Saving On Food As You Travel

Our next trip will be a cruise so most of our eating will be done on our cruise ship. It drives Bob crazy to think that we've paid for a meal and won't be there to eat it. Unless it's an all day excursion we're on, we'll be back to the ship for lunch and dinner (breakfast is always a given).

When you are traveling by land though and on your own, there are some ways you can save on your meals starting with staying in a hotel or B&B that provides a breakfast. You might even pick up an extra apple or banana to take with you for a snack later to stave off hunger so you can make good choices for lunch.

Small plate on wine excursion

Lunch is one meal that can cut into your budget if you're not careful. Unless you'd rather eat a bigger meal midday and a smaller meal in the evening, you want to find something that will satisfy and yet not empty your wallet. One of the things we have found is that grocery stores are a great source of sandwiches and fruits or snacks for lunch--no matter what country you are in. If not a grocery store, look for a bakery. Many even have a place to eat in and better prices than the restaurants. And then there's the local farmers markets. You might find some vendors there supplying lunch at a good price.

Always check with the hotel or your B&B host for suggestions for dinner. Often they will have some connection to a few places and will offer you a discount. Even though B&Bs may not offer a discount to a restaurant, they are often the best source for finding those out of the way places that are excellent and where the locals eat. You'll be sure to sample the more local dishes that way.

Bon appetit!

Dumpster Diving--There's An App For That?

The title piqued my interest: 10 Shameless Ways To Eat For Free. Bob's philosophy is that nothing in life is free. Sure you get a "free" breakfast at some hotel chains and B&Bs but let's be realistic. The cost of breakfast is part of your room rate.

We've even stayed in some hotels that offer an afternoon happy hour with a free drink and appetizers or a sampling of a local restaurant's offerings. The Hampton Inn in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island in Florida offers a "Chef's Taste" with a sampling from a different restaurant each night.

The article on SmarterTravel started out with something I'd never heard of before--freegan. Basically it involves dumpster diving outside a restaurant or grocery store. Sure. That's what I want to do. Get my meal from a dumpster. Apparently there are those other than the homeless or down-on-their-luck who do. There's even supposed to be an app for it. I looked in the app store for it (Leftover Swap) but couldn't find it.

Since dumpster diving could get you into some trouble--the dumpster is technically private property and you could be accused of stealing, there is an alternative: foraging. And yes, there's an app for that and I found it. It's called Wild Edibles Forage. Lots of pictures and description and location. Anyone remember Euell Gibbons? He knew all the edible parts of a pine tree. This app was created by "Wildman" Steve Brill, a naturalist, environmental educator and author who gained notoriety in 1986 when he got arrested in New York City for eating a dandelion in Central Park. So I guess even foraging can get you in trouble. I'll stick with the "free" breakfast, happy hour, and a good dinner in a restaurant.

Iceland - What's For Dinner?

Excitement over our trip to Iceland is growing. We've already laid out our road trip and stops and Bob has made all our overnight reservations because I don't go unless I know I have a place to lay my head at night. The one thing I haven't looked into yet is the food.

Our previous visit to Reykjavik and Heimaey (a small island off the coast) was during a cruise so we didn't get an opportunity to explore the restaurants and taste the cuisine. A little surfing on the net brought up some interesting items that are popular in Iceland. Some sound like a definite gotta-try. Others, not so much.

Lamb appears to be the meat of choice but it is prepared in different ways from boiled (I'm assuming like stew) to smoked. The smoked lamb sounds good but the one that won't be on my plate is the sheep head. According to one article it is singed to remove all the hair and then boiled. The eyeballs were said to be the tastiest. A couple of my boys might try that but I'll pass.

I'm not surprised that fish would be plentiful given that Iceland is in the middle of an ocean. Fish, too, is prepared by boiling and smoking but also by salting and drying (fish jerky).

Apparently Iceland is known for lots of varieties of cheese. One called Skyr is called a yogurt but actually isn't. Instead it is soft cheese made of gelatinous milk curds. Served with milk, sugar and blueberries it is said to taste pretty good. We'll see.

One of the articles I read said that there is a special hot dog that is made from lamb giving it a different kind of taste (I'm sure). The way to eat it is with all the works, ketchup, brown mustard, raw and fried onions and remoulade (made from mayonnaise and relish).

Most fruits need to be imported but there are lots of root vegetable like potatoes, rutabaga, beets and carrots. Cabbage and rhubarb are also grown there.

Of course breakfast is my favorite meal and it should be interesting. since we are staying in B&Bs along the way. I couldn't find a lot about breakfast but what I did included jam, breads, sliced meats, cheese and oatmeal. Will the coffee be strong? Esspresso? Will I switch to tea for ten days? As always, stay tuned. I'll be posting as we go provided we can find internet with our food.

