Ever thought to travel with peanut butter?
How about OIAJ on the go!
Eating well while traveling just takes a bit of planning
I brought my near-empty jar along with trail mix and this packet of Cinnamon Raisin oats I’ve been carrying around for ages. With only 6 grams of sugar, Erewhon makes some of the healthiest instant oats I’ve seen. [The hotel did have plain oats, but you never know so I always pack a packet..]
I mixed the oats, a small banana, some skim milk and hot water in a cup, and when I got back to my room, poured it into my jar.
Toppings included some Starbux dried fruit and trail mix.
Plus some coffee.
Hotel Breakfasts
Good options
- Whole fruit
- Whole grain cereals with milk (Cheerios, bran flakes)
- Whole wheat toast with a little butter and jam
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Plain oatmeal
- Fruit salad
- Homemade latte (half coffee, half milk will give you more protein and satiety)
In-A-Pinch Choices
- Yogurts (which are usually made with artificial sweeteners and fillers)
- Seemingly whole wheat bagels (I think the chance that the toast is WW is higher than the bagels)
- Cereals that might not be whole grain
- Fruit juices
- Frozen waffles
- Peanut butter that is not all natural ( 🙁 )
Poor Choices
- The pre-made sausage biscuit that the sports team was chowing down on had 410 calories and 4 grams of trans-fat. Yuck.
- The pastries and muffins (probably all have trans-fats and little satiety)
Pick a fruit, a grain and a protein from the good choices list to aim for a balance of fuel and satiety. And better yet, pack some nuts, nut butters, trail mix, oatmeal packets and whole fruit so you’re prepared for the worst.
Off to YOGA soon!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
You are the queen of planning– and it obviously pays off!!!
Enjoy yoga and Sunday fun!
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs says
Oh Kath – you are so priceless!! OIAJ on the go…only in the blog world, I LOVE IT!!
Karla says
I got Naturally Nutty from your OpenSky deal and I love it! I’m a little sad it doesn’t melt as well as other nut butters though! Oh well! Still delicious!
Way to plan ahead!
Hannah says
I have a jar each of peanut butter and almond butter in my suitcase right now! Bought them the day before leaving London (should have bought better kinds before leaving the US though) as I knew good pb is hard to come by in Europe. It’s working well for me so far 😀 Particularly with hostel breakfasts here, where the options are usually white bread, cheese and deli meats! I like my oatmeal and pb better 🙂
christie @ honoring health says
Yes, I totally bring nut butter when I travel. I agree that traveling and eating well is just a matter of planning.
Have fun at bikram. Can’t wait to hear about it!
christina cadden says
Wow, I will start planning when I go on a road trip. Never thought of it before!
Heather says
oohhh yoga have fun!
OIAJ look yum
Kayla says
I actually haven’t traveled since I started eating healthier – sad right! But I’ll definitely be sure to pack up food to take with me when I do.
Have fun at yoga!
rustique says
I do this all the time at hotels–I like the Kashi hot cereal; it’s about as low in sugar.
Rachel says
Shucks! I thought I was going to get to be the first commenter, but others beat me too it 🙂 Those are great tips for being on the road. I also try to plan ahead and bring my own essential supplies. You never know what is going to be available. Hope you have a great yoga session this morning. Can’t wait to hear about it!
Shayna @ Cuts and Curves says
Wow! You do travel prepared. I’m gonna have to start doing similar things when I travel because I always end gaining weight! Not cool.
Alison says
eating healthily while traveling does take some planning, but is doable! i always travel with almonds and peanut butter in my checked bag and keep granola bars and fruit in my carry on. you never know when you’ll be stuck on a tarmac or dependent on vending machine food at teeny tiny airports.
so excited you’re enjoying VA. isn’t it the best? 🙂
Meghan@traveleatlove says
I find that breakfast is one of the easiest meals to eat healthy while traveling for business, so I usually grab extra stuff if its a buffet, a banana, pb, whole wheat bread, for later.
