anyone trying to cut out the amount of pop/soda they drink?

[Chef Jim]

I would completely agree with you on the artificial flavorings. Hence, my preference for tea. When traveling, I look for the snapple that has no artificial flavorings and no corn syrup, either. (A friend of mine has schooled me on the great corn conspiracy, so I notice corn syrup in m drinks as well.) Lipton has an "all natural" tea, as well (I think). Usually, if possible, I get several of those for the hotel along with beer.

 

But it's really hard, when you travel, to get drinks and food that are even remotely decent for you.

 

I just like to think that we have evolved as a species beyond the use of water as our primary means of liquid hydration with things like wine, beer, tea, vodka, coffee, orange juice, and milk out there.

 

I don't get this whole "it's hard to get good food and beverage while traveling" bit. There is good food everywhere, you just have to find it. Hell they sell bottle water in vending machines.

[Kevbeau]

You're all wrong. Soda increases intelligence and has the nutrients that plants crave.

[Dan]

I don't get this whole "it's hard to get good food and beverage while traveling" bit. There is good food everywhere, you just have to find it. Hell they sell bottle water in vending machines.

They do, but again, I don't drink water.

 

The problem is finding the good food. First of all, unless you get an Extended Stay (or similar type hotel), it's difficult to cook in your room. Although, you can microwave some soup (or do I dare say... popcorn ) pretty easily. I've found a hotel in Columbus that has an outdoor grill and patio for guests - that's pretty cool. But, I digress.

 

So, on the road, you're eating out for the most part. And the problem is, if you're in unfamiliar areas, it's difficult to find the good places to eat whether due to lack of time or lack of knowledge of the area. I agree, you don't have to eat fast food. I rarely do. However, when walking into a small, unknown restaurant, you have no idea if the food is good or bad. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes, not so much.

 

I often ask the front desk or whomever for good places to eat, but again, it's hit or miss. Bottom line is when traveling you have much less control over what you eat. Here at my house, I can steam some green beans, make some pasta and add a fresh basil and tomato sauce. Quick, easy and relatively healthy with no preservatives, no sugar, proper portions, etc. On the road... there's no guarantee at all you can find that and more often than not, you won't.

 

And the problem is compunded when eating on a limited travel budget. A nice restaurant will generally make much healthier meals. But, find me a $10-$15 dinner that's healthy and something other than salad and water. It's difficult.

 

I'm not saying travel always wrecks your diet. I travel as much as (or more than) anyone, yet stay slim. But, you have to really work at it and know quite a few tricks. Still, I almost always gain a few pounds on the road - unless I'm out for multiple weeks or a month or so. Then I just eat a alot less because it gets tiring and I really dislike the fast food.

[plenzmd1]

They do, but again, I don't drink water.

 

And the problem is compunded when eating on a limited travel budget. A nice restaurant will generally make much healthier meals. But, find me a $10-$15 dinner that's healthy and something other than salad and water. It's difficult.

 

I'm not saying travel always wrecks your diet. I travel as much as (or more than) anyone, yet stay slim. But, you have to really work at it and know quite a few tricks. Still, I almost always gain a few pounds on the road - unless I'm out for multiple weeks or a month or so. Then I just eat a alot less because it gets tiring and I really dislike the fast food.

 

So if you are talking total bill at $15..yep hard to eat for that. But I ate at Cheescake the other night on the road, grilled Mahi, no suace, two steamed veggies ( a little butter on the veggies ain't bad for ya either) and the entree was $17 or $18 bucks. Can't beat that with a stick! Plenty o places with specials like that..

[Chef Jim]

So if you are talking total bill at $15..yep hard to eat for that. But I ate at Cheescake the other night on the road, grilled Mahi, no suace, two steamed veggies ( a little butter on the veggies ain't bad for ya either) and the entree was $17 or $18 bucks. Can't beat that with a stick! Plenty o places with specials like that..

 

There you go. And if you're in a strange area and you don't know about the restaurants in the area there's this really cool idea I'm going to share with you, (not you Plenz...Dan). Now I want you to listen very closely because I don't share this with everyone, but here you go.........Ask somone!

[bartshan-83]

Ask somone!

Who the hell is that?

[Chef Jim]

Who the hell is that?

 

Abby....Abby somone.

[Fezmid]

And if you're in a strange area and you don't know about the restaurants in the area there's this really cool idea I'm going to share with you, (not you Plenz...Dan). Now I want you to listen very closely because I don't share this with everyone, but here you go.........Ask somone!

Ummm, Dan does -- he said this:

 

I often ask the front desk or whomever for good places to eat, but again, it's hit or miss.

[John Adams]

I'm not saying travel always wrecks your diet. I travel as much as (or more than) anyone, yet stay slim. But, you have to really work at it and know quite a few tricks. Still, I almost always gain a few pounds on the road - unless I'm out for multiple weeks or a month or so. Then I just eat a alot less because it gets tiring and I really dislike the fast food.

 

Go to a grocery store. Almost every one has a pre-made meal/salad bar section.

[bartshan-83]

Abby....Abby somone.

Abby Normal? She don't know **** about good restaurants.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

You're all wrong. Soda increases intelligence and has the nutrients that plants crave.

 

 

Brawndo!

 

http://www.brawndo.com/

[Chef Jim]

Ummm, Dan does -- he said this:

 

Correct. You don't ask for a good place to eat because to most Americans they'll send you do the 11,000 calorie pile O' crap. You need to ask where in town I can get a good salad.

