Bariatric Dietitian Rene Norman, RD/LD continues her Tips from Rene today with more options to stay on track with your nutrition while traveling.
In the past month or so, we’ve covered how to get through the airport with protein options. Once you get to your destination, then what? Protein bars, meat jerky and packets of tuna and chicken are options you can pack in your suitcase. If your hotel room has a coffee maker or microwave, you’ve got protein options. You can pack protein powder in your suitcase. Several manufacturers like Unjury, Jay Robb and Syntrax Nectar make single pack serving of their protein powders. You can make hot water by running water through the coffee maker or heating it up in a microwave proof mug or bowl. Consider bringing a microwave proof mug or bowl with you.
Remember that whey protein needs to be mixed with a liquid that’s less than 140 degrees or else is will curdle. You can also use the hot water from your bathroom sink for hot water. The highest temperature that a water heater can bet set to is 140 degrees, so hot tap water can be used. With hot water, you can mix chocolate protein powder to make warm cocoa. Leftover packets of the no added sugar Carnation Breakfast Essentials can also be used.
A warm, savory option is mixing Unjury’s chicken flavor protein with the hot water and have a high protein broth. If you don’t have the chicken flavor broth, consider bringing a few packets of the Herb Ox No Added Salt Chicken or Beef Broth or a few bouillon cubes to dissolve into hot water and add unflavored protein powder. These can be found in the soup area of your grocery store. Mix unflavored protein powder with the broth once the broth has cooled off some. The bouillon cubes can have up to 800 mg or more sodium per cube, so use a half of cube to cut back on sodium. Start with a ratio of 10 grams of protein powder to 8 oz. of water.
If you like coffee, use a de-caf coffee packet and make some coffee. You can add chocolate protein to the coffee for a mocha drink or use vanilla protein to make a latte. You can also pack some plain or low sugar instant oatmeal packets with you. Fill up a coffee cup half way with hot water and add the oatmeal. Add 5 to 10 grams of protein powder (unflavored or vanilla) and stir until dissolved. Add more hot water as needed to thin if needed. Consider bringing plastic spoons with you to stir up a protein drink or eat your oatmeal. If you’ve brought a shaker cup with you, then you can use cold water and mix up a protein drink from whatever flavor protein powder you brought. If you don’t have a shaker cup, you stir together protein powder and water in one of the drinking glasses found in hotel rooms. You can use the coffee stirrers from the coffee maker or bring plastic spoons with you.You can practice these ideas at home before you leave on your trip. That way, you will be able to quickly mix up a meal or snack before heading out to that meeting, conference, reunion, ski slopes, beach, theme park or whatever adventure is in store that day.
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