Sausage biscuits kind of sound good right now though haha 🙂
Meg says
It warms my heart (and belly!) when hotels offer oatmeal 😀
Simply Life says
We usually pack a box of granola bars and eat our little breakfast to save a few dollars! Oatmeal packets are a great idea!
Jess says
I’m going out of town this weekend and was already having a little bit of anxiety about food choices available. Thanks for the tips!
MelissaNibbles says
I brought oats in a jar on an airplane once. You should’ve seen the looks I was getting. hahaha!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
Such a good idea!! I usually remember to bring oatmeal packets but never a bowl!!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Go you for being prepared!!!! I always bring things like bars with me but I’ve never thought of bringing instant oats.. duh!!! And an empty nut jar? Genius.
Jen says
That OIAJ looked like it might spill all over (atleast if I tried to eat it!). I always pack healthy stuff for on the go, and I’m always so surprised when other people don’t. I can’t imagine having only pastries and white bread to choose from for breakfast.
Angie says
Great planning, Kath!! Awesome hotel breakfast suggestions! Your day looks so fun yesterday, so exciting for your future!
Caitlin @ Right Foot Forward says
I have an almost-empty jar of PB and plan to make my own OIAJ tomorrow morning. Yum!
www.integrativehappiness.com says
i have yet to receive my open sky nut butter order… is that strange??
Kath says
Maybe so. I’d contact the Open Sky cust service.
Shannon says
I actually contacted Open Sky today with the same question, and they said that Naturally Nutty ran out of sunflower butter after the promo. They’ve made fresh batches, though, and should ship this week!
kalli@fitandfortysomething says
Genius ideas as usual! Have a great yoga class…..I am about ready to run a 5 K!
Sarah says
Hi Kath,
In the list of “in a pinch” you have yogurt because of the possibility of artificial sweeteners and fillers. Since your getting a R.D. degree, I wondered if you knew of any published data that artificial sweeteners are bad for you. I’m not talking about animal studies at supra-human levels of sweeteners, but good randomized, control trials in humans that conclusively show any evidence of harm/toxicity from the sweeteners. Just curious. I’m a artificial sweetener junkie.
Thanks
Kath says
Sarah,
I haver heard if any negative-to-health studies but I have heard that there is a link between them and weight gain. Hypohesized to be that the brain thinks it’s getting sugar.
My mindset is that while they may be “safe for human consumption” there is absolutely nothing GOOD about them. No micronutrients. No phytonutrients. No antioxidants. They aren’t real food so we don’t know if there is something we have yet to discover about them that could be harmful. They have no grounds for defense as a healthy addition to the diet.
Michelle @ G(Y)G says
That jar of oats with trail mix spilling out of the top looks absolutely amazing! And cinnamon vanilla sunflower seed butter?!? How cool! I really need to hunt down some Naturally Nutty. I’ve never had it, but from what I see on your blog is looks sensational!
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
That looks like some awesome travel food. 😀
I agree, that muffins are oftentimes poor choices. Even the “bran muffins” which sound so healthy are oftentimes ladened with oils, sugars and trans fat. Boo!
Your choice, however, looks awesome. 😀
hemp jogger says
hey kath,
i was wondering where youre taking yoga this morning? still fairly new to c-ville, and on sundays, my gym doesnt offer good classes. thanks! excited abt yall opening up here.
Kath says
Where were you today!? KERF brunch!?
hemp jogger says
wish i couldve made it! prior engagement…but i know we’ll meet sometime soon. i’m quite stoked about all these delish carbs comin to town 😉
Gabriela says
YUM!
Amazing breakfast 😉
You´re way too organized, girl! And that´s a good thing 🙂
Thanks for all the amazing tips!
Have an amazing Sunday, Kath!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
You’re such a great planner 🙂
Sometimes I like to plan when I’m on trips… but its also fun to sometimes to not have to plan 🙂
Have a great Sunday!
Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) says
Love the traveling OIAJ! I also greatly appreciate those nutrition tips regarding hotel dining options. While I love free continental breakfasts, you really have to rack your creativity to come up with some healthy and satisfying selections.
jaclyn@todays lady says
great planning! I love the OIAJ on the go, such a blogger thing to do! Did you eat it in front of strangers and get any weird looks?
Kath says
We ate back in our room. I’m sure strangers would have been jealous 🙂
Brittany says
You know you’re a food blogger whe…..n you pack an empty tub of pb with you on a trip for OIAJ. I love it!!
Enjoy Bikram. I’ve done it twice and liked it, but missed some parts of traditional yoga. It’s like bootcamp yoga! Have a fun, sweaty time. 🙂
Cole says
Planning ahead does take some thought but it usually turns out to be very worth it!
Maggie @ Fit.Fun.Food says
Great suggestions for hotel eating! It’s been so long since I had a “continental breakfast” but I would always go straight for the waffle maker machines and throw raisins and cereal into the batter. Your oats look soooo scrumptious! Have a great Sunday!
skinnyrunner says
i like your choice lists, easy to remember. and im impressed with how organized and planned you are with packing food!
ellen eats beets says
love the hotel breakfast good choices suggestions! I tend to go for oatmeal and fruit at hotel breakfasts, with just a bite of those homefries. so yummmy
Bec says
I am going to be in Africa for a month starting next sunday and I am definitely packing a ton of oat packets and some PB just in case 🙂
The Paris Food Blague says
hey good suggestions! i just have to vent about how much i HATE when airplanes/hotels try to give you “whole wheat” bagels or bread that obviously is made of almost entirely white flour, plus probably sugar and preservatives (almost wrote conservatives—-dick cheney in my bagel yikes!)
and i dont even know what those meat biscuits you are talking about are……but they sound terrifying.
gosh i’m craving peanut butter now
a bientot
the paris food blague
Marisa (Loser for Life) says
Great job in planning ahead! Sometimes hotel choices are blech, but I see them getting better and healthier lately!
Marissa says
Planning ahead always pays of! Go you!
Veggielady4life says
You are truly an inspiration. I have recently found your website, and I have to say that every day I look forward to reading it. I am a super busy medical student, and I am often looking for simple solutions for eating healthfully… your blog is an amazing resource!!
Thanks for the tips on eating healthfully while traveling… such good ideas! I hope you have a wonderful time at yoga this morning!
Kath says
Thanks 🙂
Carrie @ Love Healthy Living says
Great hotel breakfast suggestions! I’m going on a trip soon and I’m going to look for some small packets of almond butter that I can take along with me and maybe my own oats. At my natural food store, they sell a 3-pack of small soymilk that are great for travel.
Lauren @ eater not a runner says
Good advice, I usually hate the hotel breakfasts when I’m traveling for work!
Ann @ Appalachian Appetites says
I often get so depressed at hotel continental breakfasts that I usually skip them! But I also hate to pass up free food…or at least try to get my money’s worth on the hotel rate! THUS…Thanks for the good tips! I’ll try them out next time. Have fun at yoga…Bikram is HARD!
Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says
I love your suggestions. The last time I traveled I ended up choosing two triangles of french toast with eggs for breakfast before a day of flying – kept me full til I made my layover!
Julie says
thanks for the suggestions 🙂
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
hotel breakfasts can be tricky…thank you for the tips
Gina says
I’m excited to read your thoughts on Bikram…have fun!
Ashley C says
This cracked me up, I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and oatmeal is your signature so I think it’s so funny you even make it all topped up at starbucks and hotels too 🙂 Thats the only way I can eat oatmeal though and I learned to like it from you
Alison (Life's Little Lusts) says
brilliant post –
the first photo really caught my eye.
i love your hotel breakfast suggestions;
it can definitely be hard to eat well on the road.
the OIAJ on the go is a perfect solution though!
i usually pack mine in my special travel bowl,
but i’ve never actually thought of
packing it in a near-empty nut butter jar.
