Traveling Eats…That’s How We Roll
August 5, 2009 at 9:27 pm 13 comments
When you switch to eating primarily living/raw foods, it’s more than just a switch in your diet. It’s affects your entire lifestyle. You can no longer just “drive through” on your way to a meeting and grab a burger and fries. You can’t just hope that there will be something for you to eat at your neighbor’s potluck. No, it requires a bit more planning. However…that doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult or hard to “maintain”. It just means you have to think ahead a bit. It’s not a “burden” for me to plan in this way…because I know that I’m taking an active role in the health of my family. I am definitely not perfect and no, I don’t bring food EVERYWHERE we go…but I do the best I can with the resources I have.
In the photo above you can see my “set up”. If I know that I’m going to be at the park all day, or even out running errands for awhile…I will pack up this lovely rolling cooler. I put in the frozen gel packs to keep everything cold, and then I load it with pre-made salads and a little jar of dressing on the side, watermelon chunks, fruit, trail mix, etc. I also have a smaller rectangular soft sided cooler for shorter trips or for Bella to take on outings. Most of the food rides in my stainless steel To-Go Ware and my water is carried in my Klean Kanteen. Oh, and those little baby toes are for nibbling on too. 🙂
This cooler also works well if you are flying (carry on) and want to have food at your hotel when you arrive. You can also take your Vita-Mix with you when you travel…even though it’s large, it’s so worth it. I wouldn’t be caught without it! (A Magic Bullet or a TriBest work well if you want something smaller). When we are at a hotel, I usually head to Whole Foods or another good grocery store and stock up on greens, etc. (it’s smart to seek out a hotel with a mini fridge, but ice in the sink works too). If you aren’t able to do any of that, bring along some Vitamineral Green. In fact, bring it anyway because it’s good!
On a related note, when you are invited to someone’s home for dinner…you need to make a decision as to how freaky you want to be 🙂 This goes for vegetarians, vegans, and raw vegans. No matter what, you will usually need to let the host/hostess know that you like to avoid certain foods. For me, the easiest solution is just to bring whatever food I want to eat…and usually it’s a big communal salad. That way, everyone else can partake with you. If you are one of those types of people who “doesn’t want to offend” by telling them you eat differently than most people…it’s just a choice you have to make. In our family, Matt and Bella usually eat whatever is made (as long as it’s vegetarian) and I will bring something or ask for something vegan. It’s also fun to bring a dish that is raw, but doesn’t scream “RAW!” (desserts, etc).
I’m really blessed in that I have lots of friends and family who are amazing at cooking vegan food! For the most part, people are super gracious and want to accommodate you…and turns out they usually have a lot of questions about eating healthy too. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend that you spout off the benefits of a raw diet while they are cutting up their steak. A more neutral food setting is better 😉
So, as you can see…it’s really easy to eat healthy while on the road or while dining with those who don’t eat the same way as you do. In the beginning as you transition your routines, it can seem like food is taking over your life 🙂 But eventually, it’s just second nature and you don’t think about it at all. Bottom line: Plan ahead and your body will be happy!
Photo credit: Deea Paul (thanks friend!)
Happy Foody 
1.
Marieke | August 5, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Good advice! I love my KK and I’m hoping to get some to-go ware for school and work. I’m gonna have to start gracefully letting people know about my dietary restrictions since I’m now mostly wheat-free, dairy-free, and only eat poultry and fish.
I don’t *have* to 100% stick to that if I get stuck without other options, but so far it’s worked out pretty well. A raw diet would make things easier in a way, but I can’t eat completely raw because it’s not good for my particular constitution. I might eventually go veg though, or at least get closer to it.
2.
Rose | August 5, 2009 at 10:57 pm
We’re not raw, veggie or vegan but I’ve been doing this for years, taking food with us pretty much *everywhere*. Kleen kanteens, to go ware and pyrex are all great plastic-free options. Bamboo plates and utensils and cloth napkins round out our meals. I like to use pretty baskets to put our food in, somehow it makes it taste even better. Being grain and legume free precludes lots of standard meals. I make pretty much everything from scratch (ketchup, fermented sodas, nut butters, sauerkraut, ice cream etc you get the idea) and that’s what goes with us wherever we travel be it to the other side of the country or the other side of town. I can’t say that I’ve ever taken our vitamix with us tho 😉
3.
Trish | August 6, 2009 at 1:42 am
Thanks for this post Sara! I’m day 2 down…:) and my biggest challenge is definately not having anyone here doing it with me!
It’s funny how even in just a few days your tastes change, Travis made chicken tonight on the grill and it didn’t even look appetizing.
Liam took one look at it and asked me for broccoli! YAY!
4.
joan | August 6, 2009 at 2:05 am
Good food for thought – pun intended! I confess in the past I have been lazy. I work until 2pm. I wouldn’t pack a lunch be starving and pick something up on the way home. Even when I did so at the Whole Foods type store, I didn’t always make good choices and it was expensive. Now I take a cooler.
5.
Our Green Nest | August 6, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I agree – it just takes planning…we wouldn’t have it any other way though!
6.
Deanna Riccardelli | August 6, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Sara,
Thanks for the encouragement. I find summer is tough because of all the picnics (meat, meat and more meat). Taking a salad is a great idea.
I love how you said, “you need to make a decision as to how freaky you want to be.” It is so true. I am at a place now where my girls will tell people about our eating preferences before I have to. It’s great and people take it well from them. feel like I always need to be well versed in Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw lifestyle for the questions people ask.
What is your favorite raw dessert to take places? I almost always take a date nut torte, date nut bowls or fruit and I am looking for something new.
7.
Noelle | August 6, 2009 at 9:33 pm
What a great blog post.. I’ve always wondered about many of these topics.. thanks for addressing them!
8.
Flo | August 7, 2009 at 1:00 am
Sara, are you going to visit Ecopolitan, or the Wedge, at all? Just curious! We’d love to meet you:)
9.
Flo | August 7, 2009 at 1:21 am
Oh, and would you recommend 9 trays vs. 5 trays for a dehydrator? Thanks for your input:)
10.
amanda | August 9, 2009 at 9:30 pm
hi sara,
thanks for the great post! these ideas will be so helpful when traveling over the holiday weekend. can you please share where you bought your cooler? i reallly like it! or if not, perhaps recommend one?
thanks!
amanda
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