Paleo Diet – You Can Also Do It While on The Road.
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As you probably know, the paleo diet relies on eating what you might have been able to hunt or forage during the Paleolithic age. It is also known as the ‘Stone Age Diet”.
This means cutting out anything that is processed, from grains like wheat and rye, to processed cheese, hydrogenated oils, and most carbohydrates. You are going to follow a diet that is high in good fats and moderate in animal fats, with plenty of produce mixed in as well, along with nuts and seeds.
The paleo diet is a great option, with similar results to low carb diets if you want to lose weight, maintain your current weight, or become healthier. You are no longer eating sugar or processed foods, which can be very beneficial to your overall health, not just your figure. When you are at home, it is easy to stay on track because you have a full-size refrigerator and kitchen at your disposal. With this type of diet, you aren’t buying any packaged foods, so the majority of your meals are homemade. This isn’t an option when you are traveling, so you need to get creative and think a little bit outside the box.
The following information provides you with some tips and tricks for staying on the paleo diet as much as possible while traveling. Keep in mind the general recommendation is to stick to the paleo diet 80% of the time. So while it is good to try to bring plenty of food on your trip that follows with the paleo diet, don’t worry if 20% of your diet isn’t necessarily paleo-approved.
The Importance of Preparation
If you are going to travel while remaining on the paleo diet, the first thing you need to do is give yourself plenty of time to prepare. One of the easiest ways to go completely off diet while traveling is when you assume you will be able to find what you need at a gas station or restaurant, then discover you can’t find any beef jerky or nuts and have to eat a bag of chips and a candy bar instead. Make sure when planning your vacation, whether going by plane, train, car, or even on a cruise ship, that you know what to expect and plan accordingly.
Research Your Accommodations
The first step to planning for your trip is to research the type of accommodations you will have. For example, if you are headed on a road trip, you might be stopping at a few hotels along the way. Instead of just stopping when you get tired and sleeping overnight, know exactly where you are going to stop. This helps you to find hotels with a microwave and fridge, which will help you store and prepare food while you are there. It also helps you choose hotels with something to offer, such as eggs and bacon for breakfast, or a nearby restaurant where you can choose something paleo diet friendly.
Look Up What is Around
You also want to know what is going to be around in regards to your trip. Perhaps you are staying at a vacation resort. You already know that room service and a continental breakfast is offered, but that isn’t going to feed you for a week or however long you are on vacation. Look up fast-food restaurants, delis, cafes, and sit-down restaurants in the area to find out where you can go. Look up their menus online so you can decide ahead of time what you will order. This not only takes all the guesswork out of what to order when you get there, but it lets you know exactly how much food you need to bring with you.
Make a List of Paleo Diet -Approved Snacks
When you are preparing for your trip, make sure you are making a list of the snacks to be brought with you. You want to know what snacks need to be kept cool either in the car or in the hotel room, as well as snacks that can be left out. Make sure you have a good combination of snacks so you aren’t eating just nuts and beef jerky for the entire trip. Have a good variety of snacks that are a variation of what you would eat at home.
Start Prepping Your Snacks
Now that you know what snacks you are going ot bring on the trip, you can get them prepared. If you just bring a big bag of jerky, a jar of nuts, and another bag of produce, you might eat too much in the beginning of your trip, run out, and have to try and find things at a convenience store. A better option for the planning stage is to take all of your snacks and put them in individual portion bags. This allows you to select just one snack-sized baggie of whatever food you are having so that you can control how much you eat and have enough for the entire trip.
What to Look For in a Hotel
Now that you understand why the planning stage is so important for your vacation, you can start looking for a hotel with the right amenities and the right location. Your hotel choice is really important when you are trying to stick to the paleo diet. It ensures there are enough amenities in the room and places to eat around the hotel that keep you from hitting up McDonald’s for French fries or getting a muffin from the continental breakfast. Convenience food can be very tempting and easy, but if you planned it out right, your hotel should have everything you need. Here are some things to look for in a hotel:
Nearby Restaurants
First thing’s first: look for accommodations that are near places you can eat. While it is true you can adjust menus at just about every restaurant to a paleo diet, you don’t want to make it more difficult than you have to. Find a hotel with a lot of different restaurant choices so that you can look up all their menus online and make an educated decision. If the only restaurant between the hotel and civilization is a Denny’s, you will be good for a day or so, but then you’re going to get bored with the limited selections. Look for variety and different types of cuisine to make it interesting. This allows you to fully enjoy your vacation while also remaining on the paleo diet plan as much as possible.
Fridge and Microwave in the Room
It is also a good idea to find a hotel with a microwave and mini fridge in your room. This lets you bring food and snacks that need to be kept cold, while you can also bring some leftovers in containers and heat up your food in the microwave. The mini fridge is a little more convenient than a microwave since you could always eat leftovers cold, so really focus on looking for a hotel room with a fridge. You might need to call the hotel instead of making reservations online, because many hotels only have certain rooms with these amenities. It might cost you a little more for the special rooms, but the upgrade is well worth it when you need to have some meals in the room and want full control over what you eat.
