Carrying food on the road

[FlyChicaga]

Lately I've been feeling really down and lethargic since I haven't been eating too well on the road. All this fast food chinese and mexican at the airport combined with a Starbucks in the morning is doing me in. So I've decided it's probably time to start bringing some healthy food on the road in one of those carry-on coolers that all the SWA F/As seem to lug around. I was against bringing food since it's bad enough I have to lug all this crap around the country, but time to give in. Since all the fast food has been unappetizing and nearly making me sick, I've been avoiding it... therefore unconsciously avoiding food some days (like one and a half meals a day). It's taking it's toll... I'm feeling dull, I've lost a few pounds, and I've been pretty dehydrated. I came home from work this week and my parents made some comments about being worried that I'm not eating. So it shows.

So what foods would you recommend for the standard 4-5 day stint? I've been thinking peanut butter, celery, granola bars, mixed nuts, stuff like that. Plus I plan to go to GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe to get some supplements since obviously this crap we eat on the road doesn't give me the vitamins we all need. What do you all bring?

I'm looking for healthy foods which aren't quickly perishable (so I don't need to slam down the food in the first two days of the trip) and don't take tons of preparation. I know there are some fitness and nutrition guru's on here that probably have plenty of "food on the road" experience, so that's why I'm posting here.

I just need to do a definite turnaround. I'm feeling dried out from the airplane, cold weather, and hotel rooms. My appetite has been thwarted from too much beef and brocolli and burritios from the fast food joints. I've never been big on McD's or Burger King. I pretty much feel like I'm getting really unhealthy. Not eating and dry air will do that. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm already thin... so losing weight is a really bad thing. I'm weighing in at 130# right now.. normally have been around 140#. I'd like to get up to like 160#.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be really appreciated. I guess it's time to just give up and deal with lugging food around from now on.

 

[TurboS7]

Check it out with an FA. They have enough stuff in their bag to last 10 days, they have everything. Better yet lug nothing and muuch off them.

 

[GogglesPisano]

It helps if you work at a hub-spoke airline. Then you can keep a large cooler/bag in the crew lounge fridge and forage from it after each round.

I usually make a few PBJ sandwiches (oranic bread and PB -- but that's just me.) They usually only last a few days.

Dried fruit (figs, dates ...) Good for snacking. Also a bag of nuts.

I usually cook a few meals and put them in disposable tupperware-style containers. Avoid meat because it doesn't last that long. Rice and beans with some cheese lasts several days in the fridge.

When I go on an overnight I usually take a Starbucks bag and put bananas, protien/Cliff bars, and yogurt in it. (Put the yogurt on ice when you get to the hotel.) Now you have a free breakfast. If the hotel has a free continental breakfast you can "stock up" on supplies (incognito.)

I'm addicted to Starbucks but even with that I can usually get by on $10/day.

(I also feel much healthier.)

 

[a21]

road food

Just a few ideas- Bananas(quite filling)cherry tomatoes,packaged tuna(starkist or whatever the stuff is called that comes in the blue packages,this stuff is great with crackers but will give you some rank ass breath up front)wheat thins that are of the low sodium or low fat variety,cereal(cherios in a ziplock)Red Bull energy drinks for when your low on energy and need a kick in the ass. Lots of bottled water,buy the stuff in bulk. Fruit snacks! I love the welches fruit snacks. Breakfast bars are good.So many to choose from though.I like the low fat strawberry cheesecake twisty thingys.

Things to stay away from-Soda,chips,ice cream,cake,fast food(like you dont allready know this).Also try to avoid high sodium.Lots of sodium=Higher blood pressure.Also stay away from microwave crap.That stuff is just plain bad.Lots of sodium and fat to increase your chances of losing your medical.Bottom line is this,pay attention to Fat and Sodium,not to mention Cholesterol.I look at all the nutrition labels every time i go to the grocery store.

Few more notes-Low sodim V8 tomatoe juice.Not the tastiest,but good for ya.Also check out your local GNC. I love the Mega Men vitamins.More bang for your buck when compared to Centrum A-Z. Take 2 Mega Men a day.You could also throw in a vitamin c tablet as well to complement that,even though there is a bunch of vitamin c in megamen.

Hope this helps,like they say,DIET AND EXERCISE!

 

[Rhoid]

I'm weighing in at 130# right now.. normally have been around 140#. I'd like to get up to like 160#.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be really appreciated.

Get in touch with Jose Canseco, he can inject your butt with some steroids in the john at EWR, that will bulk you up fast!

