What to Eat When Traveling, On the Road, Camping, or in the Middle of the Ocean
The dedication of my readers to maintain the Primal lifestyle through thick and thin never ceases to impress me. They fly halfway across the world just to go barefoot, eat turkey skin, crawl around on a jungle gym, and hunt for sandcrab carcasses in Oxnard, CA. They research, shop for, and eventually purchase entire chest freezers and then fill the interiors with cow, lamb, and pig pieces. And, if a slew of recent emails is indeed representative of the community at large, they’re deeply committed to eating Primally when traveling, on the road, camping, or in the middle of the ocean. (In the last week I’ve received emails from a band member, a truck driver, a backpacker, and a naval officer.) That’s great, and I’m happy to hear about the dedication, but they weren’t writing in for virtual pats on the back. They wanted cold, hard advice for staying dietarily true in unfamiliar, potentially unfriendly locales, and I thought I’d help out.
So, what is one to do without access to the local grass-fed beef guy, cast iron skillets, bug-eating chicken eggs, and the diner that cooks everything in bacon grease?
Invest in a Cooler and Fill it with Perishable Food
If you don’t want to be relegated to canned items and dry goods on your road trip, this is a no-brainer. Get a medium- or large-sized cooler and two gallon-sized ziploc bags full of ice, plus two more spare bags. When the ice melts, stop at a gas station or fast food joint, dump (or drink) the water, and refill the bags with fresh ice. If a bag breaks, pull out a new one. You’ll have a portable fridge and a constant, inexpensive way to keep it, and your food, cold.
The day before your departure:
Hard boil at least a dozen eggs per person. My method for large eggs: put eggs in pot, cover with two inches of cold faucet water, bring to a roiling boil, turn off heat, put the cover on, and let sit for seven minutes. After seven minutes, dunk your eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking. This leaves the yolk slightly soft and still creamy. Add 30 seconds to the cooking time if you want a drier yolk. Place eggs in gallon ziploc bags. Keep the shell on and a steady supply of ice in the cooler and they’ll last up to a week. Take some salt and pepper, too.
Cook two or three pounds of meat per person. Be it a roast or a bevy of steaks, get your hands on the best meat you can and grill it, roast it, or sear it. Stick to ruminants (beef, lamb, bison), since they keep better than chicken, pork, or fish (less delicate polyunsaturated fats). Stick to singular hunks of meat you can conceivably eat cold with your hands, rather than stews, chilis, or soups that require utensils and heating. Keep the sauciness to a minimum and stick to simple flavors, like salt, pepper, and a few herbs.
Roast, grill, or bake a bunch of veggies. Cook some sliced carrots, onions, peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, and asparagus – or any physically large vegetables that taste good cold – and pack them away. The easiest way is to throw them in a roasting pan with some salt, pepper, and fat (olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, or palm oil all work great). The tastiest way is to grill them over open flame, seasoned similarly. Include a few baked sweet potatoes, too, which taste incredible cold.
Consider quality cheese, cured meats, smoked fish, and full-fat yogurt. These are worthwhile foods that also do best when refrigerated. You can technically get by keeping them at room temperature, but I’m not a fan of sweaty meat and cheese or warm, runny yogurt. If you like your gouda to perspire, go for it.
Take some fruits and vegetables that are commonly eaten raw. Carrots, berries, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, apples, plums, peaches, and jicama can all hold up for a couple days outside the cooler, and for quite longer within it.
If your trip is long and your supply of food begins to dwindle, you can easily restock at grocery stores with hot bars along the way. Rotisserie chickens will last at least two days in the cooler; disassemble for efficient storage. Keep your eyes out for barbecue joints, as ribs, pulled pork, and brisket will all keep if kept cold. Just be sure to keep those ziploc bags full of fresh ice.
Stock Up on Non-Perishables
There’s nothing wrong with a can of sardines or a handful of macadamias, and not every car, boat, or bindle can accommodate a cooler. In these situations, knowing which foods are both non-perishable (or at least have a decent lifespan out of the fridge) and Primal can help you decide what to buy and bring on the trip.
