HEALTHY ON THE GO
I started a cleanse yesterday! A much needed cleanse.
And I’m excited about it because I’m ready to load my body up with nutrients to get it back on track. I’ve been feeling “heavier” than I usually do, my energy levels are low and I haven’t been sleeping well, so I know it’s time to pump my body with some colorful goodness.
These last 8 months of traveling have taught me some important lessons, but the one I’m reflecting on today is the idea that I (we) can still follow a food plan and eat healthy while traveling.
As someone who is very conscious about what she eats, I knew traveling while trying to maintain my food plan would be “interesting.” But I told myself I wasn’t letting a food plan hold me back from getting a full travel experience, which includes trying local cuisine.
(Side note: I call it a “food plan” vs “diet” so I look at it in a more positive light rather than a burden.)
Back when I started planning my travels, I decided to make a game out of finding the local health food stores and restaurants, vegan and gluten free foods and all sorts of “alternative” menu items in the countries I visited.
It was actually quite fun! I learned about new ingredients that we don’t often see in the U.S (did you know cowberry is a cranberry?), creative food combinations and enjoyed trying to read ingredient labels in other languages (thank you Google Translate).
Now don’t get me wrong, I willingly broke my food plan to try local staples (you can’t go to Greece and not have a gyro filled with lamb, fries and tzatziki or visit Italy and have gluten free pizza), but now I’m feeling the need to detox.
So what's my food plan?
I have chosen to eat gluten, soy and dairy free. Alcohol and caffeine are minimal - no pop or juice (unless it’s a juice without added sugar). I try to avoid processed sugar as much as I can (besides honey and maple syrup). Grains like rice and quinoa are minimal. Corn is a rarity, unless it comes in the form of an organic tortilla chip (these are hard to resist when guac is present!). Coconut and extra virgin olive oil, along with ghee, are my oil preferences when cooking. I eat tons of fruits and veggies (organic whenever possible) and minimal processed food. I eat chicken and fish (free-range, grass-fed, no antibiotics/hormones and wild fish when possible). I also love to cook, so often choose to eat at home vs order takeout (this helps me control what’s going into my belly but I also think home cooked meals, more times than not, taste better).
Let me be clear. I’m not trying to give anyone medical advice or tell you what you should or shouldn't eat. This is what I've chosen to eat based on what works for my body. I firmly believe there is not one “right” way to eat (there are so many opinions out there), so I do what works for me.
I will probably end up writing a blog post about some of my favorite restaurants I encountered on my travels, but today I'm sharing the foods I’m always traveling with in order to help me stay on my food plan. This ensures I always have food at the airport and snacks to hold me over if I can’t find a healthy food option.
- Trail Mix: I always make my own nut or trail mix when I travel. This is great for long plane rides if you can’t eat the plane meal and need something to hold you over (this happens to me often). Or simply to have on hand as an easy snack on the go. I find a lot of mixes have things I don’t normally eat (i.e. more dried fruit than actual nuts or chocolate that has dairy), so I prefer to make my own. I always include a combination of raw nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and macadamia nuts (I prefer unsalted and unroasted). Then I add a combination of goji berries, coconut flakes (unsweetened and unsulfured), pumpkin or sunflower seeds and some cacao nibs. It really depends on what’s in the cupboard.
- Fruit: Fruit is CRAZY expensive in airports ($5.99 for a small cup of grapes at Chicago Midway), so I always bring my own. My go to travel fruit is apples. While peaches and pears taste delicious, they have a tendency to get smooshed in my bag. And oranges make my fingers sticky when I peel them, so I try not to travel with them. Grapes and bananas are good options too, but again smoosh more easily.
- Vegetables: I also like to travel with celery, peppers and/or carrots as a snack. I’ve also started traveling with an avocado. They’re filled with healthy fats and hold me over. I eat avocados plain or buy a basic salad at the airport (usually lettuce, cucumber and tomato) and then add the avocado. Avocado serves as a dressing for me, which is why I love them on salads.
- Cooking Oils: These sound like crazy items to travel with, but if I’m staying in an Airbnb or a hotel with a kitchen, I always bring my own ghee and coconut oil. I love love love the flavors of both, so transfer a few servings to small travel containers. I actually use coconut oil as my body lotion, so I always have it with me anyways.
