Keto while traveling

(Becky Searls) #1

Where are you and what are you eating to stay keto?

(Becky Searls) #2

First-think I accidentally put this in the kitchen tools category? Can an @admin help? :slight_smile:

Now then.

I’m currently in Costa Rica and it’s been surprisingly easy to (mostly) stay keto. I’ll post about what I’ve eaten so far, including my non keto strays and why even those were valuable!

In the plane: may I suggest fasting? I usually do but I felt stressed and that led me to feel hungry so I listened to my body and ate. While it was fine, I noticed I was super bloated and just felt off all day afterward. Maybe that was just form flying, not the food, but either way: back to fasting on flights for me. If you’re curious what I ate:

-I removed some turkey and cheddar cheese from a sandwich they served and ate just that with a packet of mayo (and had a second one- pro tip especially for international flights if you find yourself hungry-if you go tot he back and ask if they have an extra “x” and you’re nice they will always give it to you, and usually also offer you more nuts, drinks, etc. this is also how I stay hydrated-first go with the little cup of water they serve (or soda water if you like me want something a little bubbly sometimes) but then st some point when they are done with service and things have calmed down, take your big water bottle to the back and ask to have it filled with ice and water. Repeat as necessary)

  • a nicks stick grassfed turkey stick (I bought thee before I was keto…next time I’ll buy beef!) go to www.nicks-sticks.com for more Info - I like the spicy and regular flavors; wasn’t a big fan of their jerky but it’s been a while since I tried it. A super nice responsive family run company. They do deals regularly for holidays (10-20% off) so sign up for newsletter and wait for a deal. Delivery is quick usually within 3-4 days! (No I’m not paid to promote them just love their stuff!)

  • a package of salted roasted cashews from Costco

  • soda water, ice water, and coffee

Upon arriving (~1 PM) we had a 2.5-3 hour drive to the coast. After catching a gorgeous sunset

IMG_9699.JPG3024Ă—4032 2.43 MB

We went out for dinner and I ordered mussels to share with my husband for s starter followed by a whole fried red snapper, which was served with a side salad and fries. I totally ate some fries even tho they weren’t worth it and weren’t Keto. I am slowwwwly learning that I love to invoke loopholes (“but we’re on vacation!” Or “I don’t want to be rude by not finishing my food!” Etc) and need to watch for that tendency in myself. In reality 1) vacation is even less of an excuse not to stick to my goals as other things are probably looser and thus healthy eating is all the more important and 2) nobody would care about me not eating fries but me. And that’s the truth.

Next day, I fasted til about 4:45 then had half an avocado, some local cheese, and a half of a small local beer which I loved last time I visited but found I’d lost my taste for this time around. Good!

Dinner 2.5 hrs later was another whole fried fish by this one was smaller and slightly breaded. Lose. Still, could have been worse. Win tho, was that I realized fries were coming again so I requested they sub rice and gave it to my husband.

Next day, due to encouragement to relax from husband, drank a different variety of the local beer and liked it…too much. Had 3 and proceeded to feel like crap the rest of the day. Fail. Chatted with husband about not pushing alcohol and how it is contrary to both my long term goals and just makes me feel gross now. He is on board.

Fasted the next day due to feeling gross. As per usual for me when fasting, slept poorly and then had less resolve for healthy habits the next day PLUS it was my birthday so I invoked plenty of loopholes surrounding alcohol. I don’t really regret the living it up but I do regret the plentiful amounts of sugar in my frozen blender cocktails as I felt cloudy and yucky for a few hours afterwards. My bday dinner, a ribeye, some snapper, and buttery veggies, seemed to snap me back into how I usually feel quickly, for which I was thankful!

Today I had no problem turning down beer and chugging water instead. I also discovered a frying cheese so we literally jus read fried cheese for lunch and it. Was. Delicious. Anyone know if you can do this with any cheese?! I’m hopeful it’s not just a one-off Central American cheese bc it was SO GOOD!

Tonight we went out for a “light dinner” and found a weird bar serving a special menu for the super bowl (yep, in Costa Rica) plus craft beer. I DID have ONE porter…so clearly I still have some loophole work to do lol…also some fries and fried yuca! The yuca I don’t regret bc it’s really only available here but he fried we’re unnecessary for sure.

Lessons:

  • fasting vastly simplifies eating while on vacation. We have spent maybe $100 in food in 5 days, including all groceries and meals out.

  • loopholes pop up with much more frequency while on vacation but are no more compelling and should just be ignored.

  • alcohol is my Achilles heal while on vacation but ruins my day. Water is always a better choice and for something fun club soda with a little lime does the trick.