But They Taste So Good

My churros in Barcelona. Yum!

Please say it isn't so! One of my favorite treats when in Paris is a Nutella crepe. Delicious chocolate flavor rolled up in a sweet pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar, hold the whip cream (I have to cut some corners) and plopped into a paper cone for you to eat as you stroll the lovely streets of the romantic City of Lights is among the top ten most fattening treats in the world. Lots of calories in the serving of Nutella added to the crepe that is cooked in butter and you end up with calories topping 1,000 and of course all that artery clogging fat.

So how about churros? Maybe on their own but who can resist the rich deep dark chocolate that accompanies them? The cinnamon sugary fried bread begs to be dipped in that cup of hot chocolate.

We all know that French fries are made in vats of hot cooking oils. In the states the oils are now supposed to be healthier for you which explains why they taste so much better in other countries that still use the tasty oils and fats. In Canada I was always intrigued with the white vinegar they use on their fries instead of ketchup. Now I hear that in some sections of Canada they serve them up with gravy. You can get them at Burger King there. 740 calories and 41 grams of fat.

When it comes to Japan, I always think that the foods are much healthier. And for the most part, they are. There are some things however that contain those hidden fats that can add up to extra pounds. Ramen is not the culprit but the broth that the ramen is in can be. Much of the time the broth is made from beef fat and oils. Oh, say it isn't so.

There are some other delicacies that are on the most fattening list. Check them out with this link and let me know if you have tried any. I'm not giving up my crepes, churros or ramen. I don't get them often enough to create a disaster of my diet and I do walk a lot more when we travel.

Deadly Delicacies

In light of a severe stomach ache that sent our son to the ER in Tokyo, I thought it might be good to share some cautionary comments on the local delicacies that you might be tempted to try while traveling. Our son is pretty careful about what he eats but since living in Japan for several years his palette has expanded to include things his boyhood self would have retched at the sight of. Thankfully his malaise didn't seem to be a major problem and in a couple of days he was much better. Was it something he ate?

While visiting Japan we noticed a restaurant that had a tank of live puffer fish and asked our Japanese daughter-in-law if they were on the menu. Yes, she answered, but you had to be very careful where you ate them. The chef has to be licensed to prepare them for consumption. I passed. For the record, they are called fugu fish and can be quite deadly if not prepared properly. If you are eating sushi be sure to ask what you are being served.

Another Asian delicacy, this one from South Korea, is called Sannakji. Basically it is the tentacles cut from small live octopus. You eat them while they are still wiggling. I seem to remember one of those traveling epicureans eating some on the Travel Channel once. Yes, they can be deadly if not prepared properly although if they are live and eaten fresh I'm not sure what the preparation would be. I'll pass.

While in South America, I remember seeing cassava root for sale in the open air marketplace. I did not realize that it can also be deadly if not properly soaked and dried. The cyanide in it can kill you. Hmmm. Sounds like something I could use in another mystery novel.

In Jamaica there is a fruit called Ackee. You must truly trust the person serving it to you to know if it is fully ripe. If not it too can be deadly if you become stricken with the Jamaican vomiting sickness. If you must eat it and it is ripe, be sure to eat only the yellow flesh. The black seeds are deadly as well.

Also on the list is the Namibian giant bull frog. Other lists include the hot dog (choking hazard), rhubarb leaves, monkey brains and a cheese from Sardinia that needs maggots to speed the processing. It's now illegal to make but people in Sardinia eat it anyway.

When it comes to foods be adventurous but be careful.

Staying Healthy And Active While Traveling

We joke about the freshman ten pounds when our kids go off to college but what about the vacation ten pounds that looms up as we kick back to enjoy some time exploring this great world of ours? Here are some tips for getting around that and maybe staying a little healthier while we're at it.

Road trip? Either pack a cooler or  buy a soft sided cooler bag at the local grocery when you arrive at your starting point. A few zip lock plastic bags for ice which can be had at hotel ice machines will keep items fresh for you during the day's journey. Stop at a local grocery for finger food like carrots, celery sticks, cheese bits, fruit and nuts. Eating light by snacking on these will keep you more comfortable on the road. Often times there are healthy choice sandwiches you can pack along as well for lunch and avoid the burgers and fries with all the salt and grease.

Be sure to make a stop midday that allows some time to get out and walk for twenty to thirty minutes even if it's just around a parking lot. A little research ahead of time usually yields some good spots to stop along the way.