- Meal Replacement Bars: I’m not a huge advocate for meal replacement or protein bars, but I ended up eating them more often on this trip. A good marketer can make bars look healthy, but when you read the ingredients, they aren’t typically things I choose to put in my body. However, I've found some really great options with minimal ingredients, and typically all ingredients I can actually pronounce! I love these GoRaw bars.
- Almond Butter: I love traveling with Artisana almond butter packets. They’re delicious by themselves or great when added to your apple and celery sticks. I don’t usually fly without them! I used to travel with brown rice cakes, but found they too often came out in broken pieces. These are great snacks to have with almond butter if you're traveling in the car though.
- Gluten Free Oats and Chia Seeds: I don’t typically eat oats at home, but I travel with them because they’re super easy to travel with. You add some hot water, and voilà, you have yourself a meal! I prefer to use nut milks with my oatmeal, but I’m usually using hot water on the go. Tip: mix your oatmeal together at a coffee shop so you can use the cinnamon and honey they always have at the counter :) You can also add your apple or homemade trail mix on top. Chia seeds are a quick and easy breakfast for the hotel, but in my experience are not as ideal on a plane. They don’t taste nearly as good as oats do with water. Google chia seed pudding recipes to get some ideas. Here is a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, The Minimalist Baker.
- Coconut Milk: I love Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk and it's actually the only one I use at home. I get 2-3 servings from 1 can (I add ½ water + ½ coconut milk to get 3 servings with oatmeal or for my yummy turmeric lattes). Read the labels carefully as nut milks can have lots of added ingredients! If you check a bag, sneak a few in your bag to have on hand.
- Tea: I always bring my own tea bags with me when I travel. Sorry, but Lipton doesn’t usually do it for me. I always ask for hot water on the plane and then add my own tea bag. It’s also a great way to save yourself $3 at the airport, though some places are charging for hot water now. I love the Traditional Medicinals brand and especially love their Licorice Root tea. Ginger, Turmeric, Peppermint and Smooth Move (be careful since this is a laxative!) are all great options as well.
- Dessert: I get a sweet tooth here and there and most desserts are packed with loads and loads of processed sugar, so I almost always have dates, figs and dark chocolate with me (yes, I like 100% dark chocolate if I can find it!). I tried so many great dark chocolates with minimal ingredients while I traveled, I couldn’t get enough! And you can always find dates and figs at a local market (especially in Greece).
Other Healthy Travel Tips:
I get fresh pressed juice and smoothies any opportunity I can. I was delighted to see the amount of fresh juices and smoothies on my travels! Make sure they're made with fresh fruit and veggies and not syrup mixes though. I also always ask if there is added sugar, and if so, ask for your drink without it. If they add yogurt, I sub a banana or avocado to get the same creamy consistency that yogurt would give it (or just have it without the yogurt).
I’m always looking to stay in an Airbnb or hotel with a kitchen vs the standard hotel room. You save money, have a larger space and the kitchen is clutch for me.
Travel with your own glass water bottle. Glass because it’s free of harmful materials typically found in plastic. If you prefer plastic, definitely buy one that is BPA free. I visited a lot of countries where I couldn’t drink tap water so bought bottled water often, but it’s always nice to have your own water bottle. I’m on the hunt for a fashionable water bottle with an alkalizing filter, so let me know if you have a favorite.
I usually bring one meal with me on the plane. I’ll stop at Whole Foods before my flight and put together a combo from their hot bar or bring leftovers. This ensures I have at least one good meal on my travel days. Be careful of how long the food is unrefrigerated - or travel with a cooler if you can. Not only is it healthier than airport food, but bringing a meal with me has saved me tons of money on airport food!
I shared Amazon links to the products I love since most people use Amazon Prime, but I usually do my shopping on Thrive Market or Vitacost. There’s a membership for Thrive, but if you use my code you can get 25% off your first order! I have found that it definitely pays for itself, and more, due to the discounted prices. You can find most of these products at your local grocery or health foods stores, but the prices can be pretty high (not that I don’t want to promote shopping local!), which is why I like Thrive Market and Vitacost.
Hope this helps give you some ideas on how you can eat healthy on the go! After being all over the world, I can honestly say, there are always healthy options. Even if you have to order off menu.
Here's to healthy eating!
Cheers.