Category — Clean Eating Travel

I have to be honest up front. I’m not an expert on this topic in any way shape or form. But here’s the thing.

I recently went on an overnight trip with my family to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And to put it mildly, I got a crash course in what it takes to eat clean on the road. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Here are some pointers for your next trip:

• ~Take three containers. A cooler for cold foods, a large bag for dry foods and another bag for dishes. It’s easier if you keep things separated.
• ~Take a clean sponge in a zip lock sandwich bag for doing dishes.
• ~Take a small container of dish soup, unless you don’t mind using hotel bar soap to clean your dishes.
• ~Cook as much in advance as you can.
• ~Be sure you will have the “Holy Hotel Trinity” – a microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator in your hotel room. If not, consider another hotel.
• ~Take plenty of chicken breasts, pre-cooked oatmeal, distilled water and hard boiled eggs.
• ~Prepare a ton of veggies ahead of time and store in zip lock bags.
• ~If you are a tea drinker like me, take plenty of tea bags and use the coffee maker in the hotel room for hot water.
• ~Whatever your beverage of choice, be sure to bring plenty.
• ~Bring whole wheat tortillas to make wraps
• ~Take plenty of “finger foods” that don’t need to be kept cold such as apples, oranges and nuts.
• ~Use the plastic bag that comes with your hotel room ice bucket to fill with ice for your cooler for the trip home. Clean up is so much easier when it’s all contained in a plastic bag!

Utensils and dishes:

• ~Plastic is best, but bring at least one glass bowl for microwaving.
• ~Wash the rotating plate in the microwave so you can put food on it directly. That way you don’t need a glass plate as well.
• ~Bring a plastic bowl, plate, cup, and plastic ware set for each person.

When you first arrive:

• ~Set up a “kitchen area” and unpack your food.
• ~Call the front desk for a couple extra hand towels (for drying dishes)
• ~If there is anything you waited to buy until you got there, go buy it. There’s no better way to slip off your eating plan than by not having what you need to eat clean.

When you eat out:

• ~Most restaurants can cook any of their meats with nothing on it. Order a salad with no dressing (or vinegar, or lemon juice), a piece of plain meat and lots of veggies.
• ~Drink plenty of tea or water. It’s easy to dehydrate when you’re out of your element. So be mindful of water consumption.

So that’s it! That was my crash course.

If you have any clean eating travel tips, I’d LOVE to hear them. We’re already planning our next adventure to Old Sacramento, so any extra hints and tips are appreciated!