Traveling Gluten Free

It's no small secret that I love to travel. In the last year, I've been lucky enough to travel to quite a few places, including my most recent trips to Austin and now Chicago.

Over the past year, I have altered my travel mentality when it comes to food. In the past, if I was taking a short trip, I did not worry too much about finding options for food wherever I was heading. There wasn't a specific incident that inspired my change in habits. I just realized that I know what food my body reacts to best and that I would rather not risk finding food that isn't gluten free, healthy, or chemical-laden.

For the week, I have packed a bag full of goodies that I'm sure will be gone by the end of the weekend! I packed a few fruit strips, cereal mixed with raisins and sliced almonds, dried seaweed snack pack, Larabar, muffins, and nut butter packets. It might seem like a lot to carry but I'm going to be gone for 5 days. It is worth it to have things on-hand throughout a conference because my options for food will be limited and I want to make sure to have healthy snacks on hand!

Here are a few tips for traveling with allergies:

• Be prepared! Pack a variety of foods that travel well and can be eaten at any time of day. Fruit strips, bars like Larabars, dried fruits and nuts, cereal or granola, nut butter packets, crackers, etc. could all be eaten for a meal or snack. It's better than getting stuck empty-handed!
• Take advantage of a grocery store. My friend and I had about 30 minutes to run to Whole Foods for breakfast on my recent Austin trip. When hot bar options were slim, I wandered about the store, a little worried I wouldn't find something filling, cheap, and no (or little) - cook. In the freezer case I found this frozen hot cereal which I was able to top with toppings I had packed. It was a great discovery!  You can also get yogurt, fruits, and any other foods much cheaper than at a restaurant or convenience store... and you know what you're getting! 

• Let your host know of your food allergies! The bride remembered my food allergies and had alerted her wedding planner of the guests who had dietary restrictions (allergies, vegetarian, etc.). They approached me at the rehearsal dinner and reception to discuss what I could have or to create a meal that was safe for me to eat. When I registered for our convention, I made sure to note my food allergies (and they are usually really good at accommodating me at meals).
• Scout out restaurants and menus before you go. I do this all the time. An increasing number of restaurants are offering gluten free menus which makes choosing a place to eat easier. If there is not a special menu available, you'll be able to tell if there's something to modify that fits your needs. In fact, I already have reservations for places in Chicago! I'm super excited!
• Do the best you can. If there are only a few options available to you, do the best you can to piece together a meal. At the airport coming back from the wedding, I concocted a savory breakfast of grits, black beans, and salsa that was very affordable. It was better than getting greasy potatoes sitting near biscuits or pre-mixed yogurt parfaits that risk contamination. Don't be afraid to eat foods that you might otherwise eat at a different time (salad, beans, etc. for breakfast, cereal for dinner, etc.)

What are some of your favorite travel tips?

Welcome to the Windy City

This morning started bright and early in time for my flight. Thanks to some planning last night, my routine went smoothly and I even had time to package the berries and cherries from the farm that I froze on a baking sheet last night. Bonus! Now I don't need to buy frozen fruit when I'm back next week :)

I will be the first to admit that I, despite being a totally Type A person, my schedule, routines, and planning are morphing as a result of the blog community. I tend to be a night owl but growing up, I was up with the sun and loved having that extra time with my dad. How has my schedule changed? In a few ways:

• After arriving home exhausted from a jam-packed wedding weekend, I've been in bed by 11pm at the latest on most nights which has me feeling bright-eyed in the morning. Yesterday I even woke up 45 minutes before my alarm and lifted weights before getting ready for work!
• I've never had a problem packing healthful, easy lunches. It's something I pride myself on and was doing before the "5-minute lunch" thing caught on. However, when I find a few quiet minutes in the evening, I throw my lunch together or chop veggies that I plan to pack the next day so I'm not rushing to do so in the morning.
• Because I'm exercising earlier in the evenings (I still can't attend my favorite classes which are from 6 - 7pm), I eat dinner earlier which gives me time to digest and get tired at an earlier hour.