Room Service or Continental Breakfast
Finally, don’t forget about the option of either breakfast served in the hotel or room service. Continental breakfast when there are just bagels, muffins, and cereal can be hard to find something paleo-approved. However, do find out exactly what is offered. Some hotels have a breakfast with some extras, such as fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and breakfast meats. This does allow you to have a breakfast following the paleo diet. It is also good to have a hotel where room service is available. You can order up food that is approved by your paleo diet, whether you get steak and veggies, salmon, or a burger without the bun and fries. It is a good option when you are treating yourself to a nice vacation.
How to Keep Food Cold
There are some instances where you need to keep food cold without having access to a mini fridge. This applies to going on a road trip, being on the train, or even being in your hotel room. Here are some helpful ways to keep food cold in different situations:
On the Train or Bus
If you are traveling by bus or train, you are limited with your options of keeping your food cold. You will only be able to keep a small amount of food cold, and only for a short period of time. You can usually keep food cold for a few hours though, so planning ahead can really help you. For this type of travel, bring along an insulated lunch bag. It should be large enough to fit anything you are trying to keep cold, such as hard-boiled eggs, salad ingredients, or a paleo wrap you have prepared. Add some soft ice packs to the bottom, add your food, then put another ice pack on top. This should be enough to keep it cold for several hours.
In Your Car
When you travel by car, it is a little bit easier to keep more food colder for a longer period of time than if you are going by train or bus. You have more room to hold larger items, which means you can bring along an ice chest. There are three ways to keep food cold in an ice chest: with ice packs, actual ice, or with dry ice. Actual ice is good when you have a lot of extra room in the ice chest and can get more ice during your road trip. With dry ice, it keeps food cold for up to 24 hours while in your ice chest, which is good news for a road trip.
In a Hotel Room
Finally, you can keep food in your hotel room without a mini fridge. This is also another way you can use your ice chest, and keep buying ice or dry ice to add to it so your food stays cold. Another option is to fill the sink in the hotel room with ice, even with the ice you get from the ice machine that the hotel offers. This keeps small food or drink items cold for a short period of time. It isn’t ideal, but it definitely a good option when you are in a pinch.
Foods You Can Keep at Room Temperature
Don’t want to worry about keeping everything cold? There is no need to worry! You will be able to choose a lot of healthy foods and snacks for the paleo diet that are easy to bring with you and can be kept out on a table or counter when you are traveling. Whether you bring them in food containers in your car, keep them in your backpack during a trip on the train, or have them set up in your hotel room, they are no-fuss foods and snacks.
Shelf-Stable Paleo Snacks
* Beef jerky
* Hardboiled eggs (for a limited time)
* Tuna or sardines in a can or foil pouch
* Nuts or seeds, preferably raw and unsalted varieties
* Kale chips and other vegetable chips
* Seaweed
* Olives
Produce You Can Keep Out
* All types of berries
* Pears
* Apples
* Regular and cherry tomatoes
* Cherries
* Celery
* Carrots
* Broccoli
* Avocado
* Jicama
* Tangerines
* Dates
* Figs
Snacks to Bring On the Plane
The snacks you bring along on a plane are limited to your purse or carry-on bag only. You need to be careful with what you bring to ensure it is approved during check-in. And make sure it fits in your bag with your other belongings.
Road Trip Paleo Foods
Here are some snack options that are perfect for bringing with you on a road trip:
Homemade granola – If you like to make your own granola, bring some with you!. It is good to munch on without needing a big meal. It is also easy to eat if you are driving.
Paleo-friendly protein bars – Try making your own protein bars or getting some paleo protein bars before you leave. Make sure you look closely at the ingredients before buying.
Dried fruit – Dried fruit is always a good idea on a road trip. It lets you have some sweetness and get rid of that sugar cravings. Dried apricots and dried mango are excellent for road trips.
Dry roasted nuts – Instead of the plain raw almonds, mix it up with dry roasted nuts. Get them unsalted and get different types of nuts, such as cashews. These are really yummy and can feel more like a treat than anything else.
Hard-boiled eggs and cheese –Bring an ice chest with cold packs in your car, fill with cheese and hard-boiled eggs. These will keep cold for several hours and offer a protein-filled snack.
Sweet potato chips – Kale chips and sweet potato chips are highly recommended.
Selecting the Right Restaurants
Part of planning for your trip when you are on paleo is selecting restaurants and fast food joints you can eat from. However, this can get tiring, so don’t forget about sit-down restaurants.
Most types of cuisine will offer something you can eat. For example, many people think Mexican is out of the question, but it just depends what you get. Choose a dish that comes with meat and veggies, then just avoid the tortillas. You can get fajitas and have the grilled chicken and vegetables, as well as the salsa.
With sushi restaurants, you can eat all the raw sashimi you want, just avoid any rolls that contain rice. Instead of a California roll, go for a roll of raw tune instead. Seafood and steak restaurants are ideal, enjoy all the seafood, steak, and veggies, and leave behind the carb sides.
Don’t let your vacation keep you from your regular paleo diet lifestyle.
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