Get a wide variety of canned seafood. This is arguably your most nutritious, dependable option, with plenty of omega-3s, protein, minerals like selenium, magnesium, zinc, and iodine, and if you choose wisely, bones, skin, and connective tissue. Sardines, herring, mackerel, trout, oysters, clams, tuna, and salmon are all relatively common items. Restocking can be a cinch, since you can find canned sardines and tuna in most places. Keep a jar of Dijon and buy cherry tomatoes when they’re available. Mix the Dijon with a couple cans of the fish of your choice and toss in a handful of tomatoes for a quick and dirty salad. I’d avoid canned meats, however. Maybe I’m not being fair, but something about canned shredded beef creeps me out. And for those of you worried about BPA, I’ll take trace amounts of probable endocrine disruptors over week old soybean oil and deep-fried chicken extrusion encased in wheat flour. Speaking of which, make sure your seafood comes canned in olive oil, its own oil, or water.
Buy, or make, jerky of all types. I recommend taking the extra time to procure a large slab of lean meat so you can choose your marinade and save incredible amounts of money and make your own jerky.
Buy, or make, pemmican. Man cannot live on lean meat alone. No, he needs fat, especially animal fat. Pemmican provides both protein and saturated animal fat, but it takes some getting used to. I still haven’t full embraced it myself… but there’s no denying its ability to nourish and sate. And if you’ve already made jerky, making pemmican is the next natural progression.
Bring some nuts. Nuts get kind of a bad rap for their caloric density and tendency to stall weight loss in some folks, but caloric density in a small package may be what you’re after. If so, take your favorite nut. I like macadamias, for the buttery smoothness and low omega-6 levels, but even walnuts are better short-term feeding options than your average fast food menu item.
Make some kale chips. Not much more needs to be said. Watch the vid and follow along.
Make a Primal energy bar. Honestly, you could probably get by on this bar.
Want more? Browse the Primal snack list (and be sure to read the comments, where readers included their favorites).
Forage
No cooler, no canned goods (cause maybe you just don’t feel like all that prep work), surrounded by chain restaurants and fast food joints pumping the area with potent smells, hunger scratches at your belly. You would go without, except it’s been hours and you have several days left on the trip. You’ve gotta eat. There are “choices,” like fast food spots, but not any you feel like acknowledging. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where boys become men and girls become women. It’s a test, of effective foraging in a suboptimal environment, akin to looking for fruit during a nasty drought or berries in the dead of winter. Can you do it?
You may want to bone up on your modern foraging techniques, beyond the basics (“hold the bun,” “cook that in butter,” “no beans or rice, please,” or “can I substitute extra vegetables instead?”):
Scan the menu and identify the biggest immediate threats – grains (especially wheat), seed oils, and sugar – and eliminate them from contention. No buns, no stir fries, no deep fried items, etc.
Run reconnaissance. Does this Mexican place cook in real lard? Does this burger joint grill over open flame (good; slim chance of added oils) or fry on the range (maybe not good; watch for liberal oil usage)? Does the restaurant make their own dressings fresh? Don’t take “reconnaissance” literally and go sneaking around in the kitchen. Instead, ask the head cook or manager those basic, pointed questions to get real, honest answers.
Keep a tiny bottle of extra-vigin olive oil holstered at your side at all times. Salads are the classic go-to Primal compromise, but the dressing can be a deal breaker. Bust out your olive oil and ask for some balsamic vinegar (which is never, to my knowledge, adulterated like restaurant “olive oils” are). Keep the bottle tiny and you may avoid being pegged as the weird guy or being thrown out for “outside condiments.”
Forget celiac; you’re allergic to whatever ingredient they derive their oil from. Is soybean oil used, like at Chipotle? You are allergic to soy. Canola oil? You’re allergic to canola. A Worker Bee even convinced an Indian restaurant he frequented that he was “allergic to vegetable oils of all kinds” and that his doctor “forbade him from eating anything made with vegetable oil.” And it worked. He got everything made with real ghee and butter.
