Raw Business Travelling?

[LainaV]

For those of you that do - any good tips on eating raw while travelling on business? Especially in airports?

I can't imagine it's easy. I haven't had to do it yet but have an upcoming business trip. I'd like to NOT have to live on dry salads the whole time!

Or, um, what a great time for a water fast? :p

[iamacranberry]

Dehydrated stuff, all the way. You can take it on the plane. And bring with you a a handheld blender and a large glass jar to make smoothies in your hotel room when you get there.

[PamRaw]

Hi... good question. There are lots of excellent posts, I believe, in this forum. Try a search in addition to the responses you get.

I have had to travel quite a bit in the past. It's less now but I expect it to pick up. It can really be a challenge but it's doable. I am currently in the middle of a water fast. I thought fasting might be a viable option but considering how weak I feel, I'm not sure I could do it and travel. I am on my feet all day conducting workshops usually. Maybe after my body becomes more accustomed to fasting I"ll be able to, but I wouldn't trust it right now. You, however, might do well on water fasting and travel.

I have done a couple of things. First of all, I travel with my Tribest Personal Blender and I request a refrigerator in my room. Most hotels charge for it, but some do not, and some already have a fridge. I typically charge it to the client because they generally aren't paying much for my meals, if at all. You'll score big if you get one with a little freezer section because that allows you to freeze bananas for your morning smoothie. The hotel has ice, of course.

I also have insulated shipping boxes for longer trips. If you're interested, I can tell you where I bought them online. I sometimes ship food in advance or just carry the box with me. I keep and reuse the boxes.

Another thing I do is freeze things like burgers, falafel, even nut cheese. These can be packed well and insulated quite nicely by the clothes you pack. The items will remain solidly frozen until you arrive at your destination. The only time I've had a problem is if the luggage is lost overnight.

I try to locate food stores and raw food restaurants near my travel destination. I'm good when I'm going to NYC, lots of Southern Cal locations, and Philadelphia, where there is a Whole Foods within walking distance of the Old Town area. Other locations are a bit hit or miss.

When you can score fresh greens, it's difficult to prepare them in a hotel room, unless it's bag lettuce. I recently purchased some spin and store bags to use for travel. You can rinse, drain and store your lettuce in one bag... terrific if you want to make romaine or collard wraps.

Have you tried the dehydrated hummus? It's by Matter of Flax and you can buy it online. I plan to try it on my next trip.

I take plenty of foods that can be used to perk up a restaurant salad or patch together a decent meal like raw olives, flax crackers, dates, a little bottle of olive oil, a little bottle of spray Braggs (if you use it), almond butter, raw bars, or whatever you like. I have also traveled with avocados and bananas because avos can be difficult to find ripe and because the bananas ensure I'll have something in the morning. I have yet to discover the trick for traveling with avos, as they sometimes over-ripen. Of course, you have to store them away from the bananas, but maybe the pressurized air does them in... I'm not sure. The bananas will be over-ripe too but that doesn't bother me so much since it just makes them sweeter for my smoothie. I've successfully carried on, in a small shopping bag, tomatoes, greens, oranges, carrots, and other produce. Be aware that it will be scanned, though, despite your protests.

I also take plenty of baggies and paper towels or cotton dishtowels and paper bags to store and carry food. Find a flexible cutting board, a knife with a sheath (like a picnic knife), a julienne peeler and regular peeler, and whatever utensils you might need. I have a backpacking plate and bowl that completely collapse and are flexible.

I do find it challenging to prepare my meals and eat in a hotel room. It can be a bit aesthetically displeasing. You may want to pack your dinner and take it to one of the less trafficked common areas or to a park if the weather allows. Or just find a restaurant with a great salad and take your add-ins, including a cut orange and Braggs to use as salad dressing.

That's about all I have for now. It's totally doable; you just have to plan and be prepared to take a suitcase that is larger than a carry-on. Good luck!

