jlr Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I am on Day 11 and doing really well. I have a real sugar (especially ice cream) love so am proud I've done so well. Next week I have to travel (by plane) with a group of people from work and will be at a conference in a hotel for 5 days. Meals are provided. I cannot afford to eat each meal separately and don't see how I'd excuse myself from the group to go eat off somewhere alone. I know I need to take food although I can't think of much beside Lara bars and nuts - suggestions? (Don't really want to mess with taking a cooler on the plane). I also will have no access to a grocery store to my knowledge (no car unless I pay for cab). How do I handle this? Just do the best I can and add days to the end? Start over after the trip? It's very discouraging to think about starting over to go somewhere I can't control. Breakfast is provided "continential"; "box lunches" are provided. Someone at work today commented there's a Panera close and we'd eat there at least once. The only positive thing was someone said we'd surely eat at a steakhouse. I've read everything on the forums about how to order in restaraunts, but how do I handle the conference food which surely won't be that good. Sigh - frustrating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 It will probably be easiest to do the best you can and add days to the end, but you can definitely be proactive about doing the best you can. I agree that a cooler on the plane is not ideal, so I recommend you pack as much dry food as you can in your luggage. I know you only have a few days to prepare, so I would suggest drying as much as you can in that time. When I am in a similar situation I make a bunch of compliant jerky and "crackers". If you have a dehydrator, great, if not, a low oven works too. (By crackers I mean pureed veggies, spices and a binder spread on a cookie sheet and baked/dried until portable). On the occasions that you do eat out somewhere with compliant food (I hear Panera has a secret menu), order double or triple (or quadruple) what you usually would. Hopefully your hotel room will have a mini fridge. One thing I didn't know before I got so picky about food is that many hotels will bring in a mini fridge if you ask, even if it's not typically in the room. Others will allow you to refrigerate your food in their kitchen. Pack lots of ziplock bags and separate your leftovers into portions to bring for lunches. People may look at you funny when you pull your bag of salad from your pocket but they'll get over it. Sometimes continental breakfast includes hard boiled eggs. Grab a few for later. Only do these things if it is more fun and rewarding for you to stay compliant than it is stressful. Many people in your situation would just scrap the whole thing and start over when they get home, and that's a fine option to take if it seems too overwhelming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlr Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Thanks Joey for some great suggestions. I'd like to stay compliant. I have a dehydrator that hasn't been used for years. Can you give me more specific suggestions on what to make? I do know how to make the beef jerky, but that's the extent of my use of the dehydrator. I'll see what I can find online for Pamera also. I appreciate the feedback!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Re: dehydrator- really, you can dry just about anything. You can make chips out of just about any sliced vegetable- root veggies are easiest just because they have less water content so they don't take as long. A lot of people swear by zucchini chips, but I've never gotten the texture just right. Kale chips are awesome and easy, but time consuming since you have to kind of massage the oil into each leaf. Otherwise the texture is kinda weird. I have better luck with the zucchini and other squash if I puree it instead of just slice and dry. That often requires something as a binder- what I use often depends on who I'm cooking for. Eggs are easy if I'm cooking for someone who eats eggs, but to be on the safe side I have the dehydrator set to the highest temperature for a portion of the drying time (eggs firm around 160 degrees farenheit). I've also used soaked chia seeds (last I checked, Whole9 had proclaimed them compliant if not wholeheartedly recommended) and grass fed gelatin, which will hold things together but it ends up more of a chewy flatbread texture than a cracker. I'm sorry I can't offer you actual recipes... I don't really use them, and I've yet to start writing mine down, though that's totally on my to do list. I'm sure there's a ton available online that you can tweak to fit your needs and tastes, but here's something easy to get you started: 1 big can pumpkin binder of choice (2 beaten eggs, or 1/4 cup of chia seeds soaked in 1-2 cups water or bone broth, or 2-4 tablespoons gelatin, dissolved). 1-2 tablespoons spices (curry's always a hit, Italian seasoning seems to make this tase like sundried tomatoes). Notice I'm pretty vague regarding the amounts- I've never actually measured, but it always seems to come out good. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlr Posted July 14, 2013 Author Share Posted July 14, 2013 Thanks! I'm going to get some things dehydrated and hope for the best. I appreciate your tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 For the meals that are provided at breakfast and lunch, can you request a special meal, based on your dietary restrictions?Speaking as someone who's been gluten free for over 6 years, Panera is one of the trickiest places to eat gluten-free. They don't make it easy. An employee has to flip through a thick 3-ring binder of menu items and show you the ingredient list so you can decide if it's safe. That all being said, if you decide to give it a go, here's an article that talks about their hidden menu: http://www.brandeating.com/2013/01/news-panera-bread-unveils-hidden-menu.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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