Eating healthy on the road

I travel for work. Not all the time, and normally in clumps of time. Earlier this year I did not have a single month without travel and typically I am gone one to two weeks, though there have been times I've been away as many as 33 days at a stretch. 

I cannot eat poorly for a week or more and expect to maintain good health. Restaurant eating 3x a day for a week would be visible in my size and I'd not feel my best, either. So I am selective about the meals I eat out when on the road and plan ahead, before I ever leave home, on how I am going to make good, healthy and tasty choices while on the road.

One thing I make sure of is that I know where the local markets are and will select a hotel that is closer to a grocer than one that is not OR one that is on a main transportation line. I bring at least one reusable bag with long enough handles I can sling it over my shoulder even when full. My favorite is the Thirty One Essential Storage Tote. It comes in many colors and you can choose to have it embroidered or not. http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog/product/347/catid/21/swid/347g/essential-storage-tote-in-black-parisian-pop/ is a link to this awesome bag!  It folds down easily into my luggage and allows me to 'live like a local' in whatever town my travels take me. Of course, if you forget a bag, most grocery stores now sell a reusable tote at reasonable prices, because no way would I trust a paper bag when out and about and you can't give me a plastic shopping bag-yuck!

I bring with me the base essentials. I always pre-measure protein powders in pre-mixed flavors (1 scoop of cookies and cream, 1/2 a scoop of chocolate for example) and mark them on my travel baggies which I have been using for about a year now. I reuse them time and time again and so I can live with that plastic use. I bring one blender bottle. I have tried several brands, Blender Tec is my current favorite. It has a 'whisk ball' that mixes EVERYTHING so well, I can even make a smoothie by mixing yogurt and powder and a bit of almond milk!  I usually bring four snack size baggies of plain rolled oats for a 7 day trip as well as a protein bar per day. Keeping a protein bar in my handbag guarantees I won't need to nibble from the vending machine or off any trays brought into the office of overly fat, highly sugared, simple carb filled foods. I bring a tetra pak of 11 ounces of unsweetened almond milk, sometimes two of them if I know I won't make it to the grocery the first day. I bring an inexpensive knife, fork and spoon that if it is lost en route, won't cause me to be upset. I bought two such sets at Tuesday Morning for 99c each on clearance.

Depending on when I arrive in said city, I either check in to the hotel before heading to the office or not until after the work day. Ideally, pre-work is best so I can unload and see what the room fridge is like before shopping. I have never had a hotel that could not accommodate a fridge in my room. I let them know I need it for medical reasons. And that is the truth...my health is dependent upon healthy foods! Some, like Kimpton properties, have mini-fridges full of mini-bar items. I remove them and fill it with my food and replace all those items before checking out. I make sure they are aware of this before I do so and leave a note for room service in English and Spanish to let them know the items will be returned the morning I depart. 

At the market I typically buy the following for a week:
1 head of Bibb or Boston butter lettuce (if small, I buy two)
1/2 gallon of unsweetened vanilla almond/coconut milk or flax milk
4 oz of chevre
4 oz of cheese such as Muenster or Swiss (sliced or brick)
Two apples
Three bananas
Small bag of almonds 
Four Greek yogurt, various flavors
Bag of Skinny Pop
Small bottle of bread and butter pickles
1/2 lb of sliced meat (chicken, turkey, beef...you name it!)
Salad bar mix of fresh mushrooms, colored pepper slices, olives, beets, you get the idea, that total 8-12 oz

Here is how I use these items over one week:

1) Lettuce leaves (5 or 6) spread lightly with an ounce of chevre divided among the leaves, not each. Drizzle lightly with honey (get it from a local coffee shop or the office) roll up burrito style and enjoy a 90 calorie snack that you'll enjoy tremendously. I can have this snack 4 times and use the head of lettuce and all the chevre.
2) Slice an apple and pair the apple with two ounces of the Swiss or Muenster. Any cheese will do, I like these best with apples. And I prefer Honeycrisp, Tango or Pink Lady with cheese. Two perfect snacks or mini-meals here! Someone asked me why they could not just eat the apple, and sure you can. But there must be some psychology attached to slicing it, parsing out the cheese for each slice and seeing it all laid out on a plate. I sometimes cannot finish a large apple with 2 oz of cheese. But give me bricks of cheese and a bowl of apples, I bet I could get quite a bit more in.
3) Presuming 8 slices of meat in an 8 oz purchase, roll the meat up 2 slices at a time for a 2 oz serving and then slice the roll into pieces about an inch or inch and a half thick. I find I get 4-6 slices from each roll if done lengthwise. That is then placed on top of bread and butter pickles and enjoyed tremendously! You could also buy 1/2 a lb of boiled shrimp and put a large shrimp on each pickle.
4) When lunch is ordered in I request a plain green salad and then add 4 to 6 ounces of the vegetable mix from the grocery salad bar to it to ensure I am getting clean, healthy, HFCS free toppings for my greens. You'll have enough for two fabulous salads! I have yet to find a restaurant that would not send plain vinegar on the side for my dressing!
5) A small bag of almonds and a banana is a great treat--you'll have enough for three of these PLUS one bag of almonds remaining that you can tuck in a bag or pocket easily for some good fats when you are hungry but don't need a full meal. 
6) Yogurt is complete and easy, but I really like to add 1/2 cup of plain, uncooked oatmeal and let it sit for about 10 minutes after stirring well. I find it to be a wonderfully filling treat. Some friends have said it was strange at first, but they came to like (or love) it as well!
7) The almond or flax milk is what I make my protein shakes with, either in the morning or right before bed, depends on the day. 
8) Skinny Pop is just a nice treat when out and about, I sometimes put it in a baggie but let's face it, sometimes I lay in bed and enjoy it!

The above would then allow me to eat only 6 of 21 meals out and I can be very smart with those choices. I do find that when I go back on a subsequent grocery trip to refresh my salad vegetables or even buy more chevre and lettuce, I can get to the point where I am eating maybe 3 meals out for a 7 day trip and those are typically required for business purposes. In a future post I'll give my best tips for how to find choices almost anywhere that are healthy and satisfying!

What is your favorite meal on the go? Do you grocery shop when you travel? Any tips you want to share?