 

[rumpletumbler]

I toooooooo have bad eating habits and wait with tennesee whisky / McDonalds Steak, Egg and Cheese Bagel breath for the replies that will surely bring forth the loss of my inner tube. haha

 

[VaB]

Clif Bars, tons of Clif Bars. I must start a trip with 5 pounds of them in my bag. I also carry a jar of mixed nuts, mostly almonds. But the Clif Bars are huge. 2 of them make you feel like you ate a meal.

And rent "Supersize Me". You'll never eat fast food again.

 

[cfikate]

What's really in the f/a food bags?
Here are a few ideas...
first off, if you're tired, try to cut down on the caffeine. It'll help for the first little while, but after it wears off, you'll be more tired. Try to replace it with a decaf or herbal tea--I like green tea.
Make sure you eat a balance of protein/carb and fats. I usually take a protein soy supplement--I bought it at GNC. Carbs give you fast quick energy, but it doesn't last long term.
Make sure you drink plenty of water also. Yeah, it's a pain to get up during the flight, but it's worth it.
A can of tuna fish works real well--that really give you way bad breath though.
It's also easy to bring a bag of cereal and a spoon--you can always get milk during the flight. Bring an apple and drink some protein shake, and that can be breakfast.
I also enjoy rice and beans. You can make a whole pot of beans--cook for several hours, and it'll last you for several weeks.
I don't know if you have ovens, but that opens up a lot more options. You can bring any frozen item and just heat it.

Although you may be tired after a hard day, try to get a bit of exercise even if it's only for a few minutes. I always bring my swimsuit in my bag, just in case. The gym might be bad, but try to run or even just try to do a few situps, pushups or dips to get you going in the morning. On your off days, try to have a more regular workout routine.

When you are hungary, make sure you eat. Don't ever starve yourself. If your only options are Mcdonalds, get something semi-healthy. Order a salad or something more healthy. You can usually find a deli sandwich or salad or even find some nuts or dried fruit. It's better to eat something unhealthy than to starve yourself.

I like also cutting up veggies like baby carrots, celery, peppers, and just snacking on them. If you know the crew you're flying with in advance, it's always fun to arrange a potluck. I've been on some memorable Hawaii runs where that occured.

 

[Clyde]

Carry a box of cereal with you. You will more than likely have to eat it dry, but it's better than nothing in the morning to get your day started.

Other things I carry/recommend:

Cliff Bars
Granola bars and a small jar of peanut butter
Dried fruit
Nuts
Protein mix (cans or powder)
If you carry the powder, bring a small plastic bottle to mix it up in.
Canned tuna. You can get them with the easy-off tops. The kits usually come with some crackers, mayo, and relish.

If you have to resort to fast-food, stick to places like Subway where you can make a healthy sandwich. Wendy's, and order a grilled chicken sandwich and chili. Avoid burgers and fast-food chinese.

 

[qmaster3]

fly,

Here's some stuff I pack for a 12/hr shift.

Fruit cocktail, mix (nuts, dried fruit, etc), can't go wrong with PB&J, try some healthy low sodium soup, if you have a cooler handy cold cuts made the way you want, Salad, salsa & chips always makes for a good snack, Oatmeal is always good in the morning with some fresh fruit.

Hear ya anyone who has worked on a military base has to be sick of Micky D's...... Suppose it's the same strolling through the Airports. I could NEVER give up the Starbucks!

 

[rumpletumbler]

What the hell is a cliff bar?

 

[Wankel7]

I work 19 days a month and normally bring a few bags of food

This is what I have figured out.

Never drink coffee and only drink water and a lot if you can. Drink in a bottle big enough to pee in if worse came to worse (cargo only).

I LIVE off of Ensure. Yeah, it is an old person drink but who cares. It has allot of calories and allot of vitimans. I normally drink one with a Cliff bar. That is almost a meal considering it is around 500 calories.

Also, what is great are those Star Kist Tuna Lunch to goes. At about 1.40 a piece they are great and have everything you need. Gornola bars are great and trail mix is a good one too.

Any snack food is good such as Wheat thins. Since they are high in fiber...might help you punch a grumpy

James

 

[uwochris]

Just keep in mind that you may experience problems when crossing the border into Mexico or Canada if you are bringing in any fruits or vegetables.

 

[minitour]

Stop by GNC and grab a box of MetRx "meal replacement" shakes. You mix them with water or milk....they do replace a meal...drink two of those (breakfast and lunch) and then eat a dinner of some sort and you're good to go.

-mini

 

[FlyChicaga]

Yeah I didn't think about the fruit/vegetable thing clearing Customs. Anyone have experience with this?

