Traveling Suggestions for Great Food

Keeping healthy habits intact even when traveling!

If you’re heading off for a conference, a business trip, or weekend away, with a little pre-planning you can easily stay on track with your healthy intentions even if you’re in a basic hotel room. (I do it all the time, just ask my colleagues.)

Check out these fabulous ideas—easy, economical, and nourishing, delicious too!

How to Start:

• Pre-pack or purchase upon arrival such items as those listed below.
• Call the hotel in advance and if there isn’t a fridge in the room, order one. The fee is usually $5 a day. (Option: Empty the mini bar, creating space for your items, and simply refill it before you check out.)
• Before you leave home do a Google search to locate the closest grocery store. Apps such as www.happycow.com and www.eatwellguide.com are useful for sourcing out venues that serve quality foods.

A little prep work and you’ll feel so much better; enjoy digestive calm, sustained energy, and mental clarity. Added benefits see you saving money and staying on track with your health plan as well and enhancing your travel experience.

Read on and be ready for your next trip.

Bring or buy upon arrival the items listed below. I usually fly with a vegetarian wrap to eat on the plane. Raw nuts, cut up veggies, fruit, and natural nut and seed bars such asTwo Moms in the Raw are healthy, convenient options. Sunwarrior protein powder is a perfect meal option to have as well as their Ormus greens for an alkaline boost.

Having nourishing food is a saving grace for sustaining energy and maintaining coping abilities, including hormonal balance. This is especially helpful when travel time is long or plans go astray.

PACK! Keep room in your suitcase for items such as:

Dried cereal, nuts, seeds and seed butter, dried fruits, power bars or baggies (make your own trail mix in mini baggies), quality organic crackers, tortilla or Nori wraps, cutlery, dish towels, and remember to include a flexible cutting board and a sharp covered knife—do pack it in your check-in bag. I’ve even packed a soft-sided mini cooler with a freezer pack, frozen legumes, quinoa, Ezekiel wraps or English muffins, kelp noodles, nut hummus , veggie burgers, seasonings, etc.

My traveling grocery list:

• Fresh leafy greens, ideally cleaned
• Citrus fruits, great for salad dressing
• Non-dairy milk
• Legume salads
• Organic kale or lentil chips
• Seasonal local fruits, berries
• Salsa, pesto, bean dips
• Carrots, avocados, herbs

Breakfast ideas:

• Bring pre-made Muesli mix. Make this in your hotel room in a coffee cup or water glass. Top with hot water or almond milk and fresh or dried fruits, seeds, and so on. Be sure to pack a few spoons.
• Bring homemade or store bought Granola or Earthly Choice Chia cereal and pack or purchase non-dairy milk.
• Pack or buy avocados. Halve, pit, and eat as is or spread like butter onto Rice or Mary’s crackers or Ezekiel English muffins, sour dough Artisan options, or gluten-free and preservative-free breads: Food for Life, Silver Hills, Udi’s (freezer section).
• Pack nut or seed butter such as almond or sunbutter . Many grocery and natural food stores carry individual size packets.
• Apples, oranges, and pears all travel well, but be sure to check with your international border. Some fruits “for personal consumption” are allowed. Be sure to claim them.

Lunches:

• Pre-made quinoa and lentil or mixed legume combos for salads. Most grocers carry such items in the deli section.
• Salsa, pesto, humus, sundried tomatoes, feta, or vegan cheese to dip veggies in, top a salad, etc.
• Fill wraps such as whole grain Ezekiel or large fresh green or romaine lettuce, kale, or nori sheets with above suggestions.
• Slice peppers, endives, broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and other veggies.

Dinners in restaurants/room service (vegan friendly):

Scan the menu well before ordering and be creative.

• Grilled portobello mushrooms, peppers, marinated tofu, eggplant, onions are great substitutions
• Be sure to have 2–4 different veggies and lots of them
• Mexican restaurants: order refried beans, grilled veggies, salsa, guacamole, piccolo
• Indian restaurants: choose the dairy free vegetarian options with legumes
• Italian restaurants: order red, pesto, and olive oil based sauces and ask about grilled veggies
• Choose gluten free rice pasta or veggies lightly sautéed when available or substitute with the veggies or the day
• Ask for romaine/green/red leaf, kale leaves or endive as wraps
• Be mindful of portions. Keep half for your lunch the next day if you have a fridge to store it in. (Sometimes when traveling meals are late—eating lighter ensures better sleep.)

Snacks:

• Pack serving size baggies with raw nuts and seeds, dried fruits, kale chips.
• Stash your favorite bars or home-made power balls
• Kale chips are great and rich in calcium and protein so they hold hunger off
• Apple chips are a nice “crunch” food as well if you can find organic, preservative free brands such as Bare
• RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers or Mary’s Crackers are great for a gluten free cracker
• Cherry tomatoes, Lebanese cucumbers, and grapes are a quick bite-size snack
• Candied ginger slices are great for digestive woes (found in Trader Joes, natural food stores)
• Organic dark chocolate is a great treat as well. I love Sacred Chocolate bars.

The options are endless. Plan ahead, find the best items you can and have them on hand so you’re never at the mercy of fast food vendors or restaurants. Invest a little time before leaving home and then at the console table or office table in your hotel room and your traveling meals can be just as wholesome as when you are in your own home.

Best of all you’ll look and feel as vibrant as ever. Bon voyage, bon appetite, bon santé!

Here is a shot of a salsa bean salad I made at a hotel when in San Diego for an Idea World conference. The restaurant kitchen was kind enough to lend me plates and cutlery.