Post by mairamirez on Apr 9, 2014 14:51:04 GMT -5
In long trips is always hard to stay on track... here are a few tips that work for me
If you have some others, please add!Tomorrow Im taking a 3 week business trip, and almost half of the year im out of my house
...meaning 3 scary things: - no place to cook my own food
- just 25 lbs to take on the plane (not enough for me to take food... or utensils, etc.... and not allowed to take seeds or similars)
- adjust to whatever food is around me
Trips like this are always a challenge for me for several reasons, Im writing mine down and giving you my advice in that situation:
1. First and mainly, you have to adapt 90% at the time and only a 10% in advance.
I like to increase those % , so I try to find in advance (goggle them)
organic suppliers or local stores near of where Im staying, If thats not a possibility, at least a place where I can buy fresh food.
And (if its the case) if you can have the concierge of the hotel solve that for you.. believe me it will be expensive, but its worth it, give them a list of the things you want fresh in you room for you, and how often.
And to take in advance, there are plenty of options to take with you,
1. Normally I take: a bag of almonds or nuts, a bag of dried fruit, and a bag of chips (apples or plantains).
2. Ground beef jerky ("machaca" in spanish) or fried pig skin (chicharrón)
3. Kale chips
4. Coconut milk (its hard to find the brand you are faithful too)
5. Oh! and almost forgot! I alwayssss take sugar-dairy free chocolate chips
to indulge.6. Agave syrup
7. Your 2 favorite dried herbs in a small ziploc.
I find these are the things its hard to find everywhere... and can save you.
2. You don't have your regular schedule where you've made your time for cooking or exercise, you are basically running around, catching appointments,
etc...
I try to take the hotel gym (open 24-7) if you stay at one... or walk into the city to a local place, or tourist place. Take a tour if you can, etc.
3. You have to eat 60% of the time with clients, co workers, the "important people", etc.. so sometimes is hard to not drink alcohol or deny a glass of wine, or
as simple as picking the "safest" place to eat..
So with alcohol: I always ask for a straight drink (tequila), a glass of water and a shot of lime juice... so it seems like you are mixing your own drink, when you are really not mixing in alcohol... and no one will notice.
and wine, hard for me (Im a chef.. so I have to do it a lot often that I would like to) If you are the host, sorry there is no way around
that I know of... but if you are not, you can always have your glass filled to half, and never drink it... no one will notice.
4.Figure out how and what to cook for you and maybe where!
If you are staying as long as 3 weeks, I always take with me a hand blender (so you can always have juices or smoothies).
what: be creative, what you can find around you
where: I ve tried this a couple of times and worked amazing, if you are staying at a hotel or b&b, ask the concierge if you can do it yourself (don't try to cook a 20 course meal or filet mignon, but a quick seared fish fillet can do..) just be nice with the cooks, and wash your dishes...
or (what I like) pay in advance (and even ask for a discount) to the nearest shop or diner, to whatever you want: a green smoothie in the morning, or a salad for lunch, etc. and take it with you where ever you are going (in my job we have to go visit a lot of suppliers, so we hit the road a lot, and thats when I eat my healthy food, that I picked in the morning or have it delivered).
None of this options are expensive, they sometimes turn out to be less expensive than eating out... so give it a try next time
Well hope you find any of this tips useful! and to hear a lot more!!
un beso!
Mai
