20
Feb 10
I’m not overly fond of eating out and have the embarrassing habit of taking my own food with me for travel. Of course, this isn’t embarrassing for me, but a 16 year old tends to embarrass easily, again, who’d a thunk?
Actually, the only meal that I consistently pack for myself for travel is my breakfast. On my latest trip, we stayed at hotels that offered a complimentary breakfast. This was nice and even though the biscuits and gravy weren’t very appealing, there were lots of other good choices. I’m a big fan of oatmeal, but not the pre-packaged sugary 
kind available at a buffet. I prefer the large flake oats with ground flax, walnuts, dried blueberries and vanilla protein. All I need is a little hot water and skim milk if it’s available. (In a pinch, I’ve even used the coffee maker in my room to create this breakfast concoction, not ideal, but not too bad.) This isn’t about saving money either. Although I suppose this would save a few bucks, it’s more about knowing what I’m eating and feeling good at the start of the day. I usually have a morning workout and this is also a great recovery meal that I like to count on.
Had I not packed my own breakfast, I could have made do with hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit and whole wheat toast. I always stay away from the baked goods-pastries, waffles, pancakes and muffins. Even though they look delicious, I know that would sit in my belly like a brick all day making me feel lethargic. The scrambled eggs are also not a bad choice, but not a flavor favorite for me.
The ‘take away’ message here is that whether you’re traveling or not, you should put some thought into your meal planning. Get to know your body and what makes you feel energized and what makes you feel sluggish. On occasion it’s okay to deviate from your regular healthy eating, but on the whole, I find I feel best when I stick to eating the foods that are nutritionally dense. This isn’t always the BEST tasting food at the time, sometimes a cinnamon bun will call my name, but the name may be ”Hey Fatty!” if I indulge too often.
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Hi Shawna, I love oatmeal too and the mixture you talk about sounds great. Do you pre-mix the ingredients together in packets before hand? How much oatmeal & water do you use? Thanks, Nancy
When traveling, I pre-mix each breakfast with between 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oatmeal. I use just enough water to moisten it. I’ll add some skim milk as well if it’s available. At home I prefer to microwave the oatmeal (with a little more water and I use a half a cup of frozen berries in the mix too) and add my protein after. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, hope that helps!
Oh so much better than that packaged kind! That’s one of my staple breakfasts as the dry ingredients can be kept in my drawer at work!
Hi
I love Oatmeal too. Have you tried the local Highwood Crossings brand?
It is great. I have done the coffee maker meal as well. It really is amazing what you can make in a coffee maker.
gj
I’ll have to look for the Highwood Crossings brand, where do you get it?