For the past almost two months, my husband and I (and our dog) have been living in a hotel. We PCS’d (military speak for moved) from Germany to California at the end of October. Unfortunately, the wait time for military housing has been quite long. This happens sometimes in military life, and it can be a bit challenging!
However, just because you’re living in a hotel for awhile doesn’t mean you need to turn to unhealthy eating habits. In this post I’m sharing my tips for sticking to healthy eating habits and nutrition. While things may not be perfect, you’ll be doing much better than ordering delivery pizza or grabbing fast food every night. (Though there’s no shame if you do those things on rare occasions!)
Have a Kitchenette
My first tip is to ensure your hotel room has a kitchenette. If you’re staying in military lodging like the Army IHG or Navy Lodge (we’ve used both), most likely this will be easy to procure. Normally a kitchenette will have:
- 2-burner stove
- Microwave
- Basic pots, pans, and cooking utensils for stovetop cooking
- Can opener
- Tableware and flatware
- A couple knives (sharpness is questionable so I always bring my own) and cutting board
- Sink with sponge or rag and bottle of dish soap, towel, and drying rack
- Toaster
- Coffee maker
- Smaller sized refrigerator and freezer
The Army Lodge in Wiesbaden, Germany even had a small dishwasher! A kitchenette will allow you to have more healthy choices at your fingertips. Rather than just heating things up in a microwave, you’ll be able to do simple cooking and store perishable foods.
Explore Your Grocery Options
One of the first things I love doing in a new place is explore the local grocery stores and finding where the healthy options are. We are fortunate that right here in Monterey we have both a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe’s! The regular grocery stores here at Safeway and Lucky, and there’s a Costco. Plus, in the area there is at least one farmers market every single day of the week! Another health store favorite of mine is Sprouts (though we don’t have that.)
I do recommend getting a Costco membership if you have one nearby because the savings on food and other products is totally worth the fee! They have so many healthy and organic options that might not be as affordable at other stores.
Stock Up on Healthy Staples
Now that you’ve re-conned the local grocery options, it’s time to load up on healthy staples! The amount you get will depend on your family size. But even if it’s just you and your husband, Costco is still a great option. (Maybe I will do a dedicated post just on Costco in the future! I love that place.)
What are some things to have on hand? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Organic or grain-free granola
- Plain organic yogurt
- Plain instant oatmeal packs
- Birch Benders Paleo pancake mix
- Frozen breakfast sausage
- Free-range eggs
- Organic or nitrate-free deli meat
- Gluten-free jerky
- Organic cheese
- Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and/or Kerrygold butter
- Frozen organic berries
- Frozen mixed vegetables, spinach, or broccoli
- Frozen cooked chicken strips
- Frozen cooked gluten-free meatballs
- Frozen hamburger patties
- Marinara sauce
- Chicken bone broth and/or organic canned soup
- Nuts and seeds
- Organic popcorn kernels (make stovetop popcorn with coconut oil!)
- Dried, unsweetened fruit
- Simple Mills almond flour crackers
- Baby carrots or other snackable veggies
- Hummus and guacamole
- Fresh fruit
- Raw honey
- A few versatile spices like: Italian seasoning, cinnamon, onion and garlic powders
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Organic dark chocolate (you gotta have something sweet!)
I have most of these items in our kitchenette and you can do a lot with just these things!
How to Make Eating Out More Affordable
Now, even if you do have a stocked kitchenette, you probably aren’t going to feel like cooking a meal every single night. I certainly haven’t! It still isn’t easy cooking meals in a tiny, 2-burner kitchenette. I do eat breakfast and most lunches in the hotel, but oftentimes it’s nice to go out to eat for dinner.
I have a few tricks to keep eating out both healthier and more affordable. My first tip is to eat dinner during happy hour! Many restaurants have a cheaper listing of offerings usually between 3:00 and 6:00pm. Sometimes we even eat dinner around 4 or 4:30pm and then do snacky stuff in the later evening. But even if you don’t go to dinner during happy hour, there are economical options to choose from.
Another tip is to sign up for every restaurant’s rewards program AND their email list. Some places are generous with their coupons, and if you frequent a place you can rack up the rewards pretty quickly. Plus, since my birthday was in November I was able to take advantage of birthday rewards!
Some of Our Favorites
- Whole Foods – It’s not a restaurant but they do have a very robust salad and hot/cold food bar! Most of their items in the salad bar are organic and I love making a tasty green salad with dressing. Every day the hot/cold bar has different offerings, and they also have several soups. We eat here at least once a week. I also love their customized sandwich bar for lunch or if I want a lighter dinner. They also have a sushi bar and burrito bar (neither of which I have tried).
- Chipotle – We also go here at least once a week and I’ve earned quite a bit of points and rewards through their app! We always do the burrito bowl, salad, or tacos. Keep an eye out for BOGO days!
- Jamba Juice (or Smoothie King) – Sometimes you just want a smoothie! Make sure to download their apps and scan every time you visit.
- P.F. Chang’s – They have a great happy hour menu. We love the gluten-free Chicken Lettuce Wraps and the Spicy Tuna Roll for just $6 each. Also, they have a special every day of the week, like Pad Thai for just $10 on Tuesdays. Finally, they offer a military discount (but note that they don’t give a discount on happy hour items).
- California Pizza Kitchen – This is another place that offers a military discount. They don’t have happy hour but there’s plenty of affordable and healthier options. I like the asparagus and arugula salad listed under the appetizer section. Of course, CPK is a great place to go for a gluten-free pizza! It doesn’t qualify as a “cheap” option, but if you pair it with a salad two people could share. Or one person could take some of it “home” for lunch the next day.
- Don’t forget local places – There’s a restaurant in Monterey called Lalla Grill and we just went there for the first time during happy hour. For just $13, they have a grilled chicken dish that includes roasted tomatoes, cauliflower mash, roasted broccoli, avocado slices, smothered in a basil sauce. It was amazing and a lot of food!! Also, at burger joints you can ask for a lettuce-wrapped burger. (We love Red Robin for this, though there isn’t one close to us.)
Hotel Living Isn’t Forever
I have to tell myself this! At 37 weeks pregnant and with Christmas around the corner, I’m itching to get into a home. Two months might seem like a long time to be living in a hotel, but it isn’t forever. (Plus, isn’t it nice getting fresh towels and your bed made every day?)
By implementing these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to get by without gaining any weight or feeling “blah” from unhealthy food. I’d love to hear what else you recommend if you’ve done extended hotel living! Leave your comments down below and share this article if you found it helpful.