You’re traveling a lot lately, and you’re standing over an open suitcase wondering if protein powder is worth the space. Protein powder for digital nomads is one of the most common questions I get from clients who travel constantly, right up there with what to eat when the only restaurant nearby doesn’t have a menu you can read.

Here’s how I walk through it with a client, and how I think about it myself.

Start with how long you’re gone. A weekend trip somewhere doesn’t need a tub of anything. Toss a couple of single-serve packets in your bag as backup and forget about it. But if you’re gone for a month, or you’re doing the slower kind of travel where the word “trip” stopped applying a while ago, the math shifts. Carrying enough powder for eight weeks takes up space and weight you’ll want for other things.

Then think about where you’re headed, since availability is the variable behind most protein powder for digital nomads questions. In a lot of major cities, a pharmacy or supplement shop with whey protein on the shelf is a short walk away. In smaller towns, or in countries where the whole supplement culture just isn’t as big, finding it can eat an entire afternoon. I’ve had both experiences in the same month, sometimes in the same week.

I get into this problem in a lot more depth on episode 3 of my podcast, Digital Nomad Fitness, on Spotify and Apple Music, where I walk through how I track down supplement stores once I land somewhere new. It covers what to search for in the local language, which store types tend to carry it even when you wouldn’t expect them to, and a few tricks for telling if a product is legit before you buy it somewhere unfamiliar.

My personal rule of thumb for protein powder for digital nomads: pack enough for the first week or two of any trip, no matter where I’m headed. That covers jet lag, the adjustment period, and the days I have zero energy to go searching for anything. After that first stretch, finding a local source becomes part of settling in, the same way I’d look for a gym or a grocery store. It stops being a travel problem and just becomes part of getting oriented.

A few small things worth knowing before you pack: powder in containers over 12 ounces gets pulled for extra screening at security, which just means a few extra minutes, nothing to stress over. And if you’re headed somewhere with strict import rules on supplements, it’s worth a quick search before you go rather than finding out at customs. Neither of these should stop you from packing what you need. They’re just worth knowing ahead of time.

If you’re someone who overthinks this every single time you pack (no judgment, I used to too), the short version is this: bring a little, plan to find more, and don’t let it take up more mental space than it deserves.

If you want help building a protein powder for digital nomads system that fits how often you’re moving, that’s something I talk through with clients all the time. My inbox is always open.

In Health, Riley.