Top 7 Healthy Traveling Tips

Last week I traveled to Washington DC for work and I thought it would be fun to share some of my best tips for traveling healthfully. Eating healthy and feeling energized while traveling can be particularly challenging, especially if you have special dietary needs or preferences. Since I was traveling for business, I wasn't able to have as much flexibility and control over my schedule as if I were traveling on vacation, so I definitely picked up some techniques along the way that made it easier to eat healthy and feel my best on-the-go.

Tip #1: Do your research before you go
The internet is your friend and it will help you to explore the city you are visiting before you embark on your trip. I always find this especially important if you eat a plant-based diet like I do because it helps you to know how veg-friendly the city is and you can prepare by packing extra snacks if needed. I always look for:

• The closest natural foods or health foods store. (In a pinch, a regular grocery store will also do!)
• A nearby juice bar (if possible)
• Nearby Asian, Thai, Indian, and (healthy) Mexican restaurants. (These restaurants are usually my best bet for finding plant-based protein sources and fresh veggies in an unfamiliar city. Plus, they are also a great option if you are traveling with others that eat meat as they will have options available too.)

If you know that you are traveling to a city that isn't veg-friendly or doesn't have any options for dining healthfully, the next few steps are really important because they will help you to be prepared and make the best choices on the trip.

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Albuquerque: Part 2

(Read Albuquerque: Part 1 here!)

I'm sure you are wondering about vegan and vegetarian options in Albuquerque so let's get to it! Since I was traveling for business, food options were definitely more limited than if I was traveling for pleasure. We were on a tight conference schedule so everything had to be within walking distance of our hotel. Here are my key survival tips:

1. Know before you go
Since I knew we would be on foot, I made sure to research places closeby our hotel before we went. This helped me to know what to expect and I was ready with a few options in mind.

2. BYOB
Bring your own... breakfast! Finding a healthy, vegan breakfast is one of the hardest challenges when I travel. And sure enough, the continental breakfast at the hotel was filled with pastries and coffee. My survival strategy is to pack oats, chia seeds, and a carton of almond milk. It's super easy to make overnight oats the night before and wake up to a ready-made breakfast!  I also like to pack a few goodies like nuts, dried fruit, and cinnamon so that I don't feel bored with the oats by the end of the week.

And, I would also recommend packing a few snack bars (Larabars are my personal fave) or nuts so that you have a few options if you get hungry in-between meal times. If you do plan to prepare breakfast or another meal in your hotel room, come prepared with a bowl, silverware, and a small sponge and dish soap.

3. Give local places a try
We ate at a few nearby restaurants and it was pretty easy to find things to eat, but I did have to (politely!) specify my dietary restrictions. Servers were very nice about modifying items without cheese and answering questions about ingredients. I would definitely recommend clarifying if beans were made with meat stock (because a lot of them were!) and if in doubt, stick to the veggie fajitas. Oh, and stay away from the fried chip basket. Just sayin.

4. Find a grocery store
One of my favorite traveling tricks is to find a nearby grocery store and make food in my hotel room. I was very lucky that La Montanita Co-Op was about a mile from the hotel because they had a great selection of fresh produce, a smoothie and juice bar, and a deli full of vegan options! I had the quinoa salad from their deli a few times and also opted to make a kale salad in the hotel room. As I mentioned above, if you are planning to make food in your room, just be sure to pack any utensils or kitchen items that you might need.

5. Make an ice bath
If your hotel room does not have a fridge, don't let that stop you from saving leftovers or making food in your room. I simply make an ice bath in the sink and change out the ice when it gets low. This allows me to store leftovers or produce items that I wouldn't want sitting out otherwise. As long as you are practicing safe food handling and the food is submerged in the ice it will be safe to eat. (However, if you don't replace the ice in time and/or the food is questionable to eat, then definitely throw it out.)

Happy travels!

Albuquerque: Part 1

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to attend the conference for the Community Food Project grantees in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  All of the Community Food Projects are designed to increase food security in our communities through whole-system change.  It was great to learn about the different projects happening across the country that are working towards access to fresh, healthy produce within food deserts, self-sufficiency for low-income families, education about local produce, and a closer connection to where our food comes from.  This grant is what helps my organization to feed low-income children from a local, whole-foods menu, educate families about local produce and cooking from scratch at home, and create sustainable markets for local farms.  Pretty cool huh?

