Going on Vacation: Healthy Travel Tips

I should really be packing right now. Kelley went to take our Golden (Abby) to her parents house since they will be watching her while we are away.  Thank you, Steve and Kathy....and Stephanie (Kelley's sister) too!

We are going to a small town in PA called Myerstown.  I wish I could count the number of towns in PA that end with "town", "ville", or "burg".....I bet it's a lot! All of my Mom's side of the family lives in PA (she's coming with us) and it seems like forever since we've seen everyone.  We're all excited to go, but why is it that packing and preparing for a nice, relaxing vacation feels so stressful?  It should be a happy time, but what if you forget something; what about your lucky pair of socks you always bring with you when travelling?

If you obsess over making sure your food is healthy, going somewhere away from home where your safe food is neatly stored in the fridge and pantry, this can be another added stress to deal with.

But there's no need to worry, last time I checked, most other areas in the US have stores too, and you can buy similar foods there!  So, I will bring a few things from home, and just grab anything else I "must" have at a grocery store when we get there.

Do you ever worry about how to avoid choosing unhealthy options while travelling?  Here are a few of my tips for a healthy trip for your next venture.

Make your own portable foods you can pack:  I made a couple batches of my Overnight Oatmeal Crisps that make a great portable snack, and they're healthy too! Or just bring oats to make Overnight Oats.


Pack portable produce:  Apples, bananas, carrots, and basically any citrus fruits travel well.  These make a great choice for a snack while driving or in between changing flights.


Nuts keep you from going "nuts":  Protein, fiber, healthy fats, and delicious; nuts can go anywhere and will help keep the hunger pangs away.  Choose your favorite type and look for dry roasted or raw so you don't have added oils.


Herbs and Spices:  You need spice in your life; pack what you use a lot of at home as these require little space anyway.  I like to a make a mixture of the savory spices I use on salads and veggies.  My favorite combo is cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, cilantro, and paprika.  Then I just bring cinnamon by itself.


Healthy cereal without the milk: What do you get?  A super easy, super portable snack that is usually lower in fat and sugar than even "healthy" baked goods in the chip/cracker aisle.  Kashi has tasty shredded wheat biscuits with cinnamon or vanilla flavors that, although still kind of high in sugar, are a better choice than most other options.  I also like to pack a cereal like Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 to have once at the destination.


Protein powder:  Whether you use soy, whey, hemp, or another source of powder, it travels well and keeps you satisfied.  Search for natural powders without a lot of extra ingredients you can't pronounce, and preferably sweetened with stevia.

If you have the choice, plan to pick up a few quick prep foods at the store once you get to your destination. I plan on buying plenty of frozen fruit and veggies, plain, non-fat, Greek yogurt, canned pumpkin, and rolled oats.

One of my favorite travelling treats is to mix canned pumpkin, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, a few nuts, frozen blueberries, and a bit of oats together really well and let sit in the fridge (if you have that option). Within a few hours, you'll have a thick combo of very healthy ingredients that taste like dessert.  You might need to add a sweetener if you desire, I'll use liquid stevia or stevia packets that I brought.

I don't plan on posting anything while away, but hopefully I'll come back with some exciting stories.  Kelley and I plan on going to some fun trails to hike and to go kayaking while there; I can't wait.

Do you have any healthy travel tips?  Did any of these help you plan for your next trip?

Friday Five: 5 Healthy and Affordable Ingredients for Fast Meals



 

Remember when you were a kid and meals just came to you? If your parents or caretaker were nice, they’d swap or completely remove foods per your request (or crying like I did). Now we’re older, and if we want to eat healthy, we have to rely on our own food prep skills to feed ourselves right.

 

Most of my childhood meals were not very healthy or cooked from scratch (its ok, Mom, I understand and still love you), but I do miss those easy days sometimes.

 

In an effort to prepare healthy, wholesome meals for Kelley and me, I have turned to the frozen and canned food aisles for help. I know, I know, most canned foods have a lot of sodium and other unnecessary ingredients, but if you search hard enough (I do with every trip to the store), you can find some healthy items.

