Hi friends,
I just returned from a short work trip in the Midwest. These kinds of trips are often challenging and require changing planes and rental car pickup and a long drive to some nondescript hotel or a home suite type of cinderblock conglomeration. Then there is the quest to find a decent place to have dinner after which you return to the hotel and crash out and then get up at the crack to shoot on set all day and then repeat the dinner quest for a good meal then back to the hotel, crash out, and up again at the crack to head to the airport and fly out.
I’ve discovered from past trips that the complimentary breakfast offered at the aforementioned cinderblock conglomeration is in fact not complimentary at all. You can always count on an array of plastic wrapped danish and rubbery bagels, but lately I’ve noticed an attempt to provide “healthy” options like yogurt/granola combos, energy bars, and maple or vanilla flavored instant oatmeal pots, etc. I use quotes for healthy because if you have a magnifying glass on hand and read the fine print, they are loaded with tons of sugar and various other crap that you’d have to Google search to actually identify. The other challenge is bad coffee. I don’t do Starbucks so the fact that there is one on every corner doesn’t help. I know I know, however, I will admit, if I don’t bring my own kit, I do drink Starbucks when I’m desperate. I like organic coffee. Why? Because coffee is one of the top pesticide sprayed crops on the planet. That means your brewing yourself a chemical cup every day!
On this last trip I brought my Palm Press and a jar of my own ground coffee. Palm Press is ingenious and makes a delicious cup. Most hotel rooms have an electric kettle, however this last place did not and I had to use the microwave to boil water. I lived! I also came across the neat little coffee hack when I went to Florida to visit my sissy’s. Steeped Coffee, is for all intents and purposes, instant coffee, BUT it doesn’t taste like it. I love that you steep it like tea, which I also carry with me (herbal varieties, especially fennel). I like that it’s light and packable if I don’t feel like hauling the Palm press and jar of grounds. I always bring my fav travel tumbler to transport my own brew or herbal tea.
I know many of you share my strife. It’s tough because the fact is, outside of major cities there are no healthy options for food on the go. I mean, how many organic apples, and bags of nuts can I keep carrying with me (oh and Kefir does not travel well!). I don’t do so well with raw vegetables, so carrot and celery sticks with hummus is out, and I have a dairy allergy, so cheese is not an option. I sound so annoying already with all of my special needs it even makes me cringe. It’s almost embarrassing, but truthfully, I don’t care what anyone thinks. Bottom line: I feel like crap when I eat crap. When I I have to take these kinds of trips, I just have to buck up and succumb to the fact that I’ll be eating shitty food for a couple of days and I can return to healthy eating when I get home.
However, I am a very determined person and I figured out some work arounds that make this kind of travel easier. Below are some snack bag ideas for crappy travel destinations.
Snack bag contents:
Treeline brand aged cashew cheese ( I like the cracked pepper flavor, but plain is fine too). It comes in a round and easy to cut into pieces ahead of time or with whatever utensil you can get your hands on at the airport.
Simple Mills almond flour crackers or HU Kitchen Grain Free crackers. I’m not gluten intolerant, but let’s face it, if you can eliminate anything that is going to slow down your digestion, which for me is always interrupted when I travel, why not give your colon a break?
Any organic mixed nut or seeds. I favor walnuts, pecans, and almonds. HU Kitchen Chocolate-Covered Hunks are in heavy rotation at the moment and not just for travel! I am obsessed with the almond and sea salt and plan to try the cashew next. They are Vegan and Paleo, FYI. Although nuts really satisfy, try not to overload (see digestion note above).
Hard boiled eggs are a great on-the-go breakfast, but peeling them in an airport lounge may attract looks from people trying to locate who farted, so peeling at home might be best. Jacobsons salt has these cute little mini salt tins for seasoning.
This last trip, I had left over chicken cutlets that I sliced into manageable bite-sized pieces. I love cutlets hot or cold, so if I can manage to make them before a trip they are my favorite travel snack. I also packed half an avocado and half a lemon. I put them altogether in a small container and enjoyed it during my layover huddled in a corner with my mask pulled down between bites.
And a final note: this last trip wasn’t a total food bust. The crew and I managed to find an Indian food truck that was amazing! It was owned and run single-handedly by a delightful Indian woman who had every inch of counter space covered with crockpots filled with delicious curries and dals. She even made her own naan in the tiny space! It was an unexpected treat and a relief to find real home cooked food instead of being relegated to the local Chili’s.
I hope some of the info above helps you when you are planning to travel. This also works for train and bus travel. I’d love to hear if you have any favorites. I would love to add new ideas to my list.
Mask up and pack your snacks!
Love,
Nancy jo
We try to bring bananas, berries and tangerines or mandarin oranges to help stave off hunger and stop us from eating too much junk. Aside from peels and pits, they don’t leave much behind. :)
I love a handful of my organic nuts on the run. I also have my backpack full with organic apple slices and my hard boiled egg for my hike in the am.