Have you ever struggled to know how to travel low carb, whole30 and paleo? Then this part 2 of a series will help you navigate the hotels, planes and business dinners.
How To Travel Low Carb, Whole30 and Paleo – Part 2
Self Catering
I have always loved cooking, so I actually enjoy self catering when on holiday in apartments, holiday homes or resorts. I find it easier, healthier and less expensive than eating out. When we are away I spend more time preparing our food, the children help and there is no pressure on their bedtimes so it’s quite relaxed.
If we do stay in hotels, I actually crave fresh vegetables and simple food by the end of the holiday. Read part 1 of how to travel low carb, whole30 and paleo to see how we eat the best we can as often as we can when travelling. When there is no kitchen available you can still buy healthy snacks for the day, but it is so much easier when you have a kitchen, or even a kitchenette to use.
How To Travel Low Carb, Whole30 and Paleo - Part 2. Follow these easy guidelines.
If we are staying in a resort with a well stocked kitchen, and we are staying for a week or so, I will bring the following. If however we are only staying a few days, flying abroad, or there is only a kitchenette then I will scale back and only take the necessities. If you can, try and plan your meals so you know what to take and have a shopping list ready for when you arrive for the local supermarket or farmers market.
Self Catering – Kitchen Tools
- vegetable peeler – how many times have you been away and the vegetable peeler is an old school blunt tool that just ‘talks’ to the veggies rather than actually peel them
- knife – for the above reason (and sometimes my chopping board)
- stick blender – I use this for making no bake cheesecakes, mayonnaise and smoothies for the children
- Nespresso machine – one of life’s pleasures is coming home to a good coffee
- baking paper – too many baking trays I find are beyond help
- plastic wrap – to cover food in the fridge or for taking packed lunches
- hand held spiraliser – (not my big bench top machine) for making vegetable ‘pasta’
Self catering – Pantry List
Only pack what is required. There is no need to take an entire bag of coconut flour or cocoa while on holiday. And if you buy 1 litre bottles of oil (or anything in bulk), save a half full bottle and take that, then you can throw them empty bottle away at then end of the holiday.
- olive oil – I can never seem to buy decent extra virgin olive oil when away
- grain free granola or muesli – starting on a good breakfast will set you up for the day
- tea/coffee
- small amounts of cocoa powder, stevia granules, coconut flour, psyllium husk or whatever else you use frequently
- grated parmesan – sprinkle on cooked dishes and salads
- tahini – smoothies and in dips
- good salt – most salt I find is old and caked together
- curry paste/powder – curried eggs, dips, chicken mustard powder- for mayonnaise and dips
- ground cinnamon and vanilla paste – smoothies, cheesecakes, hot chocolates
Self Catering – Shopping list
- eggs, eggs, eggs
- bacon
- fresh vegetables and berries
- steak, chicken, fish, pork, lamb – mince/ground, steaks, pieces
- leafy greens
- cheese
- butter
- full fat milk
- cream
- unsweetened yoghurt
- nuts
- tin tuna
This is what we ate whilst on our most recent holiday. I couldn’t take any kitchen equipment or pantry goods with me, but we still managed to eat like kings. All low carb, no sugars, no grains, whole clean real food.
Leave a comment on your tip or advice when self catering. We’d love to hear them.
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how do you get on when on an organised tour
That’s a tough one. Try and choose the best meals available, so pass on the pasta, rice and bread but ask for more vegetables and add some butter from the table onto them. Buy snacks for the day such as cheese and nuts. Try the best you can as often as you can and don’t be discouraged as some days there may be no other options.
What would recommend for a long international flight? We’ve got a 17 hour flight coming up and I’m wondering how I’m going to cope with those pre-packaged meals.
Sadly non of the ‘special menus’ are ideal. Gluten free is at least wheat free but may be high in carbs, diabetic meals will have wholegrains and rice but may at least be sugar free, vegetarian may have soy and tofu, low fat, low salt and low calorie is well, rubbish. So all in all I would choose the diabetic menu and take snacks to top it up. At least it may be as sugar free as we can hope for with no jams, syrups and chocolate bars. At then end of the day, it’s only a day and only a few meals that may be disrupted so just do the best you can and don’t worry if there is a glitch or two. Try to stick to the 80:20 rule and just get back on track when you can. Bon voyage 🙂
I hadn’t even thought of the diabetic option. Thanks! You’re so right, one imperfect day is not the end of the world.
I tryed the diabetic meal on a British Airways flight. It was full of sugar and starch. Very little meat and vegetables. Just the desert fruits where preserved in artificail sweetener. Looking over at my husbands regular meal, it would have been the better option to eat the meat and vegetables from that and skip the rice/ noodles. I was sitting their quiet shocked, it seemed they wanted to kill a diabetic on the flight.
I brough some nuts in my purse, also a protein bar (I do not eat those regularly, but they are easy to pack for occasions like an internationl flight). Depending on where the flight goes you can also bring selfmade bread or crisp bread, and jerky beef. The key is to bring good food with you, I am a frequent traveler and I know by hard that you will be starving if you rely on any of the offered meals 😉
Have used the Diabetic option the main difference was I got fresh fruit for sweets and not some cake. The other difference is I got fed first. I did speak with a freind high up in ALPHA catering and suggested they should look at low carb meals even for diabetics.
Great ideas for traveling. Could you do a segment on going to the hospital and how to maneuver that situation.
That is a superb idea! I recently had to spend two weeks at our hospital caring for my mother, and the food was appalling beyond all belief. I went downstairs to the cafe and bough the most incredible salad wraps instead. Now why can’t they deliver those to the patients? The food they feed sick patients, who need good nutrition to heal, is actually making them sicker.
In my experience as a frequent work traveler, airline catering can be hit and miss. Whilst I’m happy to IF at home, going hungry on a flight can make it feel a lot longer. So I often pack good snacks both to help pass the time and make sure I feel well nourished and not add to the jet lag.
My go-to plane snacks are: boiled eggs, fresh blueberries, beef jerky, cowhead cheese (find their shelf-stable option in the supermarket with the spreads), a sandwich bag with my own mixed nuts with added salt (macadamias, pecans, walnuts) and if I have time before leaving home I’ll make a frittata loaded with all my fav keto ingredients. NB customs in some countries require you to declare all food so make sure you either eat everything or declare on arrival.
Great travel tips Peta – especially loving the idea of a fully loaded frittata! Nuts are generally my go to with a creamy coffee.