taymariekay wrote:Has anyone traveled while eating completely compliant MWL? I know if I really prepare while there I can make all my own food and bring meals with me (even I to restaurants) but I worry that I will accidentally waste food since I can’t bring any home with me and also am not sure how to keep food warm while we are out and about all day. Any tips? I’m thinking extra large thermos or ultra insulated lunch box to keep a meal or two warm while we are out on the town. I don’t really eat cold foods or salads but I suppose I could mke a potato salad. It’s guaranteed that my family will be wanting to eat out, or order in, so I know the preparedness will need to be top notch!
Here’s what I keep getting in my head about. This applies to any situation where I am not in control of food, not just traveling. But it’s on my mind lately since the trip is coming up. I really want to stay compliant (always and forever ideally) because I will feel my best thus be able to truly enjoy myself, but part of me (and peer pressure too) just wants to leave it to fate and hope the restaurants have at least mildly healthy options that I can choose wisely from, but then I know I won’t feel my best. So I guess I’m choosing between taking effort to be prepared and tough through the peer pressure and reap the benefits or take the “easy route” and hope for the best but probably not feel great about it. I know what I need to do for my health (mental and physical) but sometimes it can be a bummer! I think social pressures and opinions definitely add to this sadly.
I think social events, eating out with friends, traveling, holidays - they all really stress me out because I my health conscious self just wants to eat my healthy McDougall foods, but then my social self just wants to be “normal” and I find myself sacrificing my health/goals for temporary satisfaction from feeling normal, fitting in, taking the east route. This is probably one of the biggest conundrums I find myself in and find myself thinking about often. I think I just need to have a plan for all situations and do my plan and call it good.
Anyone having similar stress thoughts about this?
@taymariekay, yes, I’ve traveled on MWL. Your last sentence is key: have a plan, do the plan, call it good.
On the social aspect.... People won’t think you’re normal. They’ll think you’re weird. Get yourself a strategy for dealing with that (do
NOT engage in discussions, confrontations, or attempts to educate others about what you’re doing or why). Then relax. Watch Dr. Doug Lisle's
"Getting Along Without Going Along" vídeo for some ideas. A shrug and a smile are my best tools for dealing with others. That and keeping my beak firmly shut, despite the strong temptation to extol the virtues of all things McDougall.
On the food.... I’ve developed a few strategies, which may or may not work for you. Unfortunately, the salad bar is no more, because of the pandemic. One of my most reliable standbys for food, Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation, has closed all their locations permanently. They had a huge salad bar, baked and sweet potatoes, and at least one soup that would work at every meal. We used to eat there twice a day when we traveled West or Southwest! Now I have to be a bit more creative. Fortunately I have experience with this, too, because we have relatives who (<gasp>) chose to live in states that didn’t have Sweet Tomatoes
Rule #1. Always choose lodgings with a mini-fridge and a microwave.
Rule #2. Come prepared. I pack an unbreakable set of dishes for the Gander and me (wrapped in towels and placed in the center of the suitcase — never underestimate the ability of baggage handlers to break things), plus a set of silverware. If you'd prefer, you can shop for paper plates and plastic cutlery at your destination, but we like eating off of more solid plates and bowls. Always pack a travel-size bottle of dish liquid. I also pack at least two 16-ounce wide-mouth thermoses and a small electric kettle. And a steamer that I can use in the microwave for potatoes. And extra plastic bags, squares of foil torn off the roll, and paper towels torn off the roll and folded up.
Rule #3. Simplify. You’re not out for a gourmet experience, you’re out to stay healthy, stick to your plan, and enjoy your trip with a minimal amount of extra work. Who cares if you eat the same thing all the time, if it’s easier?
Rule #4. Always locate the nearest grocery store first thing. It will become your friend. Likewise, scope out the nearest Subway. I let them prepare chopped salad for me, rather than messing with making salad.
Here’s a short list of my basic survival foods on the road.
- Overnight steel cut oats. I bring the oats in a plastic bag from home, with a measuring cup. I make them in Thermoses, using the electric kettle to boil water (you can use the hotel coffee maker in a pinch, but ...ewww... I’d much rather use my own clean electric kettle and bottled water). They "cook" in the Thermos overnight and are wonderfully warm and tasty in the morning. We buy a bunch of bananas at the grocery store and eat them on oatmeal and also for dessert. The Gander buys his own dry cereal and bread, too.
- Potatoes. A bag of Yukon Golds. I steam these every morning, wrap them in foil, and put them in one of the bowls I brought, inside a thermal lunch kit. Pack silverware and a tiny container of salt or other seasoning if you use it. I live on potatoes, baby carrots (also from the grocery store) and fresh fruit, supplemented by Subway chopped salad (with a travel size bottle of balsamic vinegar that I bring for dressing). I just don’t do 99% of restaurants. You may choose to order a salad at a restaurant and supplement with your potato.
- Broccoli. I buy a big bag of already cleaned raw florets and use them raw or steam them for a motel supper. Same with cauliflower pieces. These happen to be our favorite vegetables. Adjust to your preferences.
- Shelf-stable bowls of brown rice. No oil. I order these online and bring them with me. They’re not always available at grocery stores. Microwave for 90 seconds, wrap in a towel, put it in your insulated lunch kit, it’ll stay warm for an hour or so. Works if you do it right before you go out to a restaurant. Works beautifully if you’re staying in and the rest of the family is ordering SAD.
- Jeff Novick burgers. I make these in advance, cook them, freeze them solid (individually wrapped in plastic, not foil — if you want to get them through TSA), put them into the thermal lunch kit to travel, then into the mini-fridge at your destination. They heat up in the microwave very well.
Now that’s my non-restaurant approach to travel. If you’re more inclined to choose restaurants, at least part of the time, you might find Jeff's post on
Dining Out helpful.
If any of my ideas appeal to you and you’d like more information on what I do, let me know. I’m sure others will have some ideas as well.
Goose
