Traveling away from home, what do I need?

[Ree 215]

I am going to be away from home for a few days, staying in a hotel. What can I pack that is easy to eat on the go and requires little to no refrigeration? I am still drinking Protein shakes and I'm allowed soft foods like cottage cheese, soft fish, certain Beans etc....

I will be 3 - 4 weeks post op.

Also, I will be with many family members. None of which know I was sleeved and I have no intentions on telling them, ever.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Ree

[planetheather 137]

I travel a lot for work and my first trip post op, I was still at the liquid/soft foods phase. I carried my bags of Jay Robb Protein powders and shaker bottles and foil sleeves of tuna. Between that and being able to get a poached egg at the hotel for Breakfast, I was fine.

[Bronco0605 135]

Will you have your own hotel room or share? Will you be eating out most meals with family or eating on your own? will you have a way to heat things up?

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

Love this Ree, sounds like me! LOL.

That great diet you are on will run smoothly in the hotel. Don't forget a small insulated bag for excursions.

I love the little "go" packets of Peanut Butter, SF shelf Jello, pudding and applesauce. String cheese. Protein bars, shakes with or without ice. Refried Beans. Little packs of Laughing Cow cheese. 1 serving Crystal Light packets for a bottled Water.

Room should have a fridge and microwave for cottage cheese, Soup, etc. Take disposable spoons and small paper plates.

I make and love crustless Quiche, and love it warm or cold. I make it in a glass pieplate and it is several days of meals or snack. Used to take it to work for lunch. It is an easy go idea, but refrigerate.

Sounds like an adventure to me!!!! Have a wonderful time!

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

I was at a family wedding 4-5 weeks out. Most didn't know. When we were out, I ordered 2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast, sometimes a sausage patty, and ate slowly (I never refused toast or potatoes, just didn't eat them.) For lunch or dinner on the road, I ordered chili or meatloaf. At fancy dinners I ordered fish. As it happened most of the dinners were pre-ordered for us and all had soft foods.

There was only one dinner where someone noticed something "wrong" with my plate and I just waved my hand in the general direction of my stomach and mumbled something about sticking to bland food tonight. There were no follow up questions.

I also had Protein shakes in my hotel room just in case.

[Ree 215]

Those are all great idea's, thank you!!

Bronco0605, most of my meals will be with family. The problem I am facing really is my husbands family always orders pizza and wings when we come to visit. Is there possibly something from the pizza place that I can suggest in place of pizza and wings (just for myself)? mozz sticks, take the cheese out and give the fried part to my husband? When we visit my side of the family I already suggested we order fish fry's this way I can take off the breading and eat the haddock fish inside. If I didn't suggest fish fry's they would have ordered pizza and wings as well. It's an Italian thing.

[scarlet333 386]

I make and love crustless Quiche, and love it warm or cold. I make it in a glass pieplate and it is several days of meals or snack. Used to take it to work for lunch. It is an easy go idea, but refrigerate.

Could you share the Quiche recipe?

[gomekast 559]

Those are all great idea's, thank you!!

Bronco0605, most of my meals will be with family. The problem I am facing really is my husbands family always orders pizza and wings when we come to visit. Is there possibly something from the pizza place that I can suggest in place of pizza and wings (just for myself)? mozz sticks, take the cheese out and give the fried part to my husband? When we visit my side of the family I already suggested we order fish fry's this way I can take off the breading and eat the haddock fish inside. If I didn't suggest fish fry's they would have ordered pizza and wings as well. It's an Italian thing.

My nurse told me melted cheese like that isnt usually advised until a few months out. She said it gets stuck and a lot feel sick until it moves again.

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Do you know where you're going to be going so that you can check a menu out online ahead of time?

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

Scarlett, here is the Quiche recipe I have used since the 80s. I will give you the original recipe and tell you how I tweak it. I learned I could make it without the crust when I as on the Atkins diet.

8 oz bacon, cooked, crumbled and drained, or 1 can drained crabmeat

3 eggs 1 unbaked pie shell 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 tsp pepper 6 oz shredded Swiss cheese

Sprinkle bacon or crab in bottom of unbaked pie shell, along with shredded cheese. Mix other ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake in preheated oven 375 deg. until top of Quiche is lightly browned.

[Now when I make it, No pie crust! Use glass pieplate, spray lightly with Pam. I recently made it at Christmas. I only used 3 slices crumbled bacon for the entire pie. I used 3/4 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup lowfat milk. 4 oz Swiss cheese instead of 6. I eat a very small piece, either for breakfast or dinner, and it keeps well in the fridge 3-4 days].

The Swiss cheese really makes it.

Hope you like it.

[lsereno 2,525]

I recommend sticking with a line about recent tummy troubles for those that don't want to share sleeve stories. Covers why you can't eat pizza and wings. Just throw that line out there and order the most bland soft thing on the menu or if there is truly nothing that will work, sip your drink and chat everyone up. I also recommend a blender ball cup, Protein powder and some flavoring. I used vanilla Protein Powder, starbucks instant Decaf and Water when traveling. Mixed with room temp Water, it tastes like a latte. I also packed sugar free drink mixes to blend with water. I had a Protein Drink two to three times per day to get me to Protein goals while traveling. Easy protein food choices include fish, yogurt, string cheese, and cottage cheese.

Enjoy your trip!

Lynda

[scarlet333 386]

Linda,

Thanks so much for the recipe. Sounds delicious and something different. Will definitely try it.

[Seela 1,187]

Another thing I always have on hand are the individual packs of tuna. They're in a foil envelope so you can keep them in your purse

[LouiseC 1,031]

This is my life! I travel away most weeks and have done for a few years. I found the first couple of months after the surgery to really challenge my organisational abilities. The hardest thing was Water though once I got myself sorted.

I will carry lots of little bags of things! I measure out Protein powder into small snack size zip lock bags, along with other Snacks. I usually have Jerky, nuts and seeds, miso Soup, other Soup sachets, tuna, and if there is refrigeration small pottles of yoghurt and cheese. I have these all bagged up and ready to grab however many I need for a day at work or for a few days away. This way I am ensuring I measure everything and have variety. I am further along than you but I am sitting in my office (meant to be working but find myself on here, whoops) and have taken this photo of what I am looking at on my desk

This is today's food - plain popcorn 100 calories worth, single serve of an almond, cashew and dried cranberries, two vita wheat crackers and a can of tuna, and in the fridge I have a small salad and a small cheese wedge. Also, sugar free flavoured Vitamin sachets to add to my Water. Looking at it now and typing it out I may be low on Protein today, but it gives an idea of how I manage.

I also have a couple of small containers that I have marked for weights of things I might buy when I am away, I take the empty containers and know when I am away I can use them to manage serving sides without scales. So if I buy some chicken or salmon or prawns or whatever then I can use the container to make sure I am getting the right number of grams.

[Cabingirl 55]

Wonderful recommendations, thank you!