Fast
If foraging conditions prove way too harsh, I’ll just not eat and chalk it up to an impromptu, truly random intermittent fast. This is pretty standard for me. I can handle not eating for a day and maintain energy without going too crazy. But that’s me – I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve built up a strong tolerance to going without. You may not, and that’s cool. Just know that it’s a viable option, and often a better one than eating junk.
I’ve found that things change when I’m traveling with family or friends. If it’s just me on business, alone, I’ll often skip meals, but if I have my wife or kids along, or I’m traveling with friends for pleasure, I generally will not skip meals. I’m there to be with them, to enjoy their company, and if they’re eating, so am I. If I have to meet someone for a business lunch, I’m not going to sit stone-faced and staring as the other person wolfs down a plate. That’s just bizarre. For all you parents, I’d strongly recommend not forcing your family into an IF against their will.
I’ve been pretty successful following these general guidelines over the years, but I’m interested to hear what works for you folks. How do you cope with unfamiliar, unfriendly food environments? Do you abstain from food altogether, do you dip into the 80/20, or do you somehow maneuver your way around the dietary landmines to get a full stomach?
Let me, and everyone else, know in the comment section!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Glad to see this. In two weeks, I’m going to a martial arts tournament and I’m already planning how to dine while we’re in Dallas. The drive down won’t be a problem, but the dinners with friends are going to be interesting.
Happily, I found a big all-day breakfast place near the hotel, that has plenty of omelets-with-veggies to choose from.
“Roast, grill, or bake a bunch of veggies.”
But they’re always so stringy, those vegetarians!
(Sorry. Just had to)
PLEASE, PLEASE don’t claim an allergy if you don’t have one! It makes life so much harder for people with real allergies; if the staff sees you eating something that contains the “allergen” and not getting sick, there’s real danger of them believing that all food allergies are made up and letting someone with a real allergy get dosed. I’ve seen a lot of incredibly cynical statements from professional chefs stating that food allergies are really just picky diners, and at least a few outright stating that they ignore it when people tell them to hold the [whatever] because they’re allergic, then sneering when said person doesn’t immediately drop dead.
Worst. Advice. Ever. Don’t do it, please.
When going camping I always pack a cooler full of :
Raw liver pieces individually packed in small ziplock bags (energy), apples (snack), raw grass-fed/finished red meat, lettuce (already cut up at home), grassfed/finished hot dogs, 1/2 gallon of raw goats milk (I don’t do alcohol, nuts, chocolate or juice), boiled eggs, already cooked trout filets, tomatoes and salt (snack), and some kind of green vegetable bok choy, kale, mustard greens. I bring lard along when traveling and cooking at rest areas.
And I always bring my AdjustAGrill Portable Campfire Grilling so I’m able to make a fire wherever I am, and it’s legal everywhere.
After seeing how they make hot dogs, I figured the high quality ones were technically primal. Grok would eat a chicken and pick all its bones clean, which is exactly what the machine is doing in a more efficient manner.
Ha! That’s kind of a good point, I never thought of that. All the good bits go in the (best) hot dogs.
Be careful with primal energy bars. Apparently you can overdose on Lauric Acid, a MCFA in coconut oils. I got really sick this weekend when at the pool and living on my coconut heavy energy bars.
Chipotle has enough none soy oil options if you are so inclined. Get a carnitas salad with any of the salsas and guac and you’ve got a reasonable meal without soy oil. Sad though, because I like their barbacoa and steak better than their carnitas.
I did this whilst cycling in the Pyrenees a few weeks back – knowing what French breakfast fayre would be I packed a dozen cans of mackerel in tomato sauce, 8 bars of 85% chocolate and several bags of nuts (pecan and brazil), took my own teabags too. All was well … except for the Haribo moment halfway up the Tourmalet, but in my defence it was high 20s, more than 100 ks into the ride and I’d already ticked off Marie-Blanc, Aubisque and Solour LOL! And, I paid dearly the day after with appetite all over the place as my blood sugar levels recovered!
