10 Travel Food Tips for the Hard Core
There is Always Something to EatPacking for this trip I kept thinking I had to bring absolutely everything that I could possibly want to eat in any given situation. Why? I’m used to “nobody having what I need”. I’m used to picnics and dinners with friends coming up empty handed. The difference is when I’m at home it’s not a big deal but for some reason when I feel I will be trapped in a car or plane I try to plan for every contingency.
Wait a minute…
Would there seriously be nowhere to get food between Vancouver, Canada and San Francisco? Are you telling me that there is not one store with something that I can eat to prevent starvation? Right. Guess not.
It may not be epic, it may not be instagram-worthy but every single town has something I can eat. It doesn’t need to provide a complete spectrum of amino acids and have every single nutrient yet discovered. It’s just for a day.
So if you are going on a longer trip or a trip to somewhere you know you won’t be able to find what you need that is a different situation. This article is written from the perspective of moving out of the fear of not having the right foods and being comfortable with the unknown around food while still maintaining a hard and fast boundary about not putting junk/allergens/inflammatory foods in. More articles about packing for every contingency or longer trips are a good idea too.
Avoid the Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
One of the most insidious traps for the traveller is the blood sugar rollercoaster. It may start with breakfast too early on the way to the plane. It may start with a meal of fruit salad at the airport coffee shop. It may start with coffee. However it starts for you this is what it feels like: Desperation for food, lightheadedness, exhaustion. The inability to handle being hungry without eating. If this is you then make sure to choose foods that are higher in protein or at least lower in sugar to get through the day on an even keel. This will be different for everyone but could range from seaweeds to nuts to even goji berry concentrate or protein powder if tolerated. I prefer to have real food so keep seaweeds like kelp and nori stashed in my travel gear. Dried nori (not the sheets but the dried actual raw seaweed) is 50% protein by weight so although it is light to carry does pack some good nutrition and trace minerals to boot. There is no doubt about it, when your seat-mate on the plane orders a sandwich and pretzels and you are mowing down on your dried nori that’ll be a conversation starter.
You Already Have What You Need
Provided you’ve packed reasonably well… When we seek safety and predictability by planning every last detail of our foods we really hit our subconscious with a needy sort of feeling that we do not have what we need, are not ok, just the way we are. What would a healthy person do? I have experimented with bringing less and was ok. I have also experimented with choosing airplane days for mini 24-hr fasting. It makes the ride more fun for me, more productive for getting work done because I’m not distracting myself with food, faster going through security… Also our digestive systems can really shut down in a car or on a plane (especially) and the aftermath can last for days… but not with the fasting. Why eat what I can’t digest?
Clean the Water
My favourite travel water filter is a lightweight bag with a filter in it, check it out. I have a 2 litre one for hiking but a smaller one would make more sense for most people maybe. I know it’s fancy but it’s awesome and I really care about the water. This one is awesome because it filters out the bacteria etc. and ALSO large and small particle metals including lead and even some of the lighter weight metals which many filters miss. In fact many of the water bottle filters don’t concern themselves with minerals at all and just filter out parasites. Most of the water that I deal with at least on the road or in planes when I’m not at home in the woods, I don’t know what the pipes or city water is like and I don’t know if it has been chlorinated. I haven’t avoided that for years just to get it in my travels. I really try to avoid plastic bottled water, see this week’s VIDEO for more about that. I consider my filter a luxury item but it is small and will keep me healthy and in the feeling of caring for myself while in unknown territory.
Bring Luxury Items
Good music, all my favourite teas and aromatherapy. Those are mine. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below.
Bring Luxury Food
I may stash a chocolate Ganache and some sprouted almonds with chipotle powder on them… I also have my tiny Stevia and medicine flower extracts. This helps me to have a luxury experience even if I can only stop at the gas station. I never feel deprived with my luxury items. Then as long as I have the basics covered it prevents my trying to fill the gap with foods that are less than good.
Notice Those Things You Can’t Live Without
I encourage you to take a look at the things that feel like “but I NEED to have my ________ every (insert time frame)” like sweet foods in the afternoon or caffeine or protein or… What is going on in your body behind the scenes that makes it feel like that?
Consider the Risks
Sometimes we allow fear to upset the balance between short term and long term risk. For example when travelling for a few hours we sometimes have to weigh the short term risk of starving to death (unlikely) vs. the long term risk of chronic degenerative disease if we make concessions every day (more likely). Because it is a long term risk it doesn’t seem as important as being hungry right now… but if you’re like me maybe you travel a lot and these long term risks add up over time. For some risks a single exposure can set the immune system off. I’d rather be hungry and be in mild stress for a few hours. Maybe for you being in stress is unacceptable so pack accordingly.
There is No Ideal Day
If we put off eating healthily or being who we believe ourselves to really be, our ideal healthy selves, until tomorrow… we may find it never comes.
Remember the Big Goal
Do not let what you want in the moment outweigh what you want in your life. This is easier said than done but we are ALL in it together. Make sure you know your priorities and what your boundaries are and pack for them while working toward not sweating the small stuff. I have been enjoying using the freeze drier for road trips and through hikes and other journeys that require quick, lightweight foods. Now if we could go on a road trip together we’d hire a private chef wouldn’t we 😉 Happy travels.
Oh I am so glad I’m not the only one that gets actually grumpy when I go on a trip, when its suppose to be fun!! I almost shut down thinking what am I going to eat, of course its depends on how long the trip etc. I actually didn’t realize how much it bothered me until the day I was to leave for an eight day vacation and was so sick the day we were to leave. I kept telling myself I won’t starve, but it wasn’t helping. It took one full day to get my stomach back to normal. Takes the fun out of it. I have another trip on a plane and I think I am taking your advice on the fast. I was just thinking of that. Thanks for your suggestions!
I couldn’t get to the favorite water filter screen that you have set up by clicking the blue words “this one”.
Could you tell us the brand. It sounds awesome. Thanks
Oh no! It’s the Berkey. There is a travel one and a larger home one as well. Thank you for clarifying 🙂
Tahini mixed with carob powder in a thick paste is one of my luxury items. I also keep few nuts and raisins available as well as 2-3 lemons. Lemons have been important in many occasions. Fixing my Ph and any cravings! Much gratitude to you, Steph. Thank you.
That sounds awesome Maria! We could definitely take a plane or train together, you bring the lemons I’ll bring the kelp! But seriously it is amazing how delicious carob can be. I feel it is so highly underrated 🙂