Foods

“Processed food” gets a bad reputation, but processing itself isn’t the problem. Many nutritious foods undergo some form of processing before they reach your plate. Frozen vegetables, plain Greek yogurt, canned beans, and even bagged salads are all processed to some degree.

Ultra-processed foods have been processed to the point that their natural state is no longer recognizable. They contain combinations of refined grains, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and industrial ingredients like emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and preservatives that enhance flavor, texture, and shelf life. A simple example would be the difference between a potato and potato chips.

Ultra-processed foods also include candy, packaged cookies and pastries, sugary breakfast cereals, instant noodles, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, frozen entrées, and soft drinks. Sometimes the difference isn’t as obvious, like a blueberry (whole food) versus imitation blueberries found in many commercial baked goods, which are made from a mix of sugar, corn syrup, oils, and artificial dyes (ultra-processed). Engineered to be highly palatable, they’re easy to eat quickly and in large amounts and provide relatively little protein, fiber, or nutrients.

When you’re faced with difficult food choices, try to distinguish between ultra-processed convenience foods that are nutritional liabilities and ultra-processed foods intentionally formulated to meet a medical or nutritional need. Protein shakes are a good example of an ultra-processed food item that can actually be good for you. Especially right after surgery, they’re helpful for meeting daily protein goals when whole foods aren’t practical. The difference is that these products are being used intentionally to support your nutrition, not as the foundation of your diet.

An interesting study is worth mentioning here. Participants who followed a diet of minimally processed foods lost almost twice as much weight as the other participants who followed an ultra-processed diet, even though both diets met healthy eating guidelines. The study wasn’t comparing “junk food versus healthy food;” researchers purposely crafted diets in both groups that would meet basic nutritional needs. The findings suggest that how a food is processed may influence health and weight loss beyond calories and macronutrients alone.1

oSometimes you don’t have the best options available, but you can make the best choice you can with what’s in front of you. The path to sustainable habits is more about making thoughtful choices.

What to Grab When You’re Away From Home

Preparation is going to be a big help, and keeping a few bariatric-friendly staples on hand prevents making decisions based solely on convenience or hunger. Protein shakes and bars, nuts, or jerky are good go-to portable snacks.

When you’re at a restaurant, keep an eye on portions or ask your server before ordering how big the plate is going to be — meals are usually large enough for two or more servings! Consider ordering from the appetizer menu, splitting an entrée with a travel companion, or boxing up part of your meal before you begin eating. Slow down, eat mindfully, and stop when you’re comfortably satisfied rather than feeling obligated to finish everything on your plate.

You also aren’t limited to eating at restaurants when you’re out and about. Gas stations and airport terminals have come a long way and many have more nutritious options than they once did. Just be sure to stay out of the candy aisle and choose water or other low-calorie, sugar-free beverages.

If you know you’ll be traveling or away from home for a while, take a few minutes to check restaurant menus, pack a small cooler for longer road trips, or toss a protein shake into your bag before running errands. And when you find yourself empty-handed and hungry, give yourself the flexibility to adapt when life doesn’t go as expected.

At Bariatric Specialists of the Carolinas, patients have access to bariatric surgeons with a combined 50 years of experience in weight loss surgery. Having performed thousands of bariatric procedures and pioneered numerous surgical firsts in North Carolina, the practice provides patients with comprehensive support and a team of registered dietitians and specialized nurses.

1. Dicken, S. J., Jassil, F. C., Brown, A., Kalis, M., Stanley, C., Ranson, C., Ruwona, T., Qamar, S., Buck, C., Mallik, R., Hamid, N., Bird, J. M., Brown, A., Norton, B., Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, C. A. M., Hamer, M., van Tulleken, C., Hall, K. D., Fisher, A., … Batterham, R. L. (2025). Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: A randomized, crossover trial. Nature Medicine, 31. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03842-0.