 

Obviously, there are more than five things you can find that are healthy and easy to prepare, but “five” and “Friday” just work better together. “Friday Eleven” doesn’t sound right to me, and “Friday Fifty”, well, that would be a long post!

 

If you know you’ll be pressed for time soon (or always), pick up these products on your next grocery trip (I didn’t have my own pictures, so I grabbed some off the internet):

 

1. Frozen Vegetables – I buy enough to fill my freezer and by the time the week is through, it’s empty again. Look for “Fiesta” or “Italian” blends that include beans for extra protein and fiber. Look out for added sauces and other seasonings, these can turn healthy veggies into unhealthy veggies!

 

2. Canned Fish in Water – Tuna, salmon, kipper filets, sardines, etc. all provide quick access to healthy fats and protein. Beware of the kind in oils and other sauces; these add a lot of sodium and other unhealthy ingredients. Unless you don’t mind, check for the words “Skinless and Boneless” on the can or foil package, otherwise you’ll have some extra prep work! Drain, fill with water, and drain again to help remove some extra sodium before using.

 

3. Salsa – I go through jars of this stuff every week. Great as a salad dressing or quick flavor-enhancer when mixed into steamed veggies. Read ingredients!! I’ve seen sugar, corn syrup, gums, and other thickeners added to salsa…..then it goes back on the shelf.

 

4. Healthy Salad Dressing/Marinade – I’ve mentioned the Smoked Tomato dressing by Drew’s; this can turn any plain food into something bursting with flavor. Beware; low fat varieties may be high in sugar and vice versa. The shorter the ingredient list, the better….usually.

 

5. Goat Cheese – It seems random, but you don’t need much of this tangy, low fat cheese to really enhance the flavor of your food. The standard calories per ounce are around 70 to 80 when bought as a log; this is a calorie savings of 20 – 30 per ounce when compared to typical cheddar or other hard cheeses.



Kelley's favorite...



I prepared a healthy lunch with these ingredients by putting the fiesta blend in a large bowl and steaming in the microwave. Then I mixed a can of drained and rinsed boneless-skinless salmon in water, salsa, smoked tomato dressing, and a dollop of goat cheese into the hot veggies until well combined. You can add any herbs and spices you like, but I used cumin, cayenne, and cilantro….just eyeball it.



This is my only pic of the dish.  Note to self: Take more pics!!



It took about 10 minutes total after including the can opening, allowing hot things to cool (sorry, hands), mixing, and clean up. The result was a very tasty and healthy lunch for Kelley, our work friend, and me; not bad for serving 3 people in such a short time. Just double the recipe for leftovers or a big family to feed.

 

This weekend we’re watching our niece and showing her some of the cooking I do (per her Mom’s request).It will be fun to help teach a younger generation some healthy food tips; great practice for when we have our own!!. I’m trying to think of something fun, safe, and easy that she can help with.

 

Do you have any ideas on what activities to do with kids in the kitchen?

Quick and Healthy Cakes for Dinner

No, not the fluffy sweet versions; I’m talking about mini tuna (or salmon, crab, chicken, beans, etc.) cakes you can customize to your liking. Do you like crab cakes? I love crab, but if you haven’t noticed, crab can be pretty expensive and canned tuna or salmon works just as fine for lower a cost. Plus the crab cakes at restaurants are usually cooked in too much butter/oil and white breadcrumbs….no thanks.

I was inspired to make my own version after reading about a salmon cake recipe in Runner’s World Magazine. The versatility of the ingredients makes the cakes easy to accommodate multiple tastes (i.e. spouse, kids, etc.). Along with the versatility, the ingredients are commons staples most of us have around the kitchen already.

