Ideas Please

[emcmaster]

Hi everyone!

I'm traveling a lot for work right now and am having a tough time figuring out what to eat. I'm in our OKC office for a few days every couple weeks (lately it's been every week, but that won't be forever). I try to avoid restaurants at all costs because I get sick 99% of the time (unless I order something worthless like a plain side salad, no dressing). I don't have a mini-fridge in the hotel room but do have a fridge at the office that I can stock (I currently have a few Amy's meals in the freezer). The problem is I'm often only in town for 1 to 3 days, so making a large grocery run isn't practical.

I've been living off of Larabars for dinner/snacks, which isn't practical or healthy. I don't eat corn and try to limit my grains. I fly so anything I bring will have to fit in a suitcase, which I baggage-check.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

If I am going somewhere that I know I can't eat out, I pack a suitcase of food. I like Thai Kitchen products and others that just require hot water and a microwave. I know some people take a hot plate with them when they travel but I have never done it. Cereal, bars, crackers, and such. I usually go to local markets, too, and pick up fresh fruit that doesn't need refrigeration (apples, bananas, and so forth).

Good luck!

[CaraLouise]

Where are you in OKC? If you want to stock up on gluten free stuff try the store Akins. Just PM me and I can help you find things in OKC, I live here!

[WW340]

I travel a fair amount of time. I use the food tek microwaveable products for bread and sweets. Easy to carry and only requires water and a microwave. I also take cans or packets of tuna, chicken, peanut butter (in those small snack pack cups). Small fruit cups, apple sauce, gluten-free crackers. I pack everything in freezer bags so they won't leak if somehow ruptured. I carry my own silverware. I generally swing by a grocery store on my way to hotel and pick up a bag of salad greens, fresh fruit, and milk. I always try to stay where I have access to microwave and frig if possible.

I have even taken a small ice chest and then get ice at the hotel when I got there so I could keep a few perishables if there was no frig available. It is a little more of a pain to keep adding ice (I take baggies to put the ice in so I don't have to deal with water in the bag), but sometimes worth it to have the variety that offers. Most every hotel/motel has ice available.

I grab chili from Wendys frequently, sometimes a baked potato. I have learned to cook a pretty big variety of food in the microwave. There are small packets of mayo, gluten-free soy sauce etc. available on the internet. I keep a good supply of these. It is really easy to microwave some chicken, rice (you can buy packets to microwave that are gluten-free) and veggies for a stir fry like dinner.

If you have a freezer at work, you could keep some frozen veggies and chicken breast there and take it to your room to microwave. It will stay cold enough until you get ready to cook it without a frig. or put it in a baggie with ice.

I keep everything non-perishable packed in my food bag. It is pretty much always ready to go. I just replenish as needed.

[Treen Bean]

I travel 8 months out of the year. So, I understand what you're going through. I always have packets of tuna/salmon, microwaveable gluten-free soups, Thai Kitchen meals that only need hot water, gluten-free oatmeal (it can be cooked in the microwave, it just takes some time); rice cakes, bars, fruit, peanut butter, balsamic vinegar (great for salad dressing substitute or to jazz up rice), gluten-free packets of microwaveable rice.... i think that's it....

Wendy's chili and baked potato are a life saver.

Chipotle is good too. Just avoid the tortillas and chips, and have the workers change their gloves.

Another thing I often do is go to a grocery store and but those pre-washed, pre-wrapped microwaveable sweet potatoes. I think they're called "Micro Sweeties". They are excellent and a great break from my usual soups! I hope this helps a little bit. Traveling a lot when gluten-free is never fun. But at least it makes us appreciate being at home with a kitchen!

[Juliebove]

Wow! That is tough. I eat the pumpkin seed bars from Goraw. In a pinch, they will work for a meal. They make some other bars, but I don't like the fruit and stuff that is in them. Another option would be trail mix that you make yourself. I used to make my own with nuts, seeds, coconut and sometimes chocolate chips.

Have you tried asking the hotel if they have a refrigerator you can use? Or can you stay elsewhere? That is one requirement I have when I travel. And now I have no choice because I use insulin.

Can you get some fresh fruit at the hotel?

[emcmaster]

Thanks all for the great ideas!

[BRUMI1968]

I see your signature line says adrenal fatigue...I think I'm struggling with that myself.

I will say that most 'travel' or snack food seems to be sweet. Like Lara bars. I love them; they are healthy; but I can't eat them due to my probable candida, hypoglycemia, and adrenal fatigue.

So...I've started taking boiled eggs on road trips (with salt and pepper), avocados (in their own package), tomatoes (ditto the packaging), prewashed ROMAINE lettuce (which work as "bread" for avocados and tomatoes and the like; RAW dehydrated crakcers (made from flax, etc. so are grain free). What else.....

taking some humus, which if you avoid beans as I do, you can make from zucchini, tahini, garlic or onion, spices, olive oil, lemon - and then, since it is a bit thin, you add sundried tomatoes (if you do nightshades) without soaking them. They soak up some of the liquid. You can also add olives or whatever else you like.

hmmm....Did you say how long you have to travel per trip before going home? I'm thinking of a road trip I took a week ago. It all started out okay, but I ended up buying bars and stuff to get me through it, and that was sugar, and that messed me up.

Asperagus tips are good raw...sorry, I'm only saying raw things as they are good for traveling, they are their own packaging, they don't require equipment.

I take a swiss army picnic knife with me all the time, as well as a camping salt and pepper. I also take Melindas hot sauce. So I eat lots of lettuce cups full of avocado, sprouts, tomato, green onion, etc. with salt and pepper and Melindas.

I'm hungry.