Going Primal while traveling on a budget page

[Luka]

I bought The Primal Blueprint while waiting in an airport overnight and have been reading it during my travels through Asia and India.I am now heading to Europe for 4 months and want to go primal but need some tips.I am on a very very tight budget and have been eating cheap food through Asia consisting of a lot of rice and noodles.I got sick and so avoided meat where possible as often the conditions were not sanitary.In Europe that won't be a problem but money might be.My boyfriend has already suggested buying a loaf of bread to have sandwiches everyday and finding cheap bakerys for breakfast(he of course can eat whatever he likes while maintaining weight and feeling fine!).We will be moving around a lot so will be buying food that doesn't need refrigerating.I want to be heathier and also lose about 20lbs.We will be staying some time with my boyfriends parents who are vegetarian.What are the best ways to start going primal while on a tight budget with no daily routine?Any ideas for food substitutes or better alternatives,which foods to easily avoid without offending hosts?Any advice on eating primal while traveling will be great!

[afsjesse]

Welcome to the forums!

To be honest, if I were you, I'd wait to go fully Primal until you're done traveling. If you want to get a jump start, try to avoid the street food and eat in cheap, local restaurants in Europe; or if you're staying in a hostel, use the kitchen and buy cheap food from the grocery store.

Traveling is fun and sticking to a diet, let alone starting one, is a major bummer and very tricky to do. Unless you REALLY need to start losing weight and don't have any major health concerns, I'd just enjoy the food of each country you visit and not worry about what I'm eating.

Without a daily routine, and a stable food source day-to-day, eating PB is very difficult to do. When you get home, start off on PB and work on the things that you think need improving. In the future, when you take short trips, it becomes easier because you know what to look for. Eating PB in SEA isn't too difficult, with all of the vegetables, good oils, and lean cuts of meat. Even the rice noodles aren't too bad.

Enjoy Europe!!!

[EyeOfRound]

I agree with the above, just focus on making healthier choices during your travels and wait til you get home to go all-out. I'm going to Europe to visit my family later in the year and I didn't even bother telling them about my diet, because I know there's no way they are going to be able to accomodate it. I'll just try to limit the bread and sweets, and avoid starchy sides with my meats/veggies.

[beachrat]

I started PB while I was overseas at a conference -- nothing but carbs around me all the live long day. I actually found it very easy, but I was not a carboholic, either. It was easy to look at what was on offer and say, "Yucque, that is NotFood."

Order meat in restaurants. If you can't get a hunk of meat, have eggs. Meaty omelets. I have yet to travel to a country that didn't have tinned sardines for sale in grocery or convenience stores. If you cut the grains and sugar (IMO fruit too) you might be surprised how long it takes you to get really hungry again after a meat and buttery veg meal.

The boyfriend's vegetarian parents might be a challenge. Well, it depends whether they're live-and-let-live vegetarians, or shock/horror judgmental vegetarians. If the former, tell 'em you'll keel over if you don't have some sardines (or whatever), and eat their vegetables, ideally with lots of butter. If the latter... you'll just have to use your best judgment in handling that.

[froggie]

Eggs are unexpensive and a great staple of the primal diet, when you can boil a few eggs to take with you the next day. Nuts are healthier snacks than random sugary 'treats', so as said above try to make the best choices with what's available around you.
It's not easy when you get started, left alone while traveling!
Canned sardines are a healthy protein + fat source, if you can carry a few cans in your backpack, these are easy to eat on the go.
As far as drinks go, water is almost always free, so skip the alternatives and save your money for a good piece of meat once in a while.
Best of success!

[Luka]

Thanks for the advice!I guess I am feeling very enthusiastic after reading PB but timing is not right.Iv been wanting to eat organic for a while.I will cut down on sugar and starch where possible.Do lots of research for when I get home and start(iv read a few posts from women who say they put on weight even though they may be healthier!) I want to be healthier as my main priority but def also want to lose some weight.thanks again everyone

[TrPAssasin]

My own favorite traveling foods:

Hard-boiled eggs: good for a few days unrefrigerated

Jerky: I usually make my own, but in most places you can get some sort of dry, salted, meat

Butter: Either on food or straight-up

Pemmican: Animal fat fixed with dry meat and fruits. Takes some preperation.

Coconut Oil: great to eat or as sun protection

Don't worry about carbs, just try and keep them gluten free and you will be a lot better off. Unless you are trying to build muscle while you are traveling I wouldn't worry about the vegetarian in-laws. Eat them out of home and blame it on the lack of satiation of veggies.