Are you starting out on AIP and worried about sticking to your diet while you travel this summer? This is a real concern for many people-- I know I worried about it a lot during my first year of AIP! When you've been cooking all your meals at home and suddenly have no kitchen available, it's natural to feel a little anxiety.
As much as I love traveling, I'm no jetsetter. But Tom and I do travel a lot internationally, within the US, and within Texas. In the past year or so, I was in Tuxtla twice, Cabo, Mexico City, Paris, California, Seattle, Austin every other month, Denver...I can't keep track. I've been all over Central and South America, a little bit of Europe, and most of the United States. And accommodations have ranged from "I can't believe they let me in a place this nice" to "Dear God, even though there aren't four solid walls around me, please don't let me get eaten by a wild jungle animal." So I have learned the value of being prepared as a traveler. When I started AIP about a year ago, it added a whole other level to having to be prepared. Traveling on AIP is not easy and it cannot be an afterthought. But it can be done. Here's what I have learned: 1. Meal Planning is Still Important If you've been meticulously meal planning or batch cooking to follow a strict AIP protocol, or even just Paleo, you know the value of planning out your week's meals in advance. You prevent a "hangry" emergency and strategize for nutrient density. Planning out the week's meals is even more important while you are traveling. This depends greatly on where you are traveling to. If you are traveling to a large city like Paris, Mexico City, or Washington D.C., thanks to the internet (what would we do without it!?), you can search for AIP/Paleo friendly places. Now, a Google search isn't going to render you a nice long list of Paleo restaurants in most cities, but you want to look for restaurants that are ethically and consciously sourcing their foods. If a restaurant is paying attention to their ingredients, they are most likely cooking dishes to order AND are aware of all of the ingredients that go into each dish. From a Google search, I like to look at the menu of a restaurant. If it is a restaurant that sources everything locally but every single dish is handmade pasta, its going to be a little difficult for me to find a dish to modify. I try to look for places with a strong focus on organic ingredients AND a veggie/meat-centric menu. After I have found a few restaurants, I give them a call. I ask the following questions: A. What Kind of Oils Do You Use? This is critical. If a restaurant has great ingredients that I can eat, but they cook absolutely everything in canola oil and there are no alternatives available, that is going to be a problem. If a restaurant has olive oil or coconut oil and can adjust the way they cook my food, then I have options. B. Can You Accommodating the Following Allergies? This may seem like a no-brainer, but not only does this question give you an idea if the restaurant will be willing to accommodate you, but in many cases, the staff will make a note so that when I do visit the restaurant, they are especially conscientious about preparing my dishes. In my Dallas restaurant guide, I talked about the fear of seeming high-maintenance and picky-- I realize asking for accommodations can be hard. But when you are dealing with an autoimmune disease, accommodations aren't about being picky-- it is the difference between feeling healthy and spending several days in bed crippled with pain. And no one wants to be on the sidelines during vacation!! 2. Grocery Stores and Markets Are Your Budget-Saving Best Friend If you've been AIP/Paleo for a while, you know it ain't cheap. And eating at accommodating restaurants is going to be way more costly than fast food or chain restaurants. This can be a budget buster! Eating out every single meal on vacation?! Eeek! Before you get to your destination, determine where the local supermarkets and outdoor markets are. Open air markets can be an amazing source of AIP-friendly, one ingredient goodness for a light breakfast or lunch. Are you in Latin America? Plantain chips, yuca fries, and dried mango? Yes, please. In Europe? Shaved meats, dried fruits, fresh seafood. Enough said. If you are in the US, eating at a Whole Foods or buying stuff at a supermarket is relatively safe. But if you are in another country, make sure you are using judgement in selecting what you eat from a market. If you are buying fresh produce, in many countries, you can also purchase a veggie wash. Make sure you use the wash with purified water back at your hotel room. In my next post, "Post Travel Tips with AIP," I'll go over supplements you can take to support gut health and protect yourself from parasites while you are abroad and once you return home. But be preventative in using caution when you select food from markets.
--fresh open air market in Mexico City
3. Keep an Emergency Stash Ok, it isn't really an "emergency" stash-- more like a "I love snacks" stash, if I'm honest. Thankfully, there are a plethora of AIP safe, travel-ready snack options. While you've carefully strategized your nice meals out, subsidized your breakfasts and lunches with grocery store buys, what happens if you get stuck in a place where there are no AIP options? Your flight gets delayed for seven hours at a crappy one terminal airport and the only restaurant available is a McDonalds (Dear God, I hope no such place exists). Packing options will keep you on track! Below is a list of my favorite AIP, travel-ready snacks: 1. Dang Toasted Coconut Chips 2. Plantain Chips 3. Dried Mango/Fruit 4. Epic bars 5. Canned Oysters 6. Crisp Apple chips 7. Barnanas
4. Learn the Language
Ok, the heading is a bit of an overstatement, but here's what I mean: if you are traveling to a country where English is not the primary language spoken, do you know the words for corn, soy, grains, and dairy? I'm not completely fluent in Spanish, but I know enough to explain all my allergies and concerns to a waiter. If you are traveling abroad and worried about communicating your food restrictions, plan ahead. If you have a basic grasp of the language, use this as an opportunity to learn and study more, specifically food-related words! If the thought of trying to communicate in a second language stresses you out and you are terrified you will make a mistake that will accidentally result in you getting poisoned by gluten, don't worry!! This website, Select Wisely, is here to take the guess work out of ordering-- for both you and your waiter. These cards explain food allergies-- plus you can order a standard card OR you can customize a card for your specific food restrictions. And best of all, these cards can be translated to over 60 languages! If the thought of trying to explain in German which nightshades you can and cannot eat gives you anxiety, this little card can be a lifesaver! That about wraps up it up, friends. Up next, tips for returning from traveling and protecting your gut while abroad and another city guide for where to eat AIP/Paleo while visiting...any guesses?
