Never worry again about staying healthy on vacation. Just read all of the comments left yesterday re: “Healthy-eating on Vacation.” Thank you all for taking the time to leave such a plethora of good advice.
Yesterday, I mentioned some portable snack ideas for healthy eating when you’re not at home. But sometimes—especially on vacations—circumstances call for portable meals as well as snacks.
That’s where tupperware comes in!
And coolers. Coolers are your best friends. Basically anything can be turned into a portable meal if put into a tupperware container (and then, optionally, a cooler). Okay, maybe not anything. Leave the Vita-Mix ice cream at home! Another good idea is to bring part of a meal and supplement the rest with something you buy while out. And even more options are open to you if you’re strange lucky like me in that you actually prefer most foods at room temperature or cold.
Some of my favorite portable lunches include: Soups, salads, sandwiches, blended grain puddings, and stir fries. Sometimes, it’s easier to “picture” meals when there are actual pictures (go figure). So I put together a photo essay with some ideas:
Starting with the Banana Butter
And then there’s also: Strawberry Shortcake Sandwich
Either savory or sweet Love Muffins
Soups, such as “No Cream” Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Pasta salads (w/veggies and dressing, like Newman’s sesame) or any cold pasta dish
“Somewhere over the Rainbow” Sandwich
And finally, salads, such as “Colonel Mustard” Salad
I could go on and on with my portable meal photos, especially with soups, salads, and leftovers. But everyone knows what a stir fry looks like, so I’ll spare you.
Photos in order of appearance:
- Banana Butter
- Carrot Cake sandwich
- Strawberry Shortcake sandwich
- Love Muffins
- All the Way Arame Salad
- “No-Cream” Cream of Broccoli soup
- Pasta stir fry
- Somewhere over the Rainbow sandwich
- Colonel Mustard salad
.
love this! I am going upstate this weekend with family..brining my vita-mix and all my fave healthy foods..chia seeds,oatmeal,nut butters,dr.krackers,spelt&grain bread, exekiel tortillas,almond and soy milk…basically everything I eat that my family doesnt because no one else is vegetarian let alone vegan like me. def going shopping there, but upstate has alot less food stores. I may bring my tempeh chili with me on the ride up bc cold chili is good and is substanial,and fruit&nuts of course. or maybe see if we can stop at moosewoods to eat, always wanted to go there!
kelli,
Haha I kinda wish I’d brought my Vita-Mix.
Ahhhhhh Moosewood! I went with my mom, when we visited Cornell, and SHE dragged ME back the next day, it was so good :).
okay i NEED to save that Colonel salad link for reference! u had me at MUSTARD!!!
i think arame is the best sea veg in the world. i do love my dulse, but arame is so much more subtle and tastes really good with almost anything 🙂
Mmmm those are all great ideas! The last couple of days I had to bring lunch to tennis practice, and I will have to bring lunch until the end of the summer! So its good to see all the ideas.
I usually bring a leftover, thats turned into a salad. For example, spinach, bell pepper, onion, olive, topped with black beans and rice. I also recently found stuffed grape leaves in bulk at costco, and they taste soooo good! I throw a couple of those into my salad. I also like making wraps on a whole wheat tortilla with hummus or guacamole and veggies. Today, I made myself a smoothie and packed it in the cooler with some pretzels and peanut butter!!!! Delicious! Then, there are my lazy days when I just make a pb&j 🙂
The Somewhere over the Rainbow sandwich. I want…no, I NEED right now! 🙂
ahahah you should have… I will have to see if madre is up for it, it is on the way 😉
Usually just a nutrition bar, maybe some fruit or nuts too. I hardly ever eat sandwiches, and I get nervous carrying containers.
banana butter + extra PB + chocolate chips on cinnamon raisin bread = EPIC deliciousness, resulting in mega ultra happy vegan face!
all of your lunches look fab… i’m about to write up a post on healthy portable lunches in a few days, so i’ll definitely link back to this post!
🙂
I love any of my tofu salad creations rolled up in a wrap!
http://thebroccolihut.com/they-call-me-the-salad-lady-part-two/
I’ve wanted to buy a cooler for weeks now, but haven’t managed yet!