Plane ride? A short plane ride as well as a long one can be even more uncomfortable if you grab greasy fast food to eat on the way or before you board. Avoid carbonated beverages as well unless you enjoy feeling like a giant balloon. Water is preferred over alcoholic drinks but I know some people feel they need a drink to get through their flight. I've read that fasting 16 hours before a flight helps with jet lag but I'm not a "faster" so I'll leave you to decide that.

If you can't get out of your seat to walk a bit, be sure to do a little exercise by flexing your feet at the ankles. Try to flex the calf muscles several times and if you are able maybe even draw your knee up a few times just to keep blood circulating. The plane's magazine usually has some exercises outlined in it.

Cruising? Ah, now here's where the rubber meets the road. Not a good metaphor but you get my meaning. Oh, those food opportunities. The key here is to plan ahead. Love those dinner choices? Eat light for lunch. Stick to the fruit or salad choices at the buffet or eat in the main dining room and only order a light meal. No matter how much that waiter pouts, if you've had enough and are trying to save calories, do..not..order..dessert. If you must, stick to a fruit plate. Or if you want dessert, plan ahead and don't have an appetizer. Make good choices.

All ships have some kind of gym but one of the best exercises is to skip the elevators when you are moving about the ship and use the steps. Can't do steps? Find that promenade deck and circle it a few times. There's always a sign somewhere that tells you how many times around are a mile. Go for it! Every day!

No matter where you are traveling, it's all about good food choices and finding a way to get a little exercise. Walking is almost always an option. As one of the local Florida Keys restaurants says, "Eat well, Laugh Often, Live Long!"

Fattening Foods From Around The World

In light of the US government clamping down on the use of trans fats all together and the fact that I've been trying to diet, Smarter Travel's article on fattening foods around the world caught my eye. A couple of times on our world cruise the chefs served churros which, after having them in Barcelona, Spain, were a great disappointment. In Spain, the deep fried treat coated in sugar and cinnamon is served fresh and with the richest hot chocolate ever put in a cup. You dip the churros in it and drink any chocolate that's left. I need to move on. I'm drooling. In the cash box of calories though--cha ching!

While crepes in France are often served with a variety of other ingredients the most popular for us chocolate lovers is the Nutella crepe. Chocolate being made from hazelnuts may sound healthy but just two tablespoons has 200 calories and then there's the crepe, a sweet thin pancake rolled with the Nutella filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They aren't small and they are oh, so good!

While the pizzas in Italy look nothing like the ones at home in the US, the calzones are a different story. The first time we had a pizza in Rome I was surprised to find that it was cracker thin (not fun for a carb lover) and with just a few vegetables with only the slightest hint of any sauce. If there was cheese, it was lightly sprinkled and hard to find. We never had a calzone in Italy but I read that they contain as much dough as in a full pizza and of course are filled with all sorts of tomatoes, cheese, etc. that make it a meal and a half. The calzone originated in the Campania region of Italy and our travels have not touched that area. We'll have to fix that.

The last one in the Smarter Travel list of foods surprised me. Ramen from Japan. I didn't think there was much in Japanese food stuffs that was really fattening. We've been to the Cup Noodle museum in Yokohama but I didn't pay attention to any calorie counts. Apparently the ramen the article talks about is a traditional Japanese dish of soup with noodles and topped with meats, eggs and vegetables. The problem comes in that the soup base is often made of beef, lard, and oil. Kudos to my daughter-in-law though. I've never seen her cook with that.

The one thing that wasn't mentioned is the thing we love to get when visiting other countries. French fries! They are cooked in that really bad stuff that makes them really crispy and really good. Ah, well. Guess I save my calories for the next trip.

Food! Glorious Food!

I wonder what Oliver Twist would have thought of our modern day buffets? I used to be a fan of buffets when I was younger. We had a favorite buffet not too far from us that had a build-your-own strawberry shortcake table. It was heaven. Sadly they went out of business.

On a few business trips to Las Vegas, we discovered the cheap buffet. Years ago, in an effort to get people into the casinos and keep them there, establishments advertised really cheap prices on their all-you-can-eat buffets. I seem to recall some of them were around $5 or less. It was quicker to eat at a buffet so players got back to the gaming tables quicker. Since then, Vegas has discovered that people are a bit more picky about their dining and there are fewer buffets and more expensive places with much better specialty foods. A few buffets still exist and have made the list of Smarter Travel's list of Belly Busting Buffets.

Three of the ten listed are in Las Vegas. I'm sure the prices are more than $5 now. That's the problem I have with today'sbuffets. There are very few that are reasonable for my appetite. I just don't eat that much to justify the cost.

Several more buffets are listed from other countries like France, Sweden, China, and Dubai but the majority are in the U.S. Maybe the fast food industry isn't to blame for our larger sizes. Maybe it has more to do with our appetite for buffets.