Raw while Traveling

[LexieW]

Hey folks,

It occured to me, after a summer of travel, that many of you probably have great tips for maintaining raw while traveling. If so, please share! How do you stay raw on road trips, international trips, camping trips, etc?

A few of my own, to get things started:

If I'm anywhere in the greater US and fast food is my only option, I go to Subway and two or three (depending on how hungry I am) of their Veggie Delight salads. I usually carry my own olive oil with me when I travel, and that's my dressing.

Also, Starbucks! Starbucks has really been a lifesaver lately - in some locations they stock raw bars, and now carry a variety of completely raw juices!

[Cruditas]

Pita Pit is also similar to subway where you can build your own salad. My favorite place these days is Red Robin. They have an avacodo salad and let you choose from a list of ingredients to add including cilantro, cucumber, red onion, mushrooms, red pepper, etc, you then remove the items that come on it that are not raw. They also have vinegar and oil. It makes a hugh meal! Also when traveling look for Fresh Markets and Whole Foods. They usually have good choices while traveling.

[ReneeH]

Don't forget about Jamba Juice! You can usually find one of those...even in the airports! Also...any grocery store is your friend!!! Making dehydrated goodies always helped me: Flax Crackers, Onion Bread, Cookies, Kale Chips etc...

I was a flight attendant and traveled raw for years. You can DO it!!! :). Just prepare mentally and do what you're doing by asking around.

[LexieW]

Awesome ideas! I'll have to keep those in mind - traveling across the country in a few weeks.

[Living Food]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...asy&highlight=

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...ight=traveling

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...hlight=camping - This is technically for if you're camping, but many of the suggestions can be used anyway.

I personally don't eat store-bought fruits or vegetables or eat from restaurants, I do the same thing Mr Raw in the first link does, only the best, freshest, most nutritious food possible [sprouts] for me. And it's really easy to bring a food supply that will last you months that way, how do you do that with fruits and vegetables?

No, most fruits and vegetables and are grown in depleted soil, many are picked unripe so they never reach the highest levels of nutrition that they could, and they're frequently picked weeks or months earlier and have lost most of the nutrition that they did have by the time you get them. And that's just the organic food, most food from restaurants is non-organic and even lower in nutrients while being covered in pesticides. Grow your own food and you will always have the highest-quality food possible.

Also, Starbucks! Starbucks has really been a lifesaver lately - in some locations they stock raw bars, and now carry a variety of completely raw juices!

Starbucks has raw juices? I imagine they don't make the juices right there in the shop right after you order it, so they're bound to be heavily oxidized. Some people like to store juices that they make, but really you should drink juice within a few minutes of making it.

Making dehydrated goodies always helped me: Flax Crackers, Onion Bread, Cookies, Kale Chips etc...

Dehydrated raw foods are much better then cooked foods, but they are harder to digest and lack the nutrition of fresh raw foods. Sprouting is definitely the best choice.

I'm just sharing my opinion though, do whatever works for you.

[drraw]

Don't forget about Jamba Juice!

Yes, but the only things at Jamba Juice that are raw are the juices that you can watch them prepare -- i.e. orange, carrot, and apple juice.

The frozen produce they use is not raw -- it is heated and then frozen. The "juices" they get out of the dispenser machines are pasteurized. And the ice cream/yogurt are not raw. And if you ask the staff if the smoothies are pasteurized, they will either lie to your face or make a face like you just used some big brainiac word.

There's a Roebek's I sometimes visit that has an entire vegetable drink menu and you can watch them put the produce in the juicer. It isn't organic and it isn't cheap, but it is raw and probably the exception more than the rule.

--drraw

[robh]

This is what I did when we went on a 4-day vacation.



In addition to the raw food and my raw dressing, I also brought a cutting board, a knife, a plate, a bowl, a spoon, a fork and other staples like my jar of raw honey, agave, nut butters, nuts, etc.

I am glad you started this thread. I wanted to ask the question for a while.

To be honest, I kind of forgot about the grocery stores. It may take a google search to find them in an unfamiliar place, but you can get a lot there (fruit, veggies, nuts). My grocery store even sells seeds for sprouting (and a lot of other raw food stuff).