Here is what I used to make one of our work lunches for the week; this will serve about 4 people as long as there are sides:

Ingredients

- 2 (5oz) Cans of No Salt Added Tuna; use crab, chicken, mashed beans, etc if you don’t have the tuna

- About 8oz of your favorite salsa; the amount varies, just eyeball it and add more towards the end if needed

- 1/2 cup frozen spinach or collard greens; thawed and drained of excess water

- 2 tablespoons brown mustard

- 1 whole egg or 2 egg whites

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup rolled oats

- 2 teaspoons cumin

- Ground black pepper to taste; no need for salt as there should be enough in the salsa and mustard

- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; I use more (sorry, Kelley), just adjust as you would like

- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Directions

- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

- Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix to incorporate well. Scoop the mix into a lightly oiled 12 cup muffin pan (I used 9 of the 12 cups) and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

 

- Remove from oven (should have a nice brown crust on top) and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

- Top each cake with extra salsa and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Serve with a big side of steamed veggies and, if desired, your grain of choice.

 

Using oats provides a lot more nutrition than the usual breadcrumbs you see in most recipes, and salsa makes for adding a quick mix of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. If you have more time, add fresh cut bell peppers and sauté some onions and garlic before adding to your mixture. If you don’t use salsa, adding a little extra salt will help with flavor…just not too much!

1 Work Lunch Ready to Go!

These are a great weeknight meal idea for something different. Just make extras and bring to work for lunch the next day…perfect! And, as I mentioned before, there is no set recipe for this. I used ingredients representative of Spanish food, but I think next time will be something Greek themed. Instead of salsa and brown mustard, I think Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and dill would make for a totally different, yet still tasty….errr cake.

Do you have a good idea for ingredients to make your own mini cake? Please post to comments on your version if you feel like sharing.

Back to 5 Day Work Weeks....What's for Lunch?

The holidays are over, which means its back to the 5 day work week for a while. Sure could’ve used Monday off since I was getting so used to it. Despite the regular 2 day weekend this past weekend, I was able to knock out cooking for the week along with an oil change and tire rotation on Kelley’s “Suby” to boot! Kelley and I even had a nice 6 mile run with one of our friends on Saturday. It was a slower run since Kelley was still getting over a crappy cold, but I wore a 20lb vest that kept me from going too fast. These runs are nothing compared to what we had during marathon training, but they are definitely more enjoyable…besides the wind…..it blows.

Instead of trying to take on different meals for each day, I cooked in big batches so we’ll have leftovers twice this week. I’m just hoping Kelley enjoys it the first time and really wants the same thing again; I gave no reason not to like the food.

This week’s meals will be slow cooker barley vegetable stew with shredded turkey breasts, quinoa with tomatoes and black beans, and jersey sweet potatoes with broccoli, beans, and carrots. Cooking with the slow cooker requires little prep time but loads of flavor. When you just don’t feel like prepping a cut of meat (chicken/turkey breast, tenderloin, round roast, etc.), the slow cooker is a savior; just add the veggies, liquid, and seasoning you want, top with your cut of meat, cover and cook on low or high until done. I like to start the cooker on high while adding ingredients, and once finished, switch to low for a nice slow cooking process.

Today is sweet potato day (one of Kelley’s favorites), and it is always a nice change to have this meal once a week. I mentioned the Jersey Sweet Potato in a past post on….surprise…sweet potatoes, and suggest you try them if given a chance.

All you need to prepare this easy, yet delicious meal is one organic sweet potato person, and a mixture of beans and veggies. We buy a frozen “fiesta blend” mix at the store that has broccoli, carrots, and green beans along with garbanzo, navy, and red kidney beans. Rinse/scrub the potatoes, pierce a couple times with a fork, wrap loosely in a paper towel, and microwave for approximately 4 minutes for each potato. For 2 potatoes, put them in for 8 minutes total; rotating half way through. Then steam the veggies in a glass bowl in the microwave, season as you desire and put each person’s meal in an individual food container (if taking to work like we do) to enjoy.

Sweet Potatoes w/ Goat Cheese and Veggies...Yum!

Some flavor enhancers for this meal include goat cheese (another Kelley favorite; notice a trend here?), Drew’s Smoked Tomato Dressing that I mention in this post, and several herbs and spices like dried dill, parsley, and cilantro with cumin, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder. I put any and all of these things on the veggies and potato and mix well; this makes a great meal and a happy wife!

Do you have any quick-prep meals that are great to make when in a time crunch? If not, feel free to use this for your next “quick-fix” or anytime…..you’ll be happy you did.