How Padma Lakshmi eats, packs and survives life on the road

Travel is a constant throughout the renowned culinary host's career, and she has it down to a science. Here's how she packs and relaxes – and what she avoids doing on the plane.

Padma Lakshmi doesn't often get to sit still. The acclaimed culinary host, cookbook author and entrepreneur has spent decades travelling the globe in search of the world's most delicious flavours. But her latest television project kept her unexpectedly rooted, filming largely between Toronto and her hometown of New York City.

Padma Lakshmi spent 19 seasons as the host of Top Chef and explored American cuisine on Hulu's Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. Her new culinary competition series, America's Culinary Cup, which premiered 4 March 2026, features James Beard winners and Michelin-starred chefs taking American cuisine challenges as they compete for an unprecedented $1m prize.

It was welcome respite, even for a career traveller. 

"The last five out of seven years I've been on the road for eight months of the year," she said. "For me, a holiday is actually just staying put."

Still, constant travel has become a defining part of Lakshmi's life and career. From managing jet lag to packing strategically and finding the best meals in unfamiliar cities, she has developed a set of routines to survive life on the road. Here, she shares the habits that help her stay grounded while constantly on the move. 

You've travelled just about everywhere for your career. What still excites you about travel?

Meeting new people, tasting new foods, experiencing new cultures – these are all things I feel are important to open my horizons and broaden my point of view. It keeps me present in the world, and that will always excite me about travel.

What do you do while travelling to feel more at home?

I try to [pack] a little bit of incense; that perfumes the suitcase and keeps the things in it from getting stale. [It] gives me something to burn in the hotel room so that I can do some meditation or prayer in the morning, but also, I can have familiar smells. I'm a very sensorial person, so having that familiar smell makes me feel more at home, but it often just freshens the air wherever I am.

What are your travel must-haves?

I try to pack in a way that helps, rather than hinders me. If I'm carrying a regular suitcase, then I always put a couple of sarongs on the bottom, so I can throw those on a couch, on a chair or on the bed, so that I don't have to have direct contact with the upholstery… or I just throw it over a lamp so [the lighting is] a little bit more moody.

The other thing I do when I'm packing is I keep packets of electrolytes, packets of vitamin C because it's easy to get run down. I [pack] a mask, a shawl, some cosy socks, headphones and I download a lot of books on tape [on] Audible. That way, whether I have Wi-Fi or not, I have some way to really entertain myself. [As for outfits], I pick two or three colours so that all my clothes will mix and match.

What's one thing you wish people knew about the reality of constant travel?

The reality of globetrotting is that you can get tired very quickly. You're always chasing a........

© BBC