Yesterday I got a text from my friend Michelle asking me about protein bars for traveling, which got me thinking about all the paleo travel meal options. Whether your heading out for the day, weekend, or week, packing up some Paleo snacks or knowing where to find them requires advance planning. Ironic, because cavemen lived on-the-go, but the caveman diet doesn't allow us to travel easily or without some advance thought. The key is knowing what you can throw in your bag, and using the internet to know where you can buy snacks when you get where you're going.
The guiding rule is that a snack, or a small meal, should include protein, carbs, and fats, so that you aren't hungry an hour later. We can't always travel with a cooler and rubbermaid containers, so here are some quick and easy suggestions if you're heading out.
Protein: Hard boiled eggs, protein powder, and beef jerky (I'm making some right now!) are the easiest on-the-go options. I always have a ziplock or two of protein powder in my purse. When an airport is involved, I would highly recommend you choose a colorful protein powder, not vanilla, so that there is no question that it is, indeed, whey protein. Unless, of course, you are hoping for some strip search action... Keeping hard boiled eggs on hand is also helpful. Two or three will give you a meal, one or two a snack. Yes, everyone around will crinkle their noses, but you can enjoy your egg with the smug knowledge that you are making a healthy choice while they are probably eating a hot dog or a bagel. Beef jerky is another choice, but one that has to be made carefully. Any of the standard gas station beef jerky brands are loaded with corn syrup and sugar, or often soy sauce. I bought a food dehydrator for 34.99 at Costco, and I'm making my own beef jerky for the first time. If I'm successful, I will attempt to make chicken or turkey jerky as well. When you are really desperate, not your best paleo option is pork rinds. They are paleo, but fried pork fat isn't going to pack a huge nutritional punch. Bars are easy, but usually not paleo. Most bars have brown rice syrup in them, but if you look carefully there are a few paleo versions around. I just found some in Common Market called something like Two Raw Moms. I think I'm butchering their company name - I will confirm it when I go to CM again. They had only fruit and nuts in their bars, no grains of any sort, so that combined with a protein shake or a HB egg would be fine.
Steve's Paleo Kits online has great pre-packaged paleo meals. If you are hitting airports for a day's travel, it's not a bad idea to stock up on some of these. They are pretty tasty, a little expensive, but worth it to spare you the hassle of trying to locate healthy food.
Carbs are easy. Any salad bar will take care of your carb intake. Just keep the beans, corn, and peas out of it, and use olive oil and vinegar sparingly. Fruit should be limited to once a day, but tangerines or berries make an easy-to-grab carb portion. Yesterday, I had a bag of blueberries and slivered almonds with my morning protein shake, and it kept me full for a few hours. Sometimes I hit Wegman's salad bar after the gym, and I load up the veggies and greens and throw a little plain grilled chicken on top. A little olive oil, and I have my perfectly balanced protein, carb, fat meal.
Olives, nuts, seeds and oils make up the fat part of the meal, and should never be left out. This is not "Bad Fat," but instead it's "Essential Fat." Our bodies need fat to insulate our organs. Unfortunately over the years, we've also used undigestible or large quantities to also insulate our mid sections and thighs. Essential fats will help keep you full longer, so make sure they are a small part of every meal. A few nuts, olives or the oil to that the food cooked in is usually plenty. If it's a salad, just use a tablespoon or so.
I'm headed out of town again in a few days. I've already done an airport while on the Zone Challenge, so I'm prepared. I will have 2-3 snack packages in my purse, and I've googled my food shopping choices in my destination. Apparently my hotel serves a delicious blackened mahi mahi, so I'm thinking that will be my protein staple for a few days. Simply plan ahead, buy and prepare what you need, and your travel snacks are easy.
1 comment:
I do a shake, baby carrots, and some sunflower seeds quite frequently for a good no-heat snack. I ate it while at the jail the other night. Even with the overwhelming stench of B.O. there, it was good.
I was a little apprehensive to Google "Two Raw Moms" but fortunately the first thing that came up was Two Moms in the Raw, a website about gluten free snacks and foods. Their bars do contain Agave, so I'm not sure if that would put them in the not so good for you category.
They really need to change their name. Can you imagine walking by and overhearing this conversation at the water cooler: "Hey did you check out Two Moms in the Raw? Their stuff really satisfies my cravings to get me through the day..."
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