Pam

[spicyfull]

As Mentioned, Dehydration is the best way to take your Foods. Making all kinds of Leathers is also Terrific. You can even Dehydrate Green Smoothies into Leather.

[Eva]

I am constantly traveling and have had success with this. I bring dehydrated granola bars, fresh fruit like bananas and oranges, and... this I bring EVERYWHERE just in case I want to eat in a restaurant -- a small glass container (maybe 2-3 oz?) with salad dressing: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, herbamare, black pepper. None of these items is perishable, so I just keep it with me until I use it, then fill it up again at home. I keep it inside of a baggy just in case of a spill (which has never happened).

For an airplane trip, you can bring several of them, just put them inside of the plastic baggy the size they need. They have to be no more than 3.3 oz per container. As long as the containers fit inside of the sealed 1-liter bag, you're good.

And... voila! Almost ANY restaurant will serve you a "fresh salad with no meat or cheese" if you ask. And then you have the dressing. I often have some nuts and dried cranberries or sundried raisins with me too that I can just sprinkle on the salad. Dresses it right up. :)

So no worries! You are not doomed to dry salads. Once you have a system down, it's a piece of cake to travel and stay raw WITHOUT white knuckling it!

Edited to add another idea (just made this as I get ready for a flight from Budapest to Boston in about 6 hours!) -- make raw trail mix with some raisins, salt, pepper, walnuts, sunflower seeds (the nuts and seeds soaked and then dehydrated so they will digest easier as you travel), and sprouted dehydrated buckwheat (or whatever mix suits your taste)... With this, you have both a trail mix and something that is like croutons + nuts + raisins + salt and pepper to add to a salad. :)

[Eva]

LainaV -- I just saw you're in Chicago! I'm planning a trip there in April -- will be following all the advice I just offered for it. ;) Have you been to Karyn's yet?? I hear it's great.

[PamRaw]

Eva, I'm in Chicago as well. Will you be staying downtown? Karyn has Karyn's Raw and Karyn's Cooked, which has a daily raw special (although it's the same special Monday through Thurday and Friday through Sunday). I'm not crazy about the restaurant at Karyn's Raw but I love the cafe.

[Eva]

Hey Pam -- good to know! Karen's Raw restaurant is different from the cafe? Is the cafe the cooked one? Or does the raw location have a restaurant and cafe? LOL, I guess I have four months to figure all that out, but I LOVE to frequent raw restaurants when I travel. It's such a joy to try different things and support these places. :)

I'm sure I'll be staying downtown, but I haven't ironed out those details yet...

[annavon]

I did some business traveling during the summer. I was allowed to take fruit and prepared foods in my carryon. I took some lemons for salads as well as some baby carrots. I made up some collard wraps which I packed in zip lock bags. When I got to my destination, I found a stor and got some other supplies. The only problem is that not all of the places I stayed had a refrigerator in the room (some only had the bar and they would charge you if you removed any of the items that trigered an electronic sensor) I took one of those silver insulated bags with me and it would be my make shift refrigerator in the hotels if they didn't have a fridge (I would use some of the hotel ice in a plastic bag). I also took some raw nuts with me and other dried things.

[PamRaw]

Hey Pam -- good to know! Karen's Raw restaurant is different from the cafe? Is the cafe the cooked one? Or does the raw location have a restaurant and cafe? LOL, I guess I have four months to figure all that out, but I LOVE to frequent raw restaurants when I travel. It's such a joy to try different things and support these places. :)

I'm sure I'll be staying downtown, but I haven't ironed out those details yet...

There are two restaurants, the first is Karyn's Cooked, a sit-down cooked vegan restaurants. It's in near the Old Town area and is a short taxi ride, or longer walk, from most points downtown. The second in Karyn's Raw. On one side of the restaurant is a sit-down, fancy restaurant. On the other side is a raw cafe. The cafe has tables and the food is packaged to go. The raw restaurant food is fancier gourmet, and the cafe has pizza, salad bar, sandwiches, desserts, etc. There is also a ridiculously high-priced store. Karyn's Raw is definitely a taxi ride.