Most restaurants aren’t going to be able to accommodate all allergic people. Many of their foods are pre-prepared or semi-prepared so they can’t do anything about those. Chipotle isn’t going to grind their assembly line to a halt to cook your order individually. If you are going to go out to eat, you should eat something that’s on the menu as is, or that can reasonably be altered easily by the staff. But like someone said, if you ask for butter, you may get margarine. If you are truly allergic or concerned, you probably know which places can accommodate you. Otherwise, don’t eat out and expect to be kowtowed to at every place you visit.
These articles about traveling food always bring a smile…..anyone who keeps Kosher, and was raised that way knows ALWAYS bring your own food! People who whine about airline food, or only “fast food” options on the road, should try not having ANY options!
Yes, bringing my own food is a way of life, and being Primal just means I bring Primal food.
Bringing a portable grill on the road has worked perfectly for me when I travel for work. I pack tuna, mackerel, spices, olive oil, can opener, and grill in my checked luggage. I bring a cooler as one of my carry-ons and pack an empty water bottle, pre-cooked meat, frozen sweet potatoes, and frozen bags of veggies that serve as ice packs during the flight. Then we I land I head to a grocery store and pick up whatever I need to round out my meals for the trip. The grill comes in very handy!
I used to be one of the people who claimed food allergies, but my brother developed a peanut allergy and has had reactions to food that the wait staff claimed did not contain nuts or nut oils. Now I just ask for everything grilled or steamed with a side of olive oil or butter. Simple enough.
We travel a lot, and my husband is still eating the usual diet. I love those little foil packets of salmon. Little lemon juice and pepper, YUM. Hard boiled eggs, and I like plain yogurt with some berries. I made the primal protein bars, oh yeah, I could survive on those.
I do historical re-enactment camping from March to October, up to 25 weekends a year. You get a lot of practice figuring out what to pack. First we use 2L soda bottles filled with water and frozen for ice. It doesn’t make a lake inside the cooler. It also lasts longer than blue ice packs. On longer trips we have two ice chests, one for mealtime things(the cold chest) and one for munchies and drinks(things that require less chilling). For munchies, sliced meat and cheeses, cream cheese, less fragile fruits like oranges, grapes, apples, dried fruits and fruit leather and even yogurt leather(I have a dehydrator). Also carrot sticks and other raw veggies munchies and salad makings work well with the salad dressing or dunkings of your choice. I’ve also done boiled eggs, dried smoked fish and jerky as well. Our 5 gallon water jug has a wide top that we put a block of ice in then fill with water for ice cold water all weekend on a hot summer day. On dinner type things we either precook and freeze in ziplocks or pack it rock hard frozen and cook it on the campstove. I’ve also done a dehydrated stew of home dehydrated meat(jerky) and veggies and the seasonings. I usually limit canned items to things that will be eaten in one meal. As for foraging, summer definitely is better for berries and such, but even in the winter you can usually find greens and if you are lucky, nuts. If you have a fishing license then fish and shellfish open up for foraging and in our area seaweed(Washington coast).
As someone with a severe allergy(sunflower seeds) I have had to send food back at a restaurant. I hate doing it, but I am so severely allergic that is not something I can cheat on. I am also diabetic, so it actually helps when trying to eat out and keep primal. Allergies and special needs diets are diets you can’t cheat on, unless you want to suffer the consequences. I try to pick a restaurant on the basis that they may have more choices I can actually eat. Many places have a lite menu, and as always, salads. My son has an allergy to all forms of corn and corn based additives. Eating out for him is usually unbreaded meat, no sauces, fresh fruit, plain vegies and milk. I try to ask in advance and ask for substitutes when I can, but I find I seldom eat out anymore.
I recommend eating pemmican at room temperature. Makes it much better. Of course for storage you have to keep it cold, but let it sit for about fifteen minutes or so and then eat it. Much easier to eat
My husband makes pemmican with the fat a mixture of half beef tallow and half pork lard. That greatly improves the flavor!