Right now I was thinking the following:

Peanut Butter
Celery Sticks
Carrots
Bananas
Wheat Thins
Cliff Bars/Similar
Mixed Nuts
Protein Powder (any tips on this? I have a 20 oz plastic water bottle thing that I was thinking I could bring to start drinking these shakes. Are they simple to make?)
Vitamins

 

[FlyChicaga]

Stop by GNC and grab a box of MetRx "meal replacement" shakes. You mix them with water or milk....they do replace a meal...drink two of those (breakfast and lunch) and then eat a dinner of some sort and you're good to go.

-mini

Are those like Creatine though... where if you don't exercise well while taking them you'll gain lots of fat? I heard this about Creatine.

 

[BSkin]

Again, what is a Cliff bar?

 

[minitour]

Are those like Creatine though... where if you don't exercise well while taking them you'll gain lots of fat? I heard this about Creatine.

nah...minitour doesn't exercise...much...unless its golfing.

I was for a while there exercising a LOT, but I seem to have *ahem* slacked off a bit...

The chocolate ones aren't too too bad, but you need LOTS of water or milk. The 16oz they recommend just doesn't cut it...it'd be thick enough to slice if it was 16 ounces...I think there's vanilla or berry or something else...can't remember...

I'd recommend 'em

-mini

 

[qmaster3]

Again, what is a Cliff bar?

http://www.clifbar.com/

See ya later guys. It was nice pretending for a few posts.



Off to get a BIG MAC w/ FRESH crisp FRIES, and a SHAKE.

 

[UnAnswerd]

Mountain Dew, Pepsi, chocolate cupcakes, Doritios, candy bars, Twinkies, chips, etc...are all small and take up very little space. They give you energy too. I usually have a lunch consisting of a Pepsi, bag of chips, and some beef jerky. Then for desert I'll finish up with some cupcakes with the little sprinkles on top.....

 

[cforst513]

bring along some apples. here at school, i usually buy 5-6 apples to eat for lunch during the week. they don't go bad in that short period of time, are quite filling, are good for you, and they help give you strong and healthy teeth and gums! heh heh, i sound like a dentist.

 

[BonesF15]

met-rx etc

Met-rx or myoplex is pretty good for a meal replacement shake.
You can get at any gnc or health food store.
GNC has these shakers for like 5 bucks that work great, they have an agitator that really helps mix it up.
Really cold water or milk and you are good to go.
Lots of protein to keep you from getting hungry and good long term energy.
These have really worked for ocean crossings where you are stuck strapped in an ejection seat for 10 hrs.

 

[Billy Madison]

I used to make Peanut Butter and Jelly before a trip. I found it to take a lot of time and the bread would get soggy with jelly. You can imagine my excitement when I found squeezable peanut butter and jelly. Now just bring slices of bread and then make the sandwiches when I'm hungry.

Oatmeal is good. Especially with an early show and no breakfast at the hotel. Get the hot water from the coffee maker.

Beef Jerky.
Left over pizza. Put it in the crew room fridge.

Billy

 

[qmaster3]

Met-rx or myoplex is pretty good for a meal replacement

SO IS BEER. Have you ever considered the nutrition value in one 12/oz longneck?

 

[FlyChicaga]

Some say Guinness is a meal.

 

[snowman]

I can say that Ensure or slimfast as a meal is a great way to go... NOT to lose weight but to get a quick and painless meal. I have used both during marathon training and training for a 24hr mountain bike race. It should not replace a meal, but will hold you until you can unwrap a Clif bar/snickers. MMMM snickers. Tuna in the pouch thing is also great.. Pack it in your mouth like a chaw of Redman and forget about the hunger....

Guiness is a great meal, sandwich in every bottle!

MMM, beeeeer

adios
snowman

 

[taloft]

Little packets of oatmeal (hot water from the hotel coffeemaker)
Jerky
Nutrition Bars (Cliff, etc..)
Apples (don't spoil or make a mess like some fruit)
Peanuts (F/A's tell me these can hold you for a long time)
Bottled water by the case
Soup and Sandwiches at the airport (deli, subway)

 

[psysicx]

I thought the Myoplex drinks were supplements?If you don't exercise will you gain weight?

 

[buttercup]

Hey guys I heard that Protein shakes just tear the ass out of you is that true?

 

[minitour]

And rent "Supersize Me". You'll never eat fast food again.

Here's my story for today.

Okay...so I had a bad day today.

I still made it in under my calories, but here's how it worked out.

Breakfast: Burger King
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissanwich
Cini-Mini
Coffee

Lunch: Wendys
Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
Biggie Fries
Biggie Diet Coke

Dinner: Taco Bell
Steak Quesadilla
Taco Supreme
Large Diet Pepsi

I watched the movie tonight after dinner and I want to go vomit everything up that I just ate.

Seriously, I will not eat fast food now....I can't....I'll die by the end of next week if I keep it up!

-mini