I doubt, however, most locations would have that kind of grocery store. Therefore, you would have to pack the uncommon items like spouts, chia seeds, goji berries, raw nuts, raw cereals, nut milks, etc etc.

Life changes when you go raw. You really need to plan for going out. You can't just stop on an corner and expect to order raw food off the menu.

[ReneeH]

As a person who traveled raw for a living many years, I know how challenging it is to travel raw. Yet, I was able to do it...for MANY years. Packing things are fine and great in theory, but eventually (if you're away long enough), you run out. Of course sprouting is ideal, but you've gotta eat until your sprouts are ready! Looking for a Whole Foods or fresh market in the area you're going to is probably your best bet. I couldn't survive just on sprouts. Sorry, I need more than that.

Yes, but the only things at Jamba Juice that are raw are the juices that you can watch them prepare -- i.e. orange, carrot, and apple juice.

The frozen produce they use is not raw -- it is heated and then frozen. The "juices" they get out of the dispenser machines are pasteurized. And the ice cream/yogurt are not raw. And if you ask the staff if the smoothies are pasteurized, they will either lie to your face or make a face like you just used some big brainiac word.

Excuse me, but what's wrong with those fresh juices? Just be selective. I've never even considered their smoothies or frozen juices. We are talking about availability while traveling raw, aren't we? As far as Jamba Juice is concerned, you can get fresh Carrot and OJ there as well as fresh bananas and oranges. They may not be "organic", but it's an available option. They may not have a huge variety, but it IS an available option in a lot of areas. You've got to think of every option when you're away from home. You've gotta eat!

Living Food: I personally do not find dehydrated foods hard to digest at all. I wasn't talking about eating them exclusively, but having something with me that's dehydrated has seen me through when nothing at all was available where I was. I remember one time I was on a trip working and it was during a snow storm on a holiday and even the hotel restaurant was closed!!!! If I didn't have my dehydrated goodies with me I would have been quite unhappy! Everyone else raided the snack machines in the hall! Not me! :-D

All I'm saying is when I travel I have to have food options that I can eat. Otherwise I may end up going back to bad food habits....

[Raw Angel Mom]

Research to see for any whole food on your way, or health food store etc.....

Dates, chia seed (make instant pudding), dry golden berries, gojji berries, etc...

If you are into sprouting, a nut bag and some seed or legume that sprout easy.

If you travel within your country, you can bring a lot of thing such avocado, banana etc...

If you travel outside the country, you can bring many raw snack.

I always travel with my vitamix. I have a travel bag for it and i add a cutting board, knives, nut bag, something to juice citrus, paper towel etc... I can make smoothie at the hotel. I always bring hemp seed with me.

If you go in a restaurant, you can always ask them to prepare you a plate of raw produce they have (tomato, cucumber etc...) Even iceberg salad will do.

So so many tips you can find, but they are the one that i think. Bring a nut bag and if you can a vitamix.

You can consider to carry supplement such spirulina. With raw cacao and if you can get a banana, you mix raw cacao powder, hemp seed and mash it with a banana. It is a very fast snack and delicious. You could add spirulina on your banana.

Banana can be find almost everywhere even an airport.

p.s Many health food store are starting to carry raw coconut water (they use high pressure to kill the germ. It isn't pasteurize)

[drraw]

Excuse me, but what's wrong with those fresh juices? Just be selective. I've never even considered their smoothies or frozen juices. We are talking about availability while traveling raw, aren't we? As far as Jamba Juice is concerned, you can get fresh Carrot and OJ there as well as fresh bananas and oranges. They may not be "organic", but it's an available option. They may not have a huge variety, but it IS an available option in a lot of areas. You've got to think of every option when you're away from home. You've gotta eat!

Nothing at all wrong with those juices. In fact, it's where I usually stop when I need to get something on the go. I'm just saying the rest of their menu would appear to be raw to the untrained eye...

--drraw

[LexieW]

Great suggestions, everyone.

As a new sprouter, I'm in love with it and will definitely plan to bringing seeds to sprout while traveling - I'm just not sure yet how much I need to eat per day, yet.

drraw, there's a Robeck's by my house that I occasionally go to - like you said, not organic but it'll work in a pinch.