eating healthy while traveling

[TsPoet]

What do you eat when you travel to avoid junk?
I've been traveling nearly every weekend this summer. Not on the bike, necessarily, more often at dog shows (OK, when you get through laughing, please read on)... I gain on average 2 lb every weekend. I lose that and sometimes a little more during the week.
I've pain an extra $15/night for this weekend so I'll have a fridge and microwave in my room.
But, what to bring?
hard boiled eggs for breakfast?
Lunch and dinner are a complete mystery - cheese and crackers is better than McD's but there has to be something better than that that can be carried in a cooler or bag.

I so want to end this gain/loss cycle I've been on.
At home I eat cottage cheese or yogurt and fruit for breakfast and sometimes lunch and giant salads for an early dinner.

[ny biker]

Since you reference McDs, there are fast food options that are better for you -- some of the sandwiches at Subway or Panera, for example, or a grilled chicken sandwich from a fast food place. I've read that roast beef is not a bad choice, if you're near an Arby's, and they also have turkey sandwiches on wheat bread. And the last time I was at Wendy's the guy in front of me ordered a chicken salad that actually looked pretty good.

If you've got a fridge, why not bring yogurt and cottage cheese and a giant pre-made salad, or buy some at a local store after you check in? For breakfast, a healthy cereal with low-fat milk or oatmeal should be doable.

[Susan Otcenas]

With a microwave, fridge, a bowl and a spoon, you can eat like a queen!

Oatmeal is my normal breakfast when travelling, and NOT the crummy, overly sweet "instant" stuff. Just mix 1/2 cup of oatmeal with one cup of water in your bowl. Mix and put in microwave for one minute. Stir. Put it back in the microwave for another minute. KEEP AN EYE ON IT. As it cooks, it will start to rise in the middle. I think of it like a little oatmeal volcano. If you walk away from it, you will end up with a boiled over mess. (Ask me how I know this... ) But if you keep an eye on it, just stir it once or twice as it starts to rise and it won't boil over. Remove from the microwave and let it sit for a minute or two (preferably covered with something flat, if you have it) to allow the water to completely absorb into the oatmeal. Top with a baggie of nuts/raisins/seeds, etc. Can also top with a freshly sliced banana.

Apples and bananas travel best and don't need refrigeration. I often carry grapes in a tupperware container.

I always stock my mini fridge with yogurt. Cereal or granola makes a nice topping as does fruit.

A loaf of bread, some deli sliced cheese & turkey, and some condiments (brought from home if you are driving, or in fast food packets if you aren't) make great toppings.

I like to stop at a supermarket at my destination if possible. Less to keep cool in a cooler, and sometimes new places have great discoveries. Might be an interesting item or salad in a deli case, etc.

Hope this helps.

Susan

[GLC1968]

When I travel, I often go out of my way to secure rooms with at least a fridge...a microwave is a bonus. I do my own booking, so that I can control that. When I arrive, I scope out the nearest grocery store (starting with Whole Foods and working my way down to a regular store since I have pretty specific needs). Then I stock up. Breakfasts are usually nuked chicken sausages and fruit or in the absence of a microwave, hard boiled eggs, cold chicken, tuna or uncured salami or summer sausage with the fruit. I buy a container of quac, a small bag of carrots, pre-cut raw veggies and fruit to have in my room. I travel with almond butter packets, tuna pouches, apples, grape tomatoes, lara bars and raw nuts on my person. I've tried other things as well, but these have been the most successful for me.

In restaurants, I choose salads with a meat (typically chicken) most of the time unless its a splurge or nicer meal where I can get good cuts of steak or fish with veggies. A plain green salad topped with my handy tuna pouch is also a good choice.

The last two travel seasons for me (I travel most of the month of Sept/Oct and then again in Jan/Feb), I actually lost weight when it was all said and done.

Bear in mind, if there is a flight involved, you will see fluctuations in body hydration levels affecting what you see on the scale. Our bodies don't like to be pressurized like that! Additionally, even without a flight, any time you eat restaurant food, even if it's healthy, it tends to be higher in sodium also causing scale fluctuations.

[TsPoet]

Thank you all, some really good ideas here. I will do some Googling to look for a grocery store near the venue this weekend, they are oftentimes in rather rural areas. Still I can bring a cooler with me.
I like some of the tuna/chicken and veggie ideas. I'm going to have to Google Quac, never heard of it.
oatmeal - still has to be instant I assume. I usually cook the whole oats in a crock overnight, so haven't had the 5 min version in years.

[Susan Otcenas]

Thank you all, some really good ideas here. I will do some Googling to look for a grocery store near the venue this weekend, they are oftentimes in rather rural areas. Still I can bring a cooler with me.
I like some of the tuna/chicken and veggie ideas. I'm going to have to Google Quac, never heard of it.
oatmeal - still has to be instant I assume. I usually cook the whole oats in a crock overnight, so haven't had the 5 min version in years.

Guac is guacamole.

Also, re-read my post. I use regular oats, not instant. I despise instant oatmeal. Too sweet and artificial tasting, and the texture is unpleasant to me. Regular oatmeal cooks up just fine in a microwave. Try it at home, you'll see!

Susan