[Fezmid]

Correct. You don't ask for a good place to eat because to most Americans they'll send you do the 11,000 calorie pile O' crap. You need to ask where in town I can get a good salad.

 

So your answer is to eat salad everyday for a month.....?

[KD in CA]

And the problem is compunded when eating on a limited travel budget. A nice restaurant will generally make much healthier meals. But, find me a $10-$15 dinner that's healthy and something other than salad and water. It's difficult.

That's true, so don't limit yourself to $15 just because that is the meal allowance. You don't eat for free at home, so factor that into your meals on the road and pay the difference out of your pocket.

 

 

So your answer is to eat salad everyday for a month.....?

I know several people that eat salad for lunch every day. They are invariably thin and healthy.

[Chef Jim]

So your answer is to eat salad everyday for a month.....?

 

Something wrong with that?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Nah. It's 50 calories per 8 oz for Gatorade and 110 for your ave. soda....

 

It's about a 50% reduction, so it is a decent middle ground to start breaking any habits.

 

 

Coffee. Coffee. Need I say it again? Coffee.

 

Coffee is the key to enlightenment.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Something wrong with that?

 

 

I like salad. But I'd get sick of it pretty damned quick if I had to eat it every day.

 

Same with anything healthy, really.

[John Adams]

So your answer is to eat salad everyday for a month.....?

 

Well, it's one answer at least.*

 

*This post may be offensive to people who have the addiction that forces a cheesesteak with fries or pizza or italian hoagie etc. down your throat every day.

[Chef Jim]

I like salad. But I'd get sick of it pretty damned quick if I had to eat it every day.

 

Same with anything healthy, really.

 

Not me. I had the honor of working in some of the best restaurants in the country but I could eat the same thing every day and for a long time my favorite was a grilled breast of chicken on a bed of mixed greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Had that every day for months.

[Dan]

So if you are talking total bill at $15..yep hard to eat for that. But I ate at Cheescake the other night on the road, grilled Mahi, no suace, two steamed veggies ( a little butter on the veggies ain't bad for ya either) and the entree was $17 or $18 bucks. Can't beat that with a stick! Plenty o places with specials like that..

Yes, there are plenty of places like that. But, try to find a place like that in Hanford, CA or Ontario, OR. My point being, that some of us travel to nice places like Chicago and Columbus. But, equally so, or even more so, I'm in places that no one has heard of and have almost nothing outside of Denny's, fast food, and a mexican place (it's amazing how every town in this country has a cheap mexican place!). So, yeah, there are sometimes options, but not always.

 

There you go. And if you're in a strange area and you don't know about the restaurants in the area there's this really cool idea I'm going to share with you, (not you Plenz...Dan). Now I want you to listen very closely because I don't share this with everyone, but here you go.........Ask somone!

As stated, I often do. And often you get some good recommendations. But, certainly not always. So, its a crap shoot really. And if you're in the middle of no where and you're tired and hungry, sometimes you just go with easy (i.e. the first place you see).

 

Go to a grocery store. Almost every one has a pre-made meal/salad bar section.

An excellent suggestion. This is actually one of the tricks, I was alluding to earlier. If I know I'm in town for a few days, I've started going grocery shopping. It's usually cheaper and you can almost always eat better. However, you do have to consider the hotel - not all have refrigerators, some don't even have a microwave (although those hotels are extremely rare now a days). I've gotten pretty good at hotel cooking. So, it helps. But again, if you're there for a night, maybe 2. It's often not practical to go grocery shopping, especially if you're going out at least one of those nights with "customers"/friends.

 

Also, most hotels have the free breakfast. I say stay away from the tasteless, processed egg product thing and just eat a bowl of cereal and some fruit.

 

Correct. You don't ask for a good place to eat because to most Americans they'll send you do the 11,000 calorie pile O' crap. You need to ask where in town I can get a good salad.

True. A lot of the time they send you to crap. So, it's iffy. Salad is ok. But, as other's have said, eating salad every day get's boring.

 

Plus, you really expect someone that travels 4-5 days a week to eat primarily salad with water and a lemon wedge? If that was my only option, just shoot me now. That's not eating - that's sad.

 

That's true, so don't limit yourself to $15 just because that is the meal allowance. You don't eat for free at home, so factor that into your meals on the road and pay the difference out of your pocket.

Excellent point, as well. I've often done that and suggested that to plenty of people I work with.

 

 

The key to all of this, IMO, is to eat proper portions. Almost any restaurant you go to gives you way too much food. So, quite honestly, I don't worry so much about what I eat as much as I worry about how much I eat. And how many people get the salad, just to load it down with bacon bits and a half a gallon of creamy ranch dressing (same with baked potatoes - I wonder sometimes if there's any potatoe even under there). Personally, I don't eat salad dressing at all - not because of a health issue, I just like the taste of tomoatoes. But, none the less, regardless of what you're eating, or drinking, I think proper portions are the key. A coke isn't so bad (IMO), it's the 32oz super size you have, only to have another drink an hour later. Who really needs that much of any liquid with a meal?

 

The second suggestion... don't eat according to the clock. Just because it's noon, why do you have to eat lunch? But, don't get me started on lunch. If you could talk to the people I work with they'd tell you how I feel about lunch.

 

Back to the topic at hand, though, a coke isn't so bad (IMO), it's the 32oz super size you have, only to have another drink an hour later. Who really needs that much of any liquid with a meal?