I've noticed over
the past two years of living in Germany with frequent trips to the US for work
and family that I often get sick during or just after trips. I can't do much
about the stale air and cramped quarters that encourage germs to spread or the
lost sleep. But I try to eat as well as I can, which is especially difficult on
long flight with very few options.
So I've started
trying to bring my own food for the flight rather than depending on what is
available. Since preparing for a trip is stressful and busy as it is, I try to
keep it simple. Here is what I brought this weekend:
- travel-friendly
lentils and rice, recipe below (which I ate with the salad I got on the plane)
- cubes of semi-hard
cheese
- some crackers
(packaged, making my own just didn't happen this week)
- salami sticks
- dark chocolate
(having something sweet keeps me from being tempted to eat whatever highly
processed dessert is provided)
Some other ideas:
- fermented
vegetables
- sourdough bread or
pita
- quinoa
Travel-friendly
lentils
- 1/2 cup lentils
- 1/2 cup
whole-grain rice
- 1 Tbsp whey,
vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp curry
spice mix, or to taste
- 2 cups water or
vegetable broth
- 1/2 onion, diced
small (optional)
I usually cook
lentils and rice in stock, but to ensure the food doesn't spoil I just stick
with vegetable ingredients.
Rinse the lentils.
Place lentils and rice in two separate bowls and cover with plenty of water,
adding half the whey to each bowl. Soak 7 to 12 hours. Strain water.
Sautee onions in
butter or olive oil. Add salt and spices, cook another minute. Add 2 cups
liquid and bring to a boil. Add strained lentils and rice, cover, and let cook
about 45 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
Mix in some yogurtsauce or tzatziki (be sure to use yogurt with live bacteria to avoid
spoilage) and refrigerate until its time to leave. Can be eaten plain or with
salad, fermented veggies, and/or pita bread.
