Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, planning and preparation are key!
You have discovered that the raw food diet and lifestyle definitely allows you to feel your best. Now you need to maintain that energy level as best you can while enjoying life in another city. It can be easy to fall into bad eating habits while traveling, so make your raw lifestyle and personal health a priority when you’re away from the comforts of your home kitchen. I have found that bringing dry and portable foods and supplements, as well as some fresh foods, can be the difference between staying raw and completely falling off the wagon and experiencing a wave of regret. Planning ahead, doing some research online before you leave, and checking out local health food stores will help you have the healthiest trip of your life.
These are all things I do and doing them all allows me to never feel apprehensive about travel. I would hate if my diet prevented me from traveling. I don’t think it would be worth it if I did! A couple of days before you go, start thinking about what raw snacks, superfoods, and supplements you’d really love to have with you. I distribute my superfood snacks in small plastic bags and store them in a larger zip-top bag (ex: a handful of almonds, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, dried figs, etc.). I usually pack at least one raw food snack bar for each day I’m on vacation. Other helpful (and super nutritious) travel snacks could be sea vegetables (like whole leaf dulse), bee pollen, and an old vitamin jar filled with superfood powders (green powder, maca, a little stevia for sweetening). I always carry a glass screw-top jar to shake the green powders into the water. I never go anywhere without my bottle of Celtic Sea Salt Shaker either. All this, believe it or not, will fit in a large plastic zipper bag.
If you take multivitamins and other supplements, please bring them too! Most of us will need this type of nutritional support more while traveling because we may not have access to all the foods we are used to. I love to reuse the tin boxes that the mints come in to carry vitamins, enzymes, and other supplements. They are the perfect size!
You might want to pack a couple more things: a thin plastic cutting board, cutlery (including a butter knife or something similar, packed in your checked luggage please), and some herbal laxatives – a change in diet plus travel makes constipation -You’ll thank me!
You’re almost done! If you are staying in a hotel, be sure to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your room. There is usually no charge for one, especially if you say you are on a special diet. If you’re staying at a friend’s house, tell them about your diet and ask if they don’t mind having a special area in their fridge for your food. If you’re going to be in a car for a while, you might want to consider bringing a small cooler. The bottom line is that you’ll want to keep vegetables, greens, and fruits fresh so they don’t spoil.
Also, before you leave, be sure to spend some time online to see all the raw vegan, vegan, vegetarian, and/or organic restaurants near you. Write down addresses and phone numbers before you leave. Find out where the nearest health food store is and see if there are any farmers markets in town. These should be some of the first stops you make when you arrive at your destination. Natural food stores will be essential to provide you with vegetables, organic products and other fun snacks that you want. Many times you can also find a raw food section with prepared raw gourmet dishes!
Here are some great websites that will help you:
- rawfoodrestaurantguide.com/blog (Enter your email on the website and the guide link will be sent to you.)
- sunfoodtraveler.com
- HappyCow.net (lists all vegetarian, vegan and raw food restaurants)
The key is not to feel deprived of nutrients at any point during your trip. The people you’ll be traveling with may have to make an extra stop just for you, but as long as you have what you need, you can hang out with them from then on.
Some people have asked me if I travel with my Vita-mix blender or Magic Bullet mini blender. I don’t. But I don’t normally travel for more than a week at a time. If I were to travel for two weeks or more, I would definitely consider bringing a blender because I love green smoothies in the morning. You could also juice Vita-mix using a bag of nut milk. But for trips of just a week or less, organic fruit in the morning is perfect.
I usually make a salad for the plane flight or also for a long car trip. I do this for several reasons:
- I usually can’t go more than three hours without eating after my typical fruit-only breakfast.
- I usually have a lot of ripe vegetables, greens, and avocados in my fridge that will go bad while I’m gone, so why not use them?
- I like to have one last amazing meal before switching to more dry foods and possibly non-organic foods.
- I like to save money on meals and snacks.
- I need a couple of reusable plastic salad containers that I will be making in my destination city anyway, why not start using them now?
You’re ready! You have most of the non-fresh stuff with you and you’ll be buying your organic fruits, greens, salad greens, and avocado (great to use as a dressing) when you get there. Enjoy your trip, stay raw and have fun like never before!