Our last day of the conference we went on a farm tour around Albuquerque.  All of the farms that we saw work to build community, create hands-on learning, and reconnect people to their food.  I really enjoyed seeing La Plazita Gardens, a 12-acre community farm in Albuquerque's South Valley.  Not only do they use the garden as a way to educate youth about farming and selling produce, but it connects youth back to their culture and indigenous roots and creates healing for the entire community. 

We also got to see the kitchen at the South Valley Economic Development Center.  Their kitchen is used by a variety of local growers and businesses who are able to use the kitchen on an hourly basis, rather than having to build their own commercial space.  I fell in love with the mural outside their center that was created by local youth.  The "three sisters" (pictured above) hold agricultural significance because corn, beans, and squash help each other to grow when planted closeby one another.

Want to find out about what I ate during the trip?  Stay tuned for Part 2!

San Francisco: Part 1

Here's what you need to know about traveling with me:  I have eating pants.

Yes, that's right.  You heard me: eating pants.  And I'm not afraid to use 'em.

My partner and I traveled to Napa Valley and San Francisco last week for a wedding and it was the perfect excuse to explore some new vegan and veggie-friendly places.  Since we were on a tight timeline, I ate my way through most of the city for three days straight.  So, get your eatin' pants on, get ready to salivate, and let's check out some of the yummiest places in the Bay Area.

Our first day began with a breakfast at Herbivore in the Mission District.  They have two locations in San Francisco and also one in Berkeley.  Herbivore has a great breakfast and brunch menu with a nice variety of light and hearty options.  They also have fresh vegetable juices and were kind enough to make me a custom juice!  I opted for the corn cakes with black beans, salsa, guacamole, and vegan sour cream.  Ashley had the french toast with sour dough bread and real maple syrup along with a strawberry milkshake (with coconut ice cream).

I arrived tired and hungry from traveling, but this place quickly turned my mood around.  Not only was the service fabulous, but the food was excellent.  I tend to be weary of restaurant breakfasts because I typically find them greasy or too heavy, but not at Herbivore!  Both of our dishes were filling and satisfying while still tasting fresh and healthy.  This is definitely my kind of breakfast!

After breakfast we decided to do some exploring around the city and learned that the Bart (the Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the fastest and easiest way to get around.  Of course, that's assuming that your partner didn't lose her ticket, use yours to exit the gate, and then leave you stuck behind.  It's also assuming that she did not have to go buy another ticket to bring back to you, but it still wouldn't work so then you had to beg a security guard to let you out.  Live and learn folks.

We spent most of the afternoon walking around downtown while I patiently waited for my stomach to digest so we could hit the next spot on my list: Source.  Source is a "multi-dimensional dining experience" which focuses on creating a unique atmosphere through taste, sight, and sound.  Given my recent journey to eat more mindfully, I was curious to check this place out.

I loved their focus on fresh, seasonal, organic food, and the atmosphere was definitely relaxing and enjoyable. (Any restaurant that plays Brandi Carlile and KT Tunstall is alright by me!) Their menu and drink selection is amazing.  Most of the menu is vegan, but there are vegetarian options as well. 

I started with their raw blueberry yerba mate lemonade which was the perfect balance of yerba mate tea with a sweet, fruity twist.  It took me about fifteen minutes to decide what to eat, but I finally settled on the Spicy Pepper Onion Burger.  Their burger patties are their own unique blend of beets, celery, carrots, lentils, mushrooms, brown rice, fresh herbs, soy protein, onions, and garlic.  You even get your choice of salt and sauce with your fries. Yum! 

Since no vacation would be complete without dessert, a few hours later I went looking for the perfect sweet treat.  My iPhone directed me to a place right across from our hotel called Loving Hut in the Westfield shopping center.  Loving Hut is a vegan chain that has locations all around the country.  (Who knew a vegan chain even existed?)  They had a mix of tofu dishes, curries, and veggie sides, but I was too stuffed to try much besides dessert.  I settled on the pumpkin cheesecake and was not disappointed.  It was the perfect way to end our first day in the city!