Episode 7: Traveling While Paleo!

Heading out of town with your cave clan? How do you fuel yourself on the road and when you finally arrive? We’ll fill you in on how we find food at an airport, fuel ourselves on the flight, and how we grab grub once we get to our destination. Pack your bags and listen to our Paleo travel tips!

What We Ate:

Let’s face it: no matter how many costumed characters roam the Strip, Las Vegas ain’t the most kid-friendly vacation spot in the world. Still, our family decided to take a surprise weekend trip to Sin City to attend a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert. In this episode, the kids gleefully fill everyone in on what they ate and observed in Las Vegas.

Big-O loved the steak and eggs at Bouchon Bistro, as well as the seafood options at B & B Ristorante.
Lil-O enjoyed the beefy options at B & B Ristorante and B & B Burger and Beer. (But he did not have any beer.)
Lil-O also reveals that I treated him to a couple of macarons at Bouchon Bakery. (We aren’t 100% Paleo when we travel, though we try to stay gluten-free.)

Main Course:

Travelers: we’ve got tons of tips and tricks for you on how to stay Paleo on the road! In this episode, we tell you how we scope out Paleo eats when we’re out and about.

What to Pack:

The amount of food I pack in our carry-on luggage depends on the length of the flight. If it’s a short flight, I typically bring a small bag of non-perishable snacks (e.g., a packet of jerky, salami, dark chocolate, seaweed, snack bars, or nuts). For longer flights, I simply increase the amount of snacks in my bag—or I purchase something at the airport. I also bring some of my favorite condiments and seasoning, assuming our final destination has a kitchen.

My go-to travel size condiments include:

Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link)
Red Boat Fish Salt (affiliate)
Jacobsen Salt (affiliate)
Magic Mushroom Powder

Airport Eats:

When I’m taking a short flight, I usually don’t eat anything at the airport. On longer trips, or when I’m stuck at the airport on a layover, I’ll seek out airport grub by going online and searching Yelp or Trip Advisor for gluten-free options at the airport. Other great resources for top airport eats include this article in the Wall Street Journal, and this post in Thrillist which rank airports by their food and drink options.

Choice eats at select airports include:

At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), opt for the takeout choices in Terminal 2. Some of my favorite options are Lark Creek Grill, The Plant Cafe Organic, Napa Farms Market.
At Denver International Airport (DEN), check out the locally sourced gluten-free friendly eats at Root Down.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), chow down on a BBQ platter (hold the bread and beans) at The Salt Lick before boarding your flight.

Food & Drinks on the Plane:

I don’t always eat during flights, but I routinely request bottled still or sparkling water (with no ice!) as my beverage. The reason I leave out the ice is because the ice is often contaminated with harmful bacteria. If you’re hungry and didn’t pack any food, most airlines sell gluten-free snacks that can tide you over until you land. (For example, Virgin America offers gluten-free snack packs, Hail Merry nuts & macaroons, and jerky.) I once made the mistake of ordering a gluten-free meal on an international flight and I was disappointed that all I got was a bunch of tasteless rice cakes. It turns out that most airlines will serve the same meal to anyone who requests a special meal due to a dietary restriction—which means a gluten-free meal will also be devoid of fat, salt, animal products, and, well...flavor.

Stocking Your Fridge At Your Vacation Rental:

Our drive from the airport normally includes a pit stop at a local grocery store before we reach our vacation rental. We usually stock up on breakfast items (e.g. eggs, sausage, butter, pre-cut fruit and produce,