Traveling Food

Hello,

I spend some time traveling for work out of the country. One place in particular that I visit, the food absolutely tastes like crap. I spend around a month there at a time. What I have done so far is to take some freeze dried meals, some peanut butter, ramon, fruit snacks, etc. to get buy supplemented by whatever vegetables I can find. I have shyed away from canned goods due to weight. Typical third world, the grocery stores / mini markets have a plethora of chips, soda and cookies but nothing in the way of fresh meats or vegetables.

What are some other ideas and options that others have for nutritious and tasty travel meals.

Thanks.

TheNewMexican said:

Hello,

One place in particular that I visit, the food absolutely tastes like crap.

Click to expand...

I'm curious - where?

Sambal said:

I'm curious - where?

Click to expand...

I love travelling and I'm curious too.

jerky, dried wakame, miso powder, and dehydrated tofu. those got me through many third world adventures. But yeah, where are you going?

Pepsi and a snickers.

Dried Fruit, seeds and nuts... make your own trailmix. Also B touched on it.. Miso powder is awesome.. I would mix in any vege's and dried noodles i could find.

damn. you must be traveling to some "armpit of the world" area if it makes you resort to freeze dried food. yuck. i backpack and that is the ONLY time i will eat the stuff. you talking Mountain house, or Backpack pantry stuff? (shiver)..so much salt.

i take packages of those weightlifter food supplement shake packs with me. i still have lots of the EAS ones. i bring a shaker cup and buy cold bottle water. not bad. i did this while traveling thru Laos. some food stops, just didnt feel safe. like the time i saw a crew butchering a hog 5 feet outside the public bathroom pits.

shake time. (or food bars)

O.k., I will reveal the country with the caveat that I don't get a bunch of pushback on "How I visited once and the food was great". While I respect other opinions, I just don't want to get into it. I've spent a year there and lost 35 pound cause I couldn't stomach the food.

The country is Bolivia.


I've been cognizant of the sodium content of freeze dried meals, so I get the "low sodium" versions. Also eaten a lot of oatmeal with raisins. So at least my arteries should be clear


Thanks for the ideas so far.

Hmmm. Interesting. I personally didn't have a problem with Bolivian food but to each his/her own preference. What put you off? The cuy? . I liked a lot of dishes. Saltinas, huminta and that ubiquitous potato stew. Lots of roasted chicken there. No luck with that? I feel for you though. Not great being somewhere you can't stand the food. The only thing I can think of has already been suggested - freeze dried meals. Good luck.

I think part of it has to do with the remoteness of the job site (we take a 1.5 hour plane ride to a private, dirt airstrip just to get there). The other part is the altitude, 13000 feet, which affects how food tastes. And lastly, it's cafeteria version of Bolivian food. The result is that the food served tastes like different colored versions of cardboard.

The chicken is not bad but gets a bit old. The meat they kill twice, once when they butcher the animal and the second time when they cook it.

Each trip is a learning experience in what works and doesn't.

Very true. I think the altitude is probably playing a big role there too. It affects a lot of people that way, myself included. Unfortunately there is little to be done about that. Sounds like its time to ask for a raise though

I would take some nuts, dried beans, and dehydrated fruits. Those are things I eat all the time around home and they travel well. Spices you like would be nice as well.

Have you thought of getting a food dehydrator and making jerky yourself? That way you can control the sodium. It's good for drying your own fruit too. Another good thing to take is homemade granola bars.