With school holidays I thought I’d give you some tips to enjoy your holidays whilst feeling great there and when you come home. I’ve got a whole section in my cookbook with all sorts of tips, here are my travel tips from the section: What Annabel Eats.
I used to feel ripped off that I couldn’t eat anything I wanted to, especially on holidays, but I’ve been able to re-think my holiday eating and be far more open to cooking whilst away and shopping at local farmers markets.
I am still coming to terms with this one, because as much as I love cooking, when I’m on holidays I generally like to have a break away from the normal everyday ‘jobs’ as much as I can. Having said that, even if you can have access to your own kitchen for SOME of your holiday you will at least have options to cook your own breakfast, pack something to take out for lunch and cook up something special that you find in your travels.The main photo was taken in New Zealand a while ago and was one of my favourite meals on that holiday. We had discovered local green lipped mussels whilst out during the day so bought them, a few fresh vegetables and a healthy laksa soup mix and cooked them up on a BBQ at the place we were staying overlooking the beach. Leigh and I could enjoy the meal, the view & a glass of wine whilst the boys were happy playing on the beach. Much more enjoyable for us than battling with them in a restaurant!
I love market shopping whether at home or away. Perhaps it makes me feel French! Local farmers market shopping is very aligned to the paleo principles of eating local and ethically grown produce. I also love it when you know that you’re supporting your local farmers too. The benefits of finding farmers markets on holidays are that you might discover a new ingredient and you can buy exactly how much you need.
Either take one with you or buy a cheap insulated bag from a supermarket when you get there. I love my Tupperware one as it’s big enough to fit lunch for the family and stylish enough that you can carry it on a plane and not stand out too much! It also flat packs if you need it too.
The reality is that it is harder to follow a clean diet whilst away so you need to decide ahead of time which battles are you going to pick? For me, the bottom line when I eat out or travel is that the food is gluten free and that’s generally pretty easy (although harder in some countries like it was in Japan). Simple things like asking for a burger without the bun can make eating out easier and still enjoyable.
Just being organised and thinking ahead a little can rescue you from bad choices. You can still enjoy eating out and about on holidays but if you’ve got a few snacks or even a chicken salad packed for lunch, you’re at least setting yourself up for success.Above all, enjoy your holiday! Annabel x