How to Eat Clean While Traveling (Without Being That Person at the Restaurant)

Protein + fiber + water. Build every meal around those three. Everything else is rounding. A grilled protein with a salad or vegetable side and water handles 95% of travel eating without being difficult or annoying to whoever you're eating with.

Practical breakdown by meal: breakfast — eggs plus something green if available, or Greek yogurt with fruit. Lunch — protein source with a salad or grain bowl. Dinner — whatever the local cuisine offers, built around the protein. The local stuff is usually cleaner than the tourist options. Order what the locals eat.

The one rule that matters at restaurants: don't apologize for asking how something is cooked. 'Is this grilled or fried?' is a normal question. You're not being difficult. You're making an informed choice. The restaurant can handle it. You can handle it. Do this once and it becomes automatic.