A long foodie weekend in Barcelona
Alongside my passion of health and fitness; my other love is that of travel. I even love the 'getting there' part. I’ve always loved airports for some reason; I think it’s the association of going somewhere exciting. Over the last five years I have travelled a lot, so have developed my own systems to staying healthy on the go.
So, yet another early morning flight and up 20 minutes earlier than necessary to prepare my omelette and left-over dinner - red cabbage and bacon - I know red cabbage at 6am?! I don’t want to come back to a fridge with any out of date food so I try to use up whatever is left; and this particular morning that’s just what happened to be there.
My travel motto is ‘Be prepared’
I think it’s so much more important to concentrate on what you put in your body than what you put on it; so whilst others might be thinking about which clothes or which of their favourite make up staples to pack, I’m thinking of food!
My diet is generally high in protein and healthy fats and when I’m not training so much, low in carbs. Airport food is usually questionably edible, pre-packaged and carb overloaded - so I have mastered the art of packing my own.
So what’s in my handbag for this trip?
*Buffalo Cranberry Jerky
*Avocado (halved and stoned)
*Tomato (sliced)
*Boiled Eggs
*Almonds
*Pumpkin seeds
I also carry all of my supplements with me but more about those another time.
Airline food is pretty awful and to be avoided; meals are heavily salted and sugared because food tastes bland at high altitudes and it has to be kept ‘fresh’ (whatever that means). One day I’ll give you an update of my bread roll I was given on a flight home from New York in the summer! Let’s just say, I’ve still got it and it looks no different from that day! Bread is supposed to go mouldy, right? It’s 6 months old now. Not good.
To be fair, EasyJet has come a long way in the food department and if I was desperate, my picks would be:
Moma Porridge and The Food Dr ‘Lentil Couscous’ and CocoVita coconut water.
I settled for a Twinings Peppermint Tea but was intrigued that the Air Hostess asked if I would like sugar - Really, people do that with Peppermint tea? As for the 'Kids Snack Packs' they are the worst combination of foods possible, with no nutritional value whatsoever!
Even if you have eaten before you leave, you will always feel hungry on the plane. I think it must be boredom or the higher altitude…either way, always be prepared.
SO
*Don’t go to the airport hungry; it's highly unlikely you will find any healthy options.
*Be prepared and pack some snacks.
*Pack foods that don’t need to be kept cold - this depends on how long your journey takes.
*Don’t pack foods that will go soggy - spinach or salad greens do not travel well.
*Pack foods that are easy to eat and you have something to eat them with. Obviously no knives are allowed but my ’spork’ has become a handbag essential and helped me out on numerous occasions. Oranges are never a good idea as the juice always sprays everywhere and leaves a sticky mess.
*Be considerate; a rule I failed to follow when I travelled to the US with a fish platter from the Champagne and Seafood bar at Heathrow airport! That was back in the day when I tried to wing it and ended up with the most expensive and aromatic plane meal ever. Although I could tell my fellow passengers were extremely envious of my fresh prawns, smoked salmon, mussels, mackerel, herring and crayfish feast, I also sensed they were not so keen on the...smell.
Avoid stinky cheese (even travelling from Switzerland), freshly boiled eggs, onions, garlic or curry flavoured foods.
*Obvious but remember to avoid liquids.
So no excuses, with a little preparation you can make a big difference to your travel experience and stay healthy and happy.