It starts as a tiny flutter. Maybe a subtle wave of nausea or a little dizziness. Then suddenly—bam. You’re in full survival mode, clutching the armrest, breathing like you’re in labor, eyes darting for the nearest window or, worse, a sick bag. Often, this unpleasant experience is exacerbated by what we eat or don’t eat before and during travel. The wrong food choices can turn a mild susceptibility into a full-blown bout of motion sickness, while the right dietary strategies can be a powerful tool in your anti-nausea arsenal. In this post, as part of our food blog, we’ll discuss this topic from a food standpoint.
Whether you’re riding in a car, flying at 30,000 feet, or swaying on a boat, this annoying nuisance has an impressive ability to ruin a perfectly good trip. But here’s the good news: with the right tools and tactics, it doesn’t have to.
Let’s break down the top strategies to prevent motion sickness and keep your travel plans drama-free—no bags required.
Understand the Cause Before You Combat It
First, a quick science detour: motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting signals from your eyes, inner ears, and body. You’re moving, but maybe your visual surroundings say you’re not (like reading a book in a car). The brain hates the mixed signals—and responds with nausea, cold sweats, and dizziness as a not-so-subtle protest.
The trick? Reducing the sensory mismatch. And that means being proactive.
Food Addition: Before embarking on your journey, consider a light meal rich in complex carbohydrates and lean protein. This can help stabilize blood sugar levels, which can play a role in mitigating nausea. Avoid overly greasy or sugary foods that can upset the stomach.
Watch this video to learn more:
1. Face Forward—Always
This seems basic, but it’s rule number one for a reason: face the direction you’re traveling. Sitting backward on a train or boat? Recipe for nausea. Riding in the back seat of a car while scrolling through your phone? Same.
Whenever possible:
- Choose the front seat in cars
- Sit over the wing in planes (least turbulence)
- Position yourself mid-ship on boats
- Use headrests to keep your head steady
The more aligned your visual input is with your body’s sense of motion, the less conflict your brain has to sort through.
Food Addition: When selecting travel snacks, opt for items that are easily digestible and won’t contribute to feelings of heaviness or discomfort. Dry crackers, plain rice cakes, or small portions of fruit like bananas can be good choices.
2. Eyes on the Horizon
If you can’t avoid movement, at least help your brain make peace with it. Fix your eyes on a stable point in the distance—like the horizon, a mountaintop, or even the headrest in front of you if nothing else is available.
Reading? Scrolling TikTok? Typing out a novel on your iPad? Nope. Close it all down. Focusing on something still while your body is in motion is basically begging for it.
Food Addition: Avoid consuming large meals while actively in motion. If you must eat, do so slowly and deliberately, focusing on each bite. This can help your body process the food more effectively and reduce the likelihood of nausea.
3. Go Proactive with Medications
If you know you’re prone to motion sickness, don’t wait for the queasiness to creep in. Start treatment before symptoms begin.
Medications like meclizine, dimenhydrinate, and scopolamine patches have been travel MVPs for decades. They work by calming the inner ear and blocking signals to the brain that trigger nausea.
Pro tip: always read the label. Some medications can cause drowsiness (great for long flights, not so much if you’re driving).
Food Addition: Be mindful of potential interactions between motion sickness medications and certain foods or beverages. For example, alcohol can amplify the drowsiness caused by some medications. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for specific dietary advice.
4. Ginger Might Actually Work
We’re not saying to cancel your meds and grab a ginger ale—but science does support ginger as a natural anti-nausea agent.
Try:
- Ginger capsules or chews
- Ginger tea (pre-trip)
- Ginger candy (the spicier, the better)
Is it a miracle cure? No. But it can help take the edge off, especially when paired with other strategies.
Food Addition: Incorporate ginger into your pre-travel diet. Consider adding fresh ginger to smoothies, stir-fries, or teas in the days leading up to your trip. This can help build up a baseline of ginger’s anti-nausea effects.
5. Eat (a Little), But Not Too Much
Traveling on an empty stomach can make nausea worse—but so can overindulging in greasy airport food or boat buffet cheese platters.
Best approach? Eat a light, bland meal about an hour before your trip. Think:
- Plain toast
- Bananas
- Crackers
- A small bowl of rice
Avoid spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and anything that could turn on you mid-flight. Read this for a more detailed list.
Food Addition: Pack your own travel-friendly snacks to avoid relying on potentially triggering foods available during travel. Apple slices, plain yogurt, or cooked carrots are good options for a gentle stomach.
6. Ventilate and Hydrate
Stale air? Terrible for motion sickness. If you’re in a car, crack a window. On a plane, aim the vent toward your face. Cool, fresh air helps reduce symptoms—and may even buy you time to take additional action if you feel an episode coming on.
Also: drink water. Dehydration = more nausea. Skip the sugary sodas and stick with clear fluids throughout your journey.
Food Addition: Instead of sugary drinks, which can exacerbate nausea, prioritize hydration with water, herbal teas, or electrolyte solutions. Staying properly hydrated is essential for maintaining balance and minimizing motion sickness symptoms. Learn more from this article.
7. Try Pressure Bands or Acupressure
Those elastic wristbands you see in drugstores? They’re not just placebo fashion. Acupressure bands target the P6 point on your inner wrist, which has been linked to nausea relief in some studies.
Are they foolproof? No. But for some, they provide enough relief to take the edge off, especially during car or sea travel.
Food Addition: Some herbal remedies, like peppermint oil, can also help soothe nausea. Consider carrying peppermint candies or tea. The aroma and taste of peppermint can have a calming effect on the digestive system.
8. Distract Your Brain (the Right Way)
You can’t read or scroll—but you can listen.
Podcasts, audiobooks, or calming playlists are excellent for distraction without overloading your senses. Look for low-frequency, steady background noise if music is your thing.
And if you’re traveling with kids who suffer from motion sickness, storytelling, games like “I Spy,” or just gentle conversation can help ground them during bumpy rides.
Food Addition: Avoid watching food-related content that might trigger nausea, such as cooking shows or food videos. Choose calming audio or visual distractions that are unrelated to food.
Final Thought: It Isn’t a Character Flaw
Plenty of people—from cruise captains to astronauts—deal with motion sickness. It’s not weakness; it’s biology.
But thanks to smart strategies, and science-backed treatments, managing it doesn’t have to be a battle.
So take the meds, grab the ginger chews, claim the window seat—and enjoy the ride. No more white-knuckling it from gate to gate. So, it may be common, but with the right approach, it doesn’t have to control your trip.
