Fit Trip Tips

Last week I was contacted by an individual who self-proclaims himself as an "avid traveler and foodie" to do a guest post on Nutrilicious.  Naturally, anyone who can self-proclaim themselves to be a foodie is very close to my heart and at some point in my life I long to be an avid traveler, so he had my attention.  His name is Cole Millen, and he wanted to give some tips that he has found helpful on how to eat healthy while traveling.  Enjoy!!

 

How to Eat Right on the Go

Once again, summer vacation is approaching, and thousands across the country are planning their next big excursion. While most are aware that they will encounter the impulse to buy food that lacks in nutrition, few will be prepared to resist the urge. By following a few simple tips, however, anyone can have fun on vacation without compromising good health.

Pre-Flight Planning

Good health on vacation should be planned from the very beginning of the trip, and the airport is full of opportunities to get a quick, unhealthful snack. Merchants prey on weary travelers and can make it difficult to maintain a healthful lifestyle while waiting on a flight. To counter this, it is important to eat a nutritious snack before leaving the house. In case of a layover, the vacationer should be proactive and bring along small healthy snacks such as nuts and raisins to tide them over until landing.

Book the Right Hotel is Pivotal

Hotel owners realize that vacationers and other travelers lack the accommodations to make a family meal as they would at home. Therefore, thousands of people rely on fast food and room service to satisfy their dietary needs. Unfortunately, this often leads to the consumption of convenience foods high in fats and sugars and lacking nutritional value. When making reservations, it is a good idea to inquire on the room service menu and inform the staff of healthful requests. It is their job to make their guests happy, so they will normally comply with special requests. Furthermore, this will give the vacationer a good idea of which hotel will prove the most accommodating during the length of their stay.

Also, inquiring about amenities and other services that they have for your healthy lifestyle is very important. Often time’s hotels mislead guests into thinking that their accommodations are better than they actually are. For this reason I have found consumer reviews to be the most helpful in finding the perfect spot. I recently traveled out west and found a great site with a list of reviews for Las Vegas hotels and had detailed information regarding restaurants, amenities, as well as things to do. This was extremely helpful in finding the right stay for me and made my vacation that much easier to remain healthy.

While these are all good preliminary steps to take, the best way to stay healthy at the hotel is to consider preparing food in the room. A crock-pot makes it possible to cook a delicious, healthful, home-cooked meal at the hotel. In addition, oatmeal can be easily prepared to start off the day using the coffee maker. The mini fridge can be stocked with healthful alternatives to dining at restaurants every night, saving the traveler money to spend on souvenirs and exciting activities.

Dining Out

While eating in the hotel room is a sure fire way for a traveler to know they are staying healthy on vacation, dining out does not have to be completely avoided, and there are a few guidelines to follow to stay healthy while doing so. For example, all-you-can-eat buffets should be strictly avoided as this limits the traveler's variety.

It is also a good idea to shun restaurants that feature mascots as they are normally more concerned with driving traffic than preparing nutritious meals. Prior to arrival, it is helpful to call ahead and inquire on the various menu items before deciding on a particular restaurant.

Once in the restaurant, consumers are encouraged to order brightly colored menu items. Furthermore, foods donning names with adjectives such as battered, covered, creamy and crunchy should be avoided. By exerting a little bit of effort, anyone can stay healthy on vacation this year.

Steamy Winter Soups

Do you know what my favorite part of winter is? No, not driving in the nasty snow and freezing rain outside!  But how about curling up on Sunday afternoons with a bowl of simmering soup.  This tradition is part of my fiance's family and I have since adopted the tradition.  Waking up on a cold Sunday morning, reading the Sunday paper over coffee, and making a big pot of soup that is ready in early afternoon for him to eat while he watches the important football games of the week.  I, on the other hand, curl up with my bowl of soup, a blanket, and a good book.  Somehow I always get the play-by-play of the game because Tyler gets a bit vocal!  I would love to share some of my favorite soup recipes that I enojoy making on Sundays in winter.

Tomato Dill Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 can chopped tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup 2 % milk

1. Heat oil and butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook and stir about 10 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook and stir another 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the chopped and crushed tomatoes with their juices and chicken broth. Add the pepper and crushed red pepper and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the dill, parsley, and milk.

Corn Chowder

4 cups fresh corn (or 2 10-oz packages frozen-thawed)
2 cups skim milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, diced fine (about 2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium zucchini, diced (about ½ lb)
2 cups chicken broth
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons 

1. Put 2 cups of corn and milk into food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini and cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes)
3. Add the remaining 2 cups of corn and the broth, bring to a boil.
4. Add the pureed corn and milk mixture and the tomatoes and cook until warm.  Do not boil!
5. Serve garnished with basil ribbons.

Lemon Chicken Orzo
8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup orzo (preferrably whole wheat)
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces
3 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
salt and white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. In a large saucepan, bring stock to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and add orzo. Cook uncovered until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Five minutes before orzo is done, add chicken.
2. Place eggs in mixing bowl. Whisk eggs while adding lemon juice. Stir in zest. Whisking constantly, slowly pour a ladle of the hot stock into the egg mixture to temper.
3. Reduce heat to very low. Then, while whisking the soup in pan, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Soup should thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

 

I hope you all enjoy these tasty winter soups.  Stay warm!!