In September I’m going to be on a small sailboat in the
Caribbean (barring hurricanes) with several people who do not eat the way I do, nor do they understand why I’ve given up my beloved baked goods. Luckily, we have a fully functioning galley, but our meal choices will be predicated by what we can get in the stores on the small islands we’ll be sailing around. Hopefully, the fishermen in the group will be able to supply enough fresh fish that no one will question my food choices. I’m not sensitive to it and I’m happy to fill anyone in on why I eat the way I do. However, that being said, one of the places we’ll be visiting is Culebra off the coast of Puerto Rico and you can bet I’ll be having Mofongo. Although now that I think about it, Mofongo isn’t that bad of a choice. It’s made from plantains, lard and seafood. I have dreams about Mofongo often. If all else fails, there are always coconuts. Lots and lots of coconuts.
I’m taking a road trip at the end of the month, got some great snack ideas from this post.
A salad is my go to meal at any restaurant!
I ask for my dressing on the side so they don’t pour on 500 calories of dressing
We are going to Peru in September and will be staying in a lodge in the Amazon for 10 days. The lodge provides all of the meals as we will be exploring the jungle ect. I don’t want to be a pain in their ass but I don’t want to consume mass quantaties of carbs either. Any suggestions on what types of foods would be better than others. I saw an example of a meal and it did look like there was some type of protein and fruit but there was also rice, beans and potatoes. Would if be best just to go for the potatoes and skip the beans and rice or skip the potatoes too? I’m sure we won’t starve and they do ask if there are any dietary restrictions but I’m not really sure how to proceed without being a snob. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I’ve lived in Peru for a couple of months so I can tell you on that one : just forget about it
Basically what they give you as meals are very little deep fried meat/fish/chicken, with little vegetables/beans/potatoes, and then an enormous quantity of rice to fill the stomach…
If you’re lucky they make awesome soups also so try to feed mostly on that ^^
As for myself : I gave up and just went with the rice thing. It’s good to sometimes be reminded how it feels to eat like other people, and all the bad stuff that go with it (heavy stomach, sleepiness, low energy…)
COME ON MARK….you can handle that cold fat if its good cold fat..PEMMICAN is super food>>>
I make the best grass fed fat and deer /steer/bison pemmican around ..all done at low temps to keep all the nutrients intact..total yellow fat and some good quality dried meat cant be beat…I always carry jerky too..and hunting in small country grocery stores is a great way to find some local BA-CON!! I NEVER TRAVEL without a stash of Davechow and or a COOLER full of good stuff to eat…..HAVE COOLER_WILL TRAVEL>>GROK ON>>>
As Ingvildr notes, it’s best to fill a plastic container with water and freeze it, which is much easier than dealing with Ziplocs full of ice. Milk cartons, 2L soda bottles, empty protein powder vats…all make good ice containers.
I usually carry a small bottle of olive oil and salt/pepper to use as salad dressing. Everyone has salads, but the dressings are usually questionable.
For storing stuff in the cooler. The ice packs will last longer if you pour some alcohol in there with it. I’d recommend vodka or rubbing alcohol. It will keep the temperature of the cooler lower for longer and ultimately save you from having to refill those ice bags.
As a long time restaurant veteran, (hubby, too) and as someone who carries an Epi pen (fish allergy), as well as my Dad, my brother, and my cousin (nuts)..I am well versed in how to avoid disaster.
On the other hand, these days I wait on people who claim to have an allergy to wheat,dairy, eggs, soy, nuts and God knows whatever else,(don’t go to an Italian restaurant if you are truly allergic to garlic and onions) but will then order something else with those ingredients in it. After letting them know that “xyz” does in fact contain eggs, it’s always “ok”. REALLY? Because I just caused a disaster in the kitchen on a Saturday night because I understand a true food allergy, so I made sure the kitchen took every precaution. Then you order something and say its ok. Every chef hates me. Don’t be a dick.
What a great article! Full of fantastic tips! When I am traveling – be it for a day trip with the family on a weekend, or camping for a few days, or on any other trip, I always pack my own food. Lots of dry goods. However, inevitably we (not all in my family are Primal) end up at restaurants, though 99% of the time there is no “fast food” (I do draw the line somewhere). I have gotten very good at picking mostly Primal items off restaurant menus. No grains. No deep fried. But… then I pull the 80/20 and I don’t make a big deal of ‘is that real butter’ or ‘omg i have to have my own olive oil.’ I don’t eat out at restaurants very often, so I simply choose to do the best I can — avoid most of the poisons and know that my body will deal with the others. (After all, I have seen the movie “Waiting,” and I have worked in the restaurant biz in earlier years, and I know that all kinds of special requests are treated in an…um…very ‘special’ manner. I’ll take my steak without the spit thank you).
