How to Eat when Traveling...

​If you have certain dietary restrictions like me, you may become anxious about what to eat when you are traveling.

Here are some tips that can help you feel more relaxed about your next meal in another country:

Depending on where you are traveling to, there may be very different food to what you are used to eating and what your stomach is used to digesting.

Before you travel, do some research on the food in general, and maybe on some alternative restaurants that might offer something you can eat.

Always pack some snacks to have so that in the worst case scenario you have something to eat. 
Here are some of the snacks I bring on every trip:

I also recommend:
ORGANIC NUTS: Almonds, Marcona almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, cashews, hazelnuts
**preferably raw, soaked or sprouted

Make your own Trail mix with a variety of nuts, dark chocolate and dried fruits.

My favorite dried fruits are:

• Mulberrries (good for blood sugar balancing)
• Tart montmorency cherries (anti-inflammatory and good for muscle recovery)
• Goji berries (great for energy boosting)

Larabar Website

Menus: How to Depict which ingredients may be hidden

Anything that says a creamy sauce usually has dairy in it. Many menus now have allergen information and you can always ask for a different menu or ask the chef to make a certain dish to your liking.

For example: I usually ask for the fish special made dairy free without butter and have never been turned down at this request. 

For salads: Always ask for the dressing on the side, or replace a creamy or eggy dressing with balsamic vinaigrette or olive oil, it will also control how much of the dressing you will put on the salad so that it does not get soggy.

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Tricky meals... don't be put off by:

Brunch:

• Brunch usually consists of egg dishes, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, french toast, muffins, scones, croissants etc.
• Most of these are filled with egg, butter, cream, milk etc. 

How to get something that you can eat & will sustain you:

• Look for dishes that might have fruit, nuts and seeds in them
  • museli with alternative yogurt
• ask for oatmeal to be made with water and add a fat and protein source:
  • coconut flakes
  • nuts
  • seeds- flax, chia seeds, hemp hearts
  • nut butter/milk
• Look for avocado toast (maybe they have gluten free and dairy free toast)
• Look for smoked salmon salads
• Ask for vegan options
• Ask for a fresh squeezed vegetable juice or smoothie with no yogurt, maybe use almond or coconut milk as a replacement.
• DO NOT BE AFRAID to eat non-breakfast foods at breakfast. You can get away with eating brunch, lunch and dinner foods at breakfast. A Soup and a Salad is filled with cooked and raw nutrients.

I used to get fed up and upset when I traveled since I couldn't eat a majority of the food. Now I just come prepared and look extra hard to get a delicious meal.

**Sulfites are often added during the process of making wine or ciders to preserve them and enhance the color and flavor. They are also found in many processed foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Study on Sulfite Sensitivities

Takeaway Tips

You know yourself best, so do research before hand. There is nothing worse than being jet lagged & hungry.  
This is why it is handy to have snacks in case of emergency.

• Try your best not to binge eat on new foods either, make sure you pace yourself and eat until you are 80% full.
• If you know you will be "cheating" a lot during your holiday, bring extra digestive enzymes to help your body break down the food so that it does not putrefy and become toxic in the system.
• If you are prone to gas bring Activated Charcoal tablets to help with that.
• Magnesium powder or pills can help with constipation which is all too common when traveling.
• ​Travelers Probiotics that do not require refrigeration are also helpful when traveling. 
• Molybdenum is great if you know you have a sulfite intolerance ( I take this when I know I will be drinking wine or cider)*

Supplements for Bloating

When you know you will have access to a Kitchen

...Bring dried beans and legumes!

You can soak lentils, chickpeas, and all types of beans prior to cooking them. You can go one step futher and bring some spices to make a chili, curry or stew. You may need to supplement with local produce. 

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