As I've been talking about my new approach to food with friends, family and co-workers I get a lot of responses but one I've been getting lately goes something like this, "Wow, that's amazing, but don't you find it hard to eat healthy when you're traveling for work?" Well, yesterday was the true test and now I can confirm the answer to that question is, "no, it's not hard to keep cavegirl, you just have to make the right choices!"
So yesterday I had to travel from NYC to Baltimore for the day and despite my skepticism that I was going to have to write it off as a "cheat day" because of the lack of good food choices on the road, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could indeed keep cavegirl on the go!
Breakfast - Knowing that I was catching a 10am train and the choices at Penn Station are less than to be desired and Zaro's Bread Basket certainly isn't legal on the Paleo Diet, I brought a Fage Yogurt and a banana with me. Got a Dunkin Donuts coffee (with half and half) on the way to the train and BAM, there's a perfectly healthy breakfast. Ok, so it's not entirely Paleo because of the yogurt but I'm a woman and I need all the extra calcium I can get to keep my bones strong!
Lunch - Now here's where it gets difficult and interesting. Our train got into Baltimore a little late and we had to go right from the train station to the meeting so there was no stopping to grab lunch on the way. Knowing that this wasn't going to work for me and I would definitely be chewing my arm on in a matter of hours, I stopped at the Newsstand in the train station to pick up a "snack" that would hold me over until the 1-3pm meeting was done.
Now, in my old ways I probably would have picked up a "bar" of some sort thinking that they were nutritious and doing my body justice. I also probably would have bought a bag of pretzels to go along with the bar thinking that the carbs would fill me up and hold me over. Well, Jersey Cavegirl looked right at the beef jerky and was thankful that it was hanging next to the nuts! That's right, BEEF JERKY and NUTS! Don't get me wrong, this particular beef jerky wasn't the best because it did have quite a high sodium content but I figured that it had to be better than the carb high and crash I would get from a sugar laden bar and a bag of pretzels. So I proceeded with the beef jerky and some lightly salted cashews (again too much sodium but what was I going to do about that, it was this or nothing) and continued on my way.
Much to my surprise my choice of snacks actually did hold me over and I wasn't about to chew my arm off in the middle of my 2 hour meeting. Must admit that my co-workers did give me a funny look when I opened the beef jerky in the cab on the way to the meeting and it did slightly smell up the car, it's jerky or nothing ladies. cavegirls need their beef!
Dinner - I have the best husband in the world who cooks dinner when I'm not able to so I arrived home to a great grilled chicken and sauteed spinach dinner. Nothing crazy but hit the spot along with a nice glass of red wine that was definitely deserved after 4+ hours riding trains during the day.
So, there you go. Paleo on the road is possible and when you're faced with the daunting decision of what to get when you need a snack to hold you over, so don't be a jerky and go for the beef jerky!
For some "legal" beef jerky check out Whole Foods or your local butcher. You may be able to find a great tasting jerky that isn't loaded with sodium.
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