Please share your experiences eating keto around the world! My next big trip is to Perú so I’ll share again when I see how easy it is to stay keto there!

(Becky Searls) #3

So it’s been about a week since I posted and we are still in Costa Rica. I am realizing that Costa Rica is Still very afraid of fact for example they only seem to have margarine and no butter available in the store for purchase. However I was able to buy an avocado a block of cheese and a small container of cashews and a bag of pistachios today which helped. Here’s my question: is there a way to eat enough fat and feel fully satiated without things like high quality cooking oil (at home I use a lot of coconut oil and ghee), butter, lard, etc? I feel constantly hungry for the first time since going keto and it seems like that’s really all that’s missing?

(Becky Searls) #4

Today for example I ate a LOT of cheese (like half a block), a LOT of cashews (probably 500 calories worth…which whatever bc I don’t count calories but just to give you an idea of how much), an entire avocado and 2 servings of green salad - I GUESS I’m satiated now but I keep feeling like eating more so maybe not? Or maybe I’m having delayed cravings from invoking a travel loophole and having an empanada about 48 hours ago? Dumb but it was sorta worth it…except maybe not I’m now thinking lol. I was planning to fast the last 2 days but it was not culturally appropriate in my homestay and if I’m honest the empanada aftermath plus the stress of travel and speaking entirely in Spanish for 24 hrs was such that I was starving anyway.

So do y’all think I am struggling to recover from the empanada, or is it that the cooking oils used here aren’t providing me with good sources of fat? Or both? How do I feel good again? I go to Peru tomorrow for about 10 days so hoping I do better there!

#5

Not sure I understand the problem. I’ve been to Costa Rica. The availability of fat foods is present.

In Latin America, a lot of the food is bought in markets…not grocery stores like in America. If you go to a butcher in Costa Rica, you can get loads and loads of pork fat for rendering. If you go to a fishmonger shop, there are loads of fresh fish and seafood (a cornucopia of omega 3 rich foods). And there is no shortage of eggs, either…find them fresh at the farmer markets. If you don’t want to cook, find out which restaurant/chef is willing to make your meals, with your specific ingredients and requests. Believe me, any chef in Costa Rica will know where to get butter, lard, etc. Or ask the chef to make you a couple jars of ghee. They aren’t going to turn down an easy money opportunity.

You have to step out of the American frame of mind, and learn how the locals do it. While Americans can go to walmart to buy butter, bacon, cheese and lard…other cultures frequent specialty shops and markets that bring fruits and vegetables straight from the farm. It’s a better way of shopping really, because the produce comes right from the people who grow and prepare it. I really love that way of shopping.

(Becky Searls) #6

If one had time to frequent those shops that would be ideal! I’m sure you’re right that local butchers, etc would be very helpful and accommodating. However I’m working and visiting schools most days so very busy and relying on eating out when I do eat and it’s clear that culturally “nuMar” is the cooking fat of choice-margarine. I speak Spanish fluently (I’m a Spanish teacher) and this is my 5th visit to Costa Rica, after having lived in Honduras for 4 months and visited Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other Latin American countries. While I sometimes go to the trouble to try to explain how I eat and ask them to cook in butter or make a latte with whole milk, there’s a limit to what I find to be culturally appropriate and I kinda just stop at that intangible line. Perhaps I’m too easily convinced that I’m inconveniencing others by asking for fuller fat alternatives, but I’ve found it to be very true that when doing homestays or eating out the fear of fat is the same if not stronger here than in the states. Maybe that’s just been my experience? :woman_shrugging: Regardless do you think it’s the lack of those higher quality sources of fat in how my food is being cooked that’s leading me to feel so meh?

#7

I’m fluent in Spanish, too. I’ve lived and worked in many Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, chile, Honduras, Argentina, etc…etc…long list…The markets are just as accessible as grocery stores. Restaurants are very adaptable to your needs…you can easily go off menu and request whatever. You can easily get a chef to make you a jar of ghee. Now that you are in Peru, you have wonderful access to seafood, and their unique take on Latin-Japanese fusion sushi. Talk to any sushi fusion chef, tell them no rice or sugary stuff, and they can prepare the most spectacular stuff you’ve ever tasted. It’s a country very big on beef strips and vegetable stir fry’s, too.

(Keith Johnston) #8

I’m taking my college band to Vienna and Prague in January for 10 days, and this will be my first trip since going keto about 6 weeks ago (down 10 pounds-ish, and my blood sugar is well under control!)

I’m fine fasting on the plane, but as the guy in charge I don’t want to experiment with fasting for large portions of the trip. Anyone have advice on traveling to these countries and what to do about food? I can bring macademia nuts, keto bars (are they any good?) but what else?

Any advice is appreciated!