Travel Eating: Tips and Treats

In the past two days I’ve talked travel-eating strategies with a client headed to Istanbul and another going on safari. My travel plans aren’t nearly as exotic but still require planning. I thought I’d share my top travel-eating tips and treats as well as some exciting news.

Travel Tips: 

Avoid airline food at all costs if you are actually served anything. I don’t care if it’s business class or coach. On certain airlines the food may look decent or taste fine (doubtful) but it’s still brimming with sodium, preservatives not to mention bacteria. Bring a salad, brown rice sushi or sandwich on sprouted bread instead.

Quickies (as far as workouts) are worth it. If you’re used to a super spin class or hour-long run you may feel those are difficult to replicate while away.  Don’t let your type-A ness get in your way. Fifteen minutes of plank, pushups, tricep dips and water-bottle bicep curls are better than nothing. I love my friend Amie Hoff’s advice- tell yourself you’ll do 10 minutes (at the gym or for a run) you’ll always do more. Fifteen minutes a day might keep a little weight away.

Start your day on track. I’m a fan of including protein in breakfast to help control calories later in the day. Whether it’s eggs, yogurt, nut butter or a “shaken” smoothie there’s plenty of time to play later.

No lunch drinking. Maybe it has to do with the city of drinkers I live among and counsel every day but vacation often means every hour is happy hour. This is dangerous. Lunch drinking makes you more likely to eat the wrong things, nap away your afternoon and wake up just in time to drink again. Cocktails, preferably singular, are fine at cocktail hour.

And finally, beware of the "ef-its". I have no problem cursing in real life but don’t think I should here, not sure why.  It’s a few days into a vacation you’re eating anything and everything and feeling down on yourself. Do not ever say “when I get home I’ll eat well” or any version of it; that's  an "f-it" mindset. That also gives you license to eat more and worse.  Pick 1 area to try to reign in whether it’s dessert , the breadbasket or drinking. 

Travel Treats

We organize food “packing lists” for client’s vacations. This includes must have items to help keep them on track when away from home.  The best news of all? All of these essentials are available in our *new* Foodtrainers Online Shop (that’s the exciting news in case you didn’t know).

Kale Krackers- our new favorites from Kookie Karma. These are adult Cheese- Its sans cheese (or any dairy). They’re low calorie and addictive. A carry-on must.

Barney Butter and GG Bran Crips. These 90-calorie almond butter backs on GG’s are a great snack. They also come in handy when breakfast options are slim or “continental”.

Chia Sticks- sometimes things don’t “go” so well when we’re away. Chia can help get things moving. Chia seeds are high in fiber and in the manner in which they digest can act as an appetite suppressant. These single-serve chia packs are milled (no sticking in your teeth) and can be added to yogurt or sprinkled over fruit on the road.

Sheffa- we admit there’s no easier snack than nuts but there’s only so many almonds a person can eat before craving something more exciting. These gluten-free, single serve nut mixes come in various flavors and include interesting ingredients like chickpea “noodles”, coconut and papaya.

Eboost- bust bloat and jet lag at once. “Boost” contains green tea and vitamin C. It’s the perfect healthy, stevia-sweetened energy drink. Just mix with a tall glass of water and enjoy.

We’ve created a fantastic Travel Snack Bundle for you to sample our favorite treats and we’re giving a bundle away. To enter, comment below and “like” Foodtrainers on Facebook. You have until Sunday 7/24.

What helps you to eat well while away? What’s on your food-packing list? Any fun trips planned?  Even day trips need treats, be prepared.

Blackberry Farm

I am writing this from post from Blackberry Farm. I’m here giving a series of short talks to some guests participating in a motivational boot camp.  If you aren’t familiar with Blackberry Farm it’s a farm to table property in the Smoky Mountains. All of the produce served here is produced on the farm. Last night on the way to dinner we passed the truffle farm and saw the building where the cheese and jam are made. Before dinner, I met the participants as they returned from a hike.

I introduced people, singles and couples, from Texas, Mississippi and Westchester to Foodtraining. The premise of the talk is that we all know the “shoulds” in terms of exercise.  Yet there is a gap between what we know we should do and what we actually do. Whether it’s cooking or exercise or snacking or drinking we each have our behavioral Achilles heel. My proposed antidote to these weak areas is planning (more on that later). It was my first talk I’ve ever done with a glass of champagne in my hand. I raised a glass to the group and we headed into dinner.

Dinner was a delicious four-course meal with a wine for each course. I worked with Sam Beall, the proprietor of Blackberry, offering a few suggestions (they clearly don’t need my help). We started with a Beet Carpaccio served with Hen of the Woods mushrooms and “crispy buckwheat.” Buckwheat is gluten free and the crunch in the salad was fantastic. The following course was a vegetable soup utilizing the last kale of the season here. Also in the soup were the flowers from the kale this time of year. These flowers have a name but two wines in, it’s no wonder I cannot recall it. Our entrée was Guinea Hen serves with ramps (wild leeks) and brown “basmati rice grits”.  The flavor of the ramps with these polenta-like grits was insanely good. I chose not to lick my plate but scraped it clean. And finally, on a beautiful slab of slate we were served Blackberry Farm’s “Singing Brook” cheese with Honey Turnips.

It was one of those nights where I felt the rest of the world was so far away. Marc and I were seated with Mary Celeste and Sam Beall who live at Blackberry Farm with their four children. Marc was next to a couple married when they were in their 50’s in the French Quarter. Stories were shared about travel and cooking and wine and more. As I relaxed from a long week I realized I was supposed to talk “sleep tips” after dinner. Everyone grabbed his or her tea or coffee (or remaining wine) and we walked down a path to another house. In a living room-like setting we all talked about sleep which I didn’t think would be too hard after all that good food and wine.

What do you feel is your Achilles heel when it comes to nutrition or exercise? Are you at all sat to say goodbye to root vegetables or kale as spring arrives? What are your favorite meal memories where the menu and company seemed perfect?