A Little Traveller’s Guide

Let me put my two cents in to your dream holidays and say what things are worth packing.

Journeys are often long and tiring, and the meals and snacks offered on board leave a great deal to be desired. I always have my own way to deal with it and will not hesitate to make use of it. My hand luggage is always full of healthy snacks and everyone can find something tasty there. 

 

What about kids?

It’s important that the food is tightly closed so the best solution are lunchboxes. My ideas are:

• muffins
• pancakes made of pumpkin, vegetables, sweet potatoes, bananas
• pancakes with fruit
• sandwich with avocado and tomato
• millet porridge with fruit or a savoury option
• cookies

It is probably obvious that I recommend home-made snacks. The differences in pressure during a flight can be very difficult for a child and in this case I recommend healthy lollipops. 

 

Lunchbox on the go

Below you will find sample meal recipes for small and big ones which you can have on your journey.

 

Chestnut pancakes

Ingredients:

• 120 g chestnut flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 200 ml coconut milk
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preparation:

Mix or blend all the ingredients until smooth. Fry thin pancakes on coconut oil. 

 

Oat and Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients (for about 6-8 muffins):

• 200 g gluten-free oatmeal
• 10 strawberries
• 50 g coconut sugar
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 egg (or an egg substitute – 1 tablespoon flaxseed or chia seeds, soaked in 4 tablespoons of hot water)
• 50 g coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon inulin
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
•  a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of vanilla

Preparation:

Mix oatmeal in a food processor until you obtain flour (you can use ready-made oat flour). Stir in all the other ingredients (except the strawberries) and mix thoroughly. Then mix in the strawberries. Transfer the dough into lightly greased muffin cups. Top with strawberries and bake for about 45 minutes at 180°C.

 

Carrot pancakes with jam, no gluten, no lactose, no eggs

Ingredients:

• ½ cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1,5 tablespoon coconut flour
• 2 carrots
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• a pinch of cardamom
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup plant-based milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 2 tablespoons of your favourite jam

Preparation:

Shred the carrots, add ground flaxseed and pour warm water over it. Mix until it becomes smooth and gel-like and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan, scoop the dough and place it on the pan. Serve with home-made jam.

 

Crispy Amaranth Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 15 g unsulphured raisins
• 20 g expanded amaranth
• 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon cocoa
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil

Preparation:

Soak raisins in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend the egg with raisins, cocoa and oil. Add amaranth, desiccated coconut and mix. Line baking tin with baking paper, form cookies from the dough. Bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes.

 

Millet Groats with Artichoke

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked millet groats
• 1 zucchini
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 artichokes
• a pinch of thyme
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• a pinch of chilli
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation:

Slice the vegetables, peel artichokes. Stew the veggies in water in a saucepan and add all the spices. Mix the vegetables with the groats. 

 

You can find more ideas for yummy packed lunch here. And recipes for kids which I recommend are here.

 

Travel and gastrointestinal problems

Long-haul flight and having to sit for a long time, combined with travel-related stress may lead to gastrointestinal problems. That’s why many people suffer during the flight and also afterwards from indigestion, bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and sometimes also vomiting. My advice? Avoid heavy, greasy and bloating products. I also advise against eating meat during the flight as we don’t digest animal protein during the flight very well. We shouldn’t pack products that have a short- shelf-life, are past expiration date or are perishable. Always remember to wash hands before eating and after your visit to the bathroom. 

 

What else is worth remembering?

• Pack sanitizing hand wipes (I recommend MEDISEPT)
• Drink a lot of water, e.g. with alkaline powder or magnesium, or you can also try nettle infusion (at least two cups per hour)
• Let your skin have a rest during the flight (remove make-up and use a face moisturizer)
• Move your feet and ankle joints (exercise your feet about 50 times every hour)
• Wear compression socks (preferably professional ones which you can buy in an orthotic shop)
• If possible, keep your legs straight and try to take a walk along the aisle from time to time.

 

People, and women in particular, tend to retain water after long flights. That’s why we should remember to drink more water both during and after the journey. 

 

What should we do after the arrival?

Spend your free time actively, relax and charge batteries. Everyday walks, swimming, a morning run or yoga help us forget about counting all calories and we can indulge ourselves with some yummy desserts. And it’s great because that’s what holidays are for so let’s try to spend them in a tasty and healthy style.