Traveling while following a therapeutic diet, such as the Wahls Protocol or Autoimmune Protocol, can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. 

In fact, sticking to your therapeutic diet is crucial to maintaining your health and energy levels while on the go. 

So, how do you travel while staying compliant with your dietary restrictions? 

Allow me to be your “tour guide” on how to follow the Wahls Protocol while traveling. 

Planning Your Travels on the Wahls Protocol

Don’t leave your travel plans to chance. You need to have a plan to ensure you have access to the right foods while on the road. Some factors to consider when planning your travels include lodging options and communication with family and friends about the importance of sticking to your therapeutic diet.

Kitchen-Friendly Lodging

Choose a hotel with a kitchen or mini-fridge, an Airbnb with a kitchen, or a campground with an electrical hookup. This way, you can cook and store your own food, giving you greater control over your meals.

COMMUNICATE

Don’t assume that your travel companions understand the importance of your dietary restrictions. Communicate with them beforehand and set expectations. This diet is part of your medicine to manage your health, so just as you wouldn’t stop taking a prescription medication on vacation, you shouldn’t stray from your therapeutic diet.

PRE-TRAVEL TIMELINE

Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for your trip. Plan ahead and space out the preparations to avoid stress, which can exacerbate symptoms. Here’s a timeline to help you prepare for your travels:

2 Weeks Prior

• Prepare a meal that you can freeze to bring with you in a cooler or have available in your home freezer when you return from your trip.
  
• Schedule any appointments for this week, so you can have a lighter schedule the week before your trip.
  
• Confirm all your reservations and note all confirmation details in one place

1 Week Prior

• Refill any prescriptions or supplements you may need.
  
• Stay on top of laundry and start setting aside clothes to pack. 

2 Days Prior

• Hydrate well. We tend to not drink as much on travel days, which can contribute to fatigue and constipation – neither which are great travel buddies! So, get ahead of this by hydrating well the two days before you leave and when you’re still close to your home bathroom.
  
• Prioritize sleep. The night before you travel you may have some extra excitement or nerves that can impact your sleep, so focus on a good night’s rest two nights prior to your departure.   

1 Day Prior

• Make a checklist of items to pack, including:
  • Prescriptions
  • Supplements
  • Meals/snacks
  • Water bottle
  • Travel tools (see below)
  • Any medical notes you may need.

Travel Tools

There are a quite a few travel tools that can help you maximize your food options on the road.

• Hot Logic Portable Oven
• Mini Slow Cooker
• Portable Wireless Blender
• Pill Organizer
• Instant Ice Packs (these are more for managing heat sensitivity)
• Water Bottle
  

Travel Meals & Snacks

Figuring out what to eat for an actual meal can be a little tricky whether you’re on a road trip, at a hotel, flying or camping.

Here are some great options to consider packing.

Packable Meals

• Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go (Savory chicken is my favorite)
• Wild Zora Instant Grain-Free Hot Cereal
• Soup in a thermos
• Salads in a Stasher, Ziploc bag or a travel salad container

Packable Snacks

• Paleovalley beef or turkey sticks (I LOVE these!)
• Mushroom jerky
• Bag of nuts
• Apple & individual nut butter pack
• Baby carrots & individual guacamole packs
• Cabbage (Dr. Wahls’ favorite travel sulfur snack)
• Bare Coconut chips
• Homemade energy bites
• Coconut rolled dates

Packable Beverages

• Herbal tea with individual collagen peptide pack
• Paleovalley organic supergreen powder in water
• Smoothie with your portable blender

How can you use these snacks for a full day of food?

Sample Menu

Breakfast
Smoothie with portable blender or
Wild Zora hot cereal and Paleovalley supergreens drink

Snack
Carrots & guacamole pack

Lunch
Travel salad with Paleovalley turkey stick or canned salmon

Snack
Apple & nut butter

Dinner
Wild Zora Savory Chicken Meal-to-Go
Berries for dessert

Snack
Coconut chips

Traveling with food restrictions is possible. It just takes some planning.

My hope is that the information in this post helps you to book your next trip with confidence!

What do you find to be your best travel tips while following a therapeutic diet?

Please share below!