In the two weeks we were traveling we only ate out one time. What? How is that possible?
Well, let me tell you how. A cooler, a crock pot, large bowl, cutting board, some serving utensils and some prep.
Breakfasts: Hard boiled eggs, GF cereal with raw milk, GF bagels with organic cream cheese or almond butter, home made GF muffins and pre-made home made GF waffles. I made the waffles and muffins before we left and froze them. We would put the waffles wrapped in foil into the crock pot over night on warm and by morning we had warm waffles to enjoy with some sliced strawberries and maple syrup. We also had kefir or yogurt with some strawberries and bananas.
Lunches: GF organic Turkey sandwiches made as we wanted them. Sliced GF organic grass fed beef sausages with GF Rice Free Lentil crackers and raw cheese. Costco also has a wonderful organic GF chicken salad in single serving cups that were delicious. We also ate leftovers from our dinners the previous night and pre cut veggies with organic hummus.
Dinners: Prepped before leaving was the marinated chicken I cooked, cut up into cubes and froze. This was also useful in the cooler acting as another ice pack. The kids and I were able to wash some lettuce with some paper towel, I cut up tomatoes and we tossed the thawed chicken into the bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes adding in an organic Caeser salad dressing with a little cheese and we had a chicken Caeser Salad.
I also cooked up chicken breasts and shredded them mixing them with a habanero pineapple sauce and some barbecue sauce. Both were organic without high fructose corn syrup. I then froze it and when thawed, cooked it in the crock pot serving it on GF buns as pulled chicken sandwiches. Serve with a few homemade sweet and sour pickles, cut up veggies and gluten free organic chips.
One night we made taco salads. I had precooked and frozen some ground beef and used it also as an ice pack for the cooler when we first left. We again washed some lettuce, tomatoes and put all in the metal mixing bowl with fermented salsa, raw cheese, organic avocado, and the organic dressing. The leftovers we ate for lunch the next day.
We took some precooked chicken brats that were frozen and I put them in the crock pot with some cut up peppers and onions in the afternoon one day in CA and we had dinner ready when we were done with our day.
On the way home, we made a stop at Costco and Whole Foods. We chose some pre-made salads and chicken dishes that we could put in the cooler.
Snacks: We had apples, bananas, dried fruits, cut up veggies with organic hummus cups, and of course I allowed the kids some GF chips of various kinds. Believe it or not, I actually found pretzels that were GF and rice free. Woo hoo, I actually enjoyed a few pretzels.
Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive when it comes to food as long as you have a few hours of prep, the resources and the want to eat nutritious meals. I cannot remember the last time we were in a fast food drive through. Other than coffee it has to have been at least 12 years. We travel quite often and we rarely eat out when we do.
When we did eat out in CA, it was the first day, in San Francisco at Fisherman’s Wharf. Of course, who could pass up such a wonderful Ahi Tuna. 🙂
I wish I were half aa organized as you, Sherry. Well done! I may have to try the waffles in the crock pot idea – that seems like a good use of it. Hope you’re feeling better!
It was really quite fun seeing how creative we could be. We seriously ate out of the cooler for 2 weeks. Try the waffles, it works out great. Leftover hard boiled eggs that don’t get eaten make a great egg salad sandwich. We need to get together for coffee… 🙂 Thanks for viewing.
Yum! I love the idea of using the frozen food as freezer packs until they thaw. :J
Keep these ideas… you are going to need them! ha ha ha Sending cyber hugs.