[geoducky]

What do you clean eaters do when you travel? I know I eat a lot of salads but it doesn't come close to the way I eat at home. High on lettuce and dressing, low on protien. And breakfasts are the worst for getting clean food with enough protien. They just don't cook the oatmeal in egg whites like I do at home. Just wondering what you all do on business trips or other travel. I'm going to be flying a lot in May and it's hard to pack along cottage cheese and eggs

[MrsJim]

I've traveled a LOT on business and here's what I've done. Right off the bat, it's really not difficult to 'eat clean' these days, especially with the low-carb thing going on - I've NEVER had a problem getting, say, a chicken breast, fish, lean steak, nekkid baked potato, oatmeal, etc etc.

To save money (heck even on a expense account, I still feel guilty about the $17 bowl of oatmeal on room service!) I've packed dry oatmeal, protein powder (I use Ziploc bags and pre-measure), Myo Lite packets, a Servin' Saver with cover to use as a bowl, and my trusty Braun hand blender in my suitcase. If there isn't a mini-microwave in my room, there's generally one of those little coffeemakers - I use it to make hot water, pour it over my oatmeal, cover up with the lid, then go take my shower. By the time I'm done, the oats are cooked and ready for the protein powder! (Obviously you can't do this with Irish oatmeal - I use Quaker Old Fashioned or the store brand).

If you're at a business meeting, see if prior to the meeting you can speak to the person who's doing the event planning and (more importantly) ordering the catering. (That would be me, actually, so obviously I have an advantage!) Most hotels that host meetings are very health concious these days - along with the usual crap like bagels and pastries, they will generally have fresh fruit and things like that. Again, low-carb is REALLY popular and caterers are meeting that need to our benefit - for example, one of the choices for breakfast at my last meeting was a "European Continental Breakfast" which consisted of plain yogurt, sliced meats (turkey, ham, lean beef, etc.), hard boiled eggs, sliced fruit such as berries and melon, and croissants. (Incidentally, I ordered half European, half the deluxe crappy traditional breakfast because there ARE people who really get annoyed if they don't get to consume at least 3,004 calories each day of the meeting... )

Now airplanes...what you can do is order ahead. Check the airline's website - United, for example (I'm using this as an example because it's the airline I fly!) now has the following choices:

Diabetic meals

Below are the guidelines United® follows in preparing diabetic meals. While the diabetic menus we provide may not fit the menu plan of every person with diabetes, the nutritional analysis provided with the meal will allow you to regulate fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake more easily. Our diabetic meals are low-calorie as well.

Prohibited
Sugars, syrups, jams, pies, chocolate, fried and fatty food, sweetened cereals, sweetened yogurts
Allowed
Fresh vegetables, lean meat (without skin), pasta, low-fat milk, fresh fish, bread/whole grain, potatoes, rice, low fat margarine, fresh fruit or water-packed canned fruit, low-fat cheese, eggs, dietary preserves, dietary salad dressing, sugar free foods.

Low-calorie meals

Below are the guidelines we follow in preparing low-calorie meals. United limits the use of added fats and oils in the preparation of foods for this diet.

Prohibited
Fried and fatty foods, sugars and preserves, full-cream dairy products, fatty meat, gravy, biscuits, alcohol, soft drinks (sugared), fruit in syrup, mayonnaise and salad dressings
Allowed
Poultry (without skin), eggs, margarine, lean meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk, rice, low-fat cheese, potatoes, whole grain bread, pasta, dietary preserves, dietary salad dressing, sugar free, fat free foods
High-fiber meals

Below are the guidelines we follow in preparing high-fiber meals

Prohibited
White flour products, refined cereal
Allowed
Meat/poultry, fresh fish, nuts, whole grain breads and cereals, potatoes (with skin), fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole grain pasta, corn, dried beans and peas
Traveler's Lighter Choice meals
Fruit Plates
Chilled fresh fruit plates are available for all scheduled services designated as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Oh and just as a personal aside, if you can swing it with your miles at ALL, and you're going on a long flight, try and upgrade to business or first class - the food is MUCH better (and so are the seats!!!).