SO GENIUS.
if you can find those starbucks stainless steel oatmeal carriers
they’d be a great tool as well. 🙂
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Wow! You rocketed through that nut butter.
4g of trans fat? Yuck and no thank you
Julie says
Any suggestions for trains? I take trains a lot.
Kath says
You mean what to eat on them? I wrote an article for Breathe that I posted a while back about healthy eating on the go 🙂
Run Sarah says
I made cinnamon raisin instant oatmeal on an airplane before similarily! The whole aisle smelled heavenly after! 🙂
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Perfect OIAJ! They look really yummy. 🙂 It doesn’t take much to eat normally, even on the go.
Jenn
Daniel says
Great tips! I wish I had thought of some of these before, I’m kind of surprised I didn’t.
I’m sure this will come in handy when I go to the Wisconsin Dietetics Association conference in April. 🙂
By the way, I tried your lemon-yogurt hummus and whipped banana oats this weekend and both were amazing!!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
great tips for traveling! that’s definitely a derailer for me, especially when it’s with family since all i want to do is chow down with them 🙂
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
I stuck with the the oatmeal and stoneyfield yogurt when I stayed at a hotel this week.
steph: exercise physiologist and artist :) says
Waaahhh most of my posts do not show up here. so weird b/c some do.
I am definitely not writing anything crazy that might flagged 🙁
IF this posts.. does anyone have any ideas as to why this might be happening?
Steph~ www.eatpaintsweat.com
steph: exercise physiologist and artist :) says
Hmmmm very strange!! the last post, posted right away.
Ladies- anyone have any ideas?? So weird how it only happens sometimes 🙁
I’d love some advise!
Steph~ www.eatpaintsweat.com
Kath says
Steph,
Are you leaving your blog address as a link in those posts? You might be going into spam with an http link. Just leave your blog in the field and we’ll know it’s a link from your name.
Steph- Exercise Physiologist & Artist! says
Thanks Kath!
I am sure that’s what it is. I saw someone else with a signature like that and I thought “great idea” apparently not so great idea.
I removed my signature so hopefully that takes care of it 🙂
Hope you have a great day!!
Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
I love your comments about traveling and totally agree. A little planning and preparation will do wonders.
Paige (Running Around Normal) says
Love oats in a jar to go! Great healthy breakfast ideas, too! 🙂
amanda says
Great breakfast planning! I try to always do the same on trips. 😉
AnnQ says
I’m with you on the planning thing….each time I’ve gone to Memphis for work, I always make sure I have plain instant oats with me. 🙂
Gloriann says
I’ve been watching this blog for about a half a year, and I just wanted to pop my head in and say how much I enjoy your posts, Kath. Way cool and inspirational!
Kath says
Thanks!
Krissy - Single Serving says
I’ve brought a jar of peanut butter and multigrain sandwich thins with me on vacation more than once. Most of the time we’re on the go and don’t have a full breakfast and that way I am sure that I can control at least 1 meal. Cville looks like such a quaint and fun town. I didn’t know much about it at all until you started talking about it. From what I’ve seen/heard from you I’m sure you’ll love it there!
tieghan says
Hey kath! I had a question about Parshnips. Are they bad for you they are white even though they are a veggie?
Thanks!
Tieghan
Kath says
Parsnips are very good for you!
Diana says
I take my almost empty jars of nut butters to work to finish, since I don’t eat as often there and only need a little. 🙂
kate says
love the break down of good/bad/worse bfast options! namaste!
Annie@stronghealthyfit says
Looks like some good road trip food! I’m going on a road trip next week and am already planning out meals and snacks for the road 🙂
Lauren says
Great hotel healthy-food tips! I don’t travel very often, but I’ll definitely be keeping these in mind for the few times I do.