I do have a friend who is true Celiac and also very allergic to soy, and even the slightest bit of cross-contamination will screw with her for a long time and make her horrendously sick, and she is really not a fan of people claiming allergies they do not actually have, as it makes her life a lot tougher, since her issue is immediately life threatening.
But I dunno.
That’s a tough one.
All I can say is if I had an allergy to a food be it nuts, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, grains, or whatever, there is no way in hell I’d eat out or in a restaurant where I didn’t know for sure that my needs were being met. I worked in a restaurant as a short order cook and I know for a fact that what you think you’re eating verses what they tell you you are eating are 2 completely different things.
Get over it people – the bottom line is the dollar sign. Almost all the foods in most restaurants are already prepared or purchased that way from a restaurant food supply company. You might luck out with a Mom and Pop operation that is willing to cook to order, but otherwise don’t even begin to count on it. The chef isn’t going to change out the frying oil from crap to something that will accommodate you for your one special order.
If you’ve got a problem, then stay home and do everyone else a favor. If you insist on having the restaurant change it’s menu just to suit you, then you’re allergy or whatever problem you have isn’t as big a deal as you make it out to be — because if it was a big deal or was even remotely life-threatening, you wouldn’t put yourself in the position of maybe the food not being exactly what you specified.
Cross contamination is a whole other problem – what are they going to do? De-contaminate all the pots, pans, utensels because of one lone request? I hardly think so.
I;m sorry if you have an allergy, I have my issues as well, but I don’t expect the food industry to accommodate my particular problem – mainly because it just can’t. I’m responsible for my problems, not the restaurant.
When I was a cook and a special request like that came in, we’d just have to tell them that we couldn’t accommodate their request and please feel free to try another place to eat.
I’d like to point out that those restaurants that DO cater to certain allergy needs, gain a fervent, cult-like following. Especially now that there are online reviews for the allergic. Word gets around quickly, and brings in lots of business.
Our local Thai place will never close due to lack of business, due to great food, but also a commitment to gluten- and dairy-free. They’ve even done well with my mom who’s anaphylactic to legumes (aka beans and peanuts), which really limited what she could order. The trick is finding places that care about something other than just $$.
What a timely topic. I live in Japan and I’m about to go to an uninhabited island with some non-Primal friends. I can already hear, “Hey Jay (me), get some of these vegetable oil fried noodles (yakisoba)! They rock!” Okay, I did used to think they taste good… I’ll have to do the boiled egg thing when we aren’t BBQ-ing and bring some locally-grown yams for desert.
Great list of tips you have here, I especially like the IF one, becomes very handy on trips.
What a coincidence! I just stated a blog Monday on the same subject. I am always on the road for work and have hard time finding suitable food and time/place for physical activity. Just started!I want to blog on this to help me and other who face simular challanges.
For school lunches, check out Sarah Fragaso’s Everyday Paleo cookbook. (Hope I didn’t butcher her name!) She’s got three kids and has a whole section on school lunches that’s great, and even addresses the nut-free school issue. I think it’s worth paying for a good quality insulated lunch box so you know stuff is staying cold. Meatballs, cold, lunchmeat or lettuce wraps with quality cold cuts, and salads are great. She’s got a recipe for sun-dried tomato chicken that’s great as a salad topper since the sauce is like a dressing. That will be in my cooler next week for our vacation!
Two thumbs up for Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo book and website, especially for people with kids since that is a focus of hers.
Understandable while traveling domestically to be picky as the States is a wasteland regarding food but part of REAL international travel is the food and not to partake in local culture fully is well, rather American. But then, other than Cancun for spring break and a quick honeymoon trip to Europe Americans don’t really travel. I was lucky to spend 15 years abroad and there aren’t many Americans out there.