I want to be clear that I believe there is no perfect schedule and you need to do what works best for your body and your life. In fact, who knows how long these trends will last for me. I may vacillate between being a night owl and early bird but I am confident in my ability to manage my time, using spare minutes productively, and not being afraid to unplug a bit earlier. It's helped me to feel more in control of my time and squeeze more out of my day.

I made it to the airport on time, purchased my usual liter of water and coffee, and sat down to eat my packed breakfast before boarding. Because of the staying power in Sunday's breakfast, I replicated it to fuel my morning of travel. This is one Udi's bagel (I wish they had a whole grain variety) with ~less than one egg white and lots of spinach. I used the last of my TJ's pepper and eggplant spread plus some hot sauce on half the bagel. I kept the other half simple with just a smidge of Earth Balance and cinnamon.

I've never been happier to pay for my water (despite it being less eco-friendly, it's easier than carrying around a water bottle when I'm on-the-go) because we pushed back from our gate and sat on the runway for over an hour because a storm shut down O'Hare! I made use of the time by finishing my convention reading and actually did so standing up. Why? I am horribly antsy and can't sit still. Hey, it's better for ya, right? I stretched my legs out a bit too so I was able to sit still for most of the flight when we finally took off.

The day so far has been great. Before meeting up with my friends, I checked in and was in need of some food. I picked up a fruit and yogurt parfait, discarded the granola and added a bit of my own cereal I packed.

I then met up with a few friends and we toured Chicago a bit. We walked about a mile or so to Millenium Park and back. The bean is sooo cool! I really like this city a lot - it feels like a hybrid of DC and NYC.

I also picked up my birthday gift from Sephora - some miniature-sized make up!

Despite an early dinner in my future, I needed another little meal to hold me over. We picked up Panera and I got the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad sans chicken plus an apple. I ate about half of the salad and saved the rest plus the apple for later. I'll add it to my stash of healthy conference eats!  On the flip side, we stopped and got popcorn from Garrett which is gluten free. I had this handful of caramel popcorn x3 for a sweet and salty treat!

Tonight I'm meeting a friend from college at FRONTERA GRILL for dinner! I've been looking forward to this for months. I hope we get a table!

Check back later tonight for a special post on traveling gluten free!

Time Suck and Ready to Go

I'm packed. Breakfast and snacks are ready to go. I just need to update this blog, shower, and sleep!

I got held up at work for an hour that I wasn't planning on which canceled my cardio session and set my otherwise very good day into a bit of stressful evening. I was worried about getting everything done with a clear head and in bed at a reasonable hour.  I ran to the salon to get my nails done when I knew deep down I should have done them myself. A few incidents, a heart-to-heart with the manager, and a crappy manicure that I could have done myself later, I am shopping for a new salon.

I was up with the sun this morning, about 45 minutes earlier than normal. I used this time to get in a strength training workout at home which was a great way to start my day. I also got a couple more things on my to-do list done. What a great way to start the day!

Breakfast was AMAZING! I think I had less cinnamon than normal in my cereal and the farm-fresh blueberries were out of this world :)

Lunch was leftover tofu and veggies plus a spinach salad with 21 Seasoning Salute and a few corn chips.

Snack was a smoothie with ~3/4c frozen berries, 1/2c almond breeze, 1/4c water, 1/4T PB, large handful of spinach.

Enter hangry time-suck experience at the salon...

Dinner was thrown together quickly. While I cooked my GF pasta I ate the last 1/2 serving of baked beans. This dish contains: serving brown rice pasta, 2oz chicken, frozen spinach and peas, onion and garlic powder, GF soy and teriyaki sauce. I stir fried everything but the pasta and added it when it finished cooking plus a splash of the water for extra moisture. Quick. Easy. Satisfying.

I wrapped up all of my chores, finished up the last few strawberries with a bit of yogurt, and now it's time to bid you goodnight. I can't let the wonderful blogosphere suck me in tonight. This lady needs her beauty sleep.

G'night y'all!