At the end of June, I was able to travel with my students and fellow colleagues to France for another successful trip! This time around, I was quite limited in my food options (think meat + 2 veggie options). Consequently, I had to change my game-plan considerably, as well as transport a lot of gear to be able to cook in the hotel rooms. I learned a lot from this travel experience and, in the future, I will bring these items with me again!
Here are the various supplies and gear that made my travel a success. Yes, this all fit in my suitcase and I still had a couple of pounds to spare! For those of you thinking of traveling with food sensitivities or just want to have the opportunity to make your own food while traveling, these items may come in handy...
The most important item, hands-down, that I packed was this induction stove-top. With this, I was able to make all of the meat and fish that I found at local grocery stores. Yes, our room did smell like food but I was never left with a note reprimanding me for my endeavors!
This stove-top heats quickly and cools down quickly. It's actually easier to use than a regular stove-top and puts-off less heat. I ended-up ordering this from France so that way it would come with the right plug-in (seen above), as I didn't want to deal with electrical issues or malfunctioning of adapters/convertors. It worked like a charm! I ended-up transporting it in the box it came with, so that way it stayed secured and the glass wouldn't get cracked. The box is a bit mangled, now, but it really did the trick! Yes, I had
to be picky with what types of clothes I chose to bring along!
To go along with this stove-top, I had to get a cooking pan that says induction capable (available at all kitchen appliance stores). Here it is along with a spatula that I used for cooking my meats...
Here are some of the cutlery, utensils, and containers that made food transportation and preparation during my trip much easier! Most of the items I was able to find in the camping section of REI or in the container areas of Bed, Bath & Beyond.
A). First of all, a cutting board, a knife, and an aluminum spoon.
B). Along with a set of travel/camping cutlery (plastic). The knife on here is actually quite sharp!
C). The small, circle Tupperware came in handy for portioning-out supplements for each meal on the go. The larger Tupperware items fold up or down, which made more room in my backpack after eating a meal.
D). I used this towel for washing my dishes. The fabric makes it so that it dries really quickly.
E). In the morning, I would put my meats and warm veggies in this type of thermos so that way it would stay until lunch/dinner time.
F). This is my hot water boiler/tea-kettle. It is made for traveling and for France's outlets. It comes with these cups that stick back into the kettle during travel time. This is what I have used for reconstituting my dehydrated veggies/fruits. In the morning, at the hotel, I stick the hot, reconstituted purées into the thermos and they stay warm until lunch!
Of course, as traveling always goes, there is never a dull-moment. I had to figure-out how to keep my cooked foods cold when there weren't fridges in the hotel rooms, as well as figure-out ice for transporting my meats to the next location or for day's excursions. At least, though, by having these supplies, I was off to a good start! Cooking in my hotel room was an experience in itself. To give you an example of this, at one point, the best available plug-in was above the bidet in the bathroom! Consequently, I took a desk from the bedroom area and set-up camp in the bathroom...right above the bidet!
For future travels, where I don't have access to a kitchen, I believe I will always bring this stove-top. It was so convenient and also gave me the ability to pick-out my own, clean foods and cook them according to my needs. Thankfully, this gave me the protein I needed to walk about 9 miles a day for 11 days!
If you have any questions on any of these items or have further questions for your own travel needs, please let me know! It is possible to travel, regardless of food limitations, it just takes some extra thought and determination...
~Andréa
Do you need help brainstorming for a future trip, near or far?
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