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Before we started the AIP diet, Tom and I ate out just once a week or once every other week. But on AIP, eating out was seemingly IMPOSSIBLE. First, imagine telling the waitstaff this: no grains, no soy, no dairy, no corn, no nuts, no eggs, no seeds, no spices that come from the nightshade, no cooking oils other than olive oil or coconut oil. It just doesn't work. Even nicer restaurants where they cook things to order might not use olive oil for their cooking. But cooking every single meal from scratch (and remember on AIP, you have to make a lot of your own sauces/dips) can be exhausting and sometimes, you need a celebratory or relaxing night out on the town. On nights where I was just too tired to cook, we would go to the Whole Foods salad bar, but that can get old pretty quickly and a girl can only eat so many salads-- and trust me, this girl loves her greens and salads so for me to say that you know we were eating there a lot. Fortunately, there are some places you can eat and follow a Paleo/AIP protocol if you are living in the DFW area. These places are not specifically Paleo or AIP compliant, but they are very open to making dietary accommodations and they are very particular about where they source their food from. Every time I've been to one of the restaurants, the waitstaff has been incredibly accommodating on checking with the ingredients in each dish for me. In some cases, the chef has even come out to clarify my accommodations and make sure the dish I want is safe for me. If you do go to one of these places or you venture to any other restaurants, here's a few tips for dining out on Paleo/AIP: 1. Call ahead! If you are going to a new restaurant, call ahead and ask them a few key questions. What kind of oils do they use? This is key because even if they have Paleo/AIP compliant meats, but they cook using rice bran oil (Chipotle-sad face), you can't eat it. You want to make sure a restaurant has olive oil or coconut oil available to cook your dishes to order. I always look at the menu and get an idea of what I will order so I can ask about specific dishes when I call the restaurant. 2. Bring your own condiments Corn and soy sneak their way into EVERYTHING, but especially sauces and dips. Think cornstarch, corn syrup, soy sauce, dextrose-- basically every kind of binder or thickening agent. If you bring your own dressing or sauce, you can be assured of all of the ingredients. I will say that the restaurants I've recommended here are very transparent about all ingredients-- even sauces and dips-- so you can ask to see the ingredient list yourself. When I go to these places, I don't worry about bringing my own stuff. Just bringing your sauces can open up many other restaurants as possible dining options. 3. Ask to speak to the manager or chef I know this sounds so high maintenance, and it is. I have apologized profusely to waitstaff before because I feel so terrible about making special requests. But here's the deal: asking for accommodations is not about me being persnickety. It's a matter of me being able to use my hands for the next two weeks. So when I have to explain my allergies, I just try to be as straightforward as possible. Oftentimes, the waitstaff will volunteer to send a manager over. This is where the restaurant recommendations below are handy-- these staff at these places are usually very educated about ingredients, allergies, and making substitutions. 4. No dessert There are only one or two places I've been in my travels (more on those places in future posts) that have truly AIP compliant desserts. We used to love ordering desserts to complete our dining out experience, but with so many places using refined sugars and dairy, it is very risky to order dessert at a restaurant. I get REALLY SAD WITHOUT DESSERT. So I have a plan: dessert at home. When I'm just on Paleo, I love Nadamoo ice cream. On AIP, I usually make myself a banana carob coconut cream milkshake (yes, friends, that is a thing and it is GOOD). Now on to the restaurants: True Foods Kitchen I first visited True Foods in Denver and was super excited to learn they were opening a restaurant here in Dallas. The menu is based on Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory diet so they are very conscientious about ingredients and sourcing. Their food is fresh and delicious, but they don't have don't specifically cater to vegetarians, paleo, or AIP'ers. There are options for people with restrictions and for people who just like yummy food. But the most important aspect of True Foods is that they will make accommodations for you. I usually order the veggie crudite and then a salad with grilled chicken. If you are just trying to avoid gluten, they do have gluten free pizza and bread options. They also have some dairy free dessert options (although not Paleo or AIP friendly). Hgsplyco This is the Paleo place to be!! My only complaint is that they don't have grass fed beef (if they do, it isn't listed). My favorite appetizer is the hummus-- it comes with bacon chips (and veggies). If you can't find an entree that fits your needs, the veggie side dishes are delicious. I always over-order because I can't decide between the sweet potatoes, the brussels sprouts, the parsnips, or the cauliflower-cashew grits. And if you need something more substantial, you can use two veggies options to build a bowl. Add protein and guacamole or another sauce, and top with a fried egg. If I could eat at HG every night, I would. Like all other options listed, this place is super allergy friendly. The waitstaff has always been incredibly helpful and willing to check on dish ingredients for me. If there is an ingredient in a dish that I can't eat, they always suggest substitutions. As if the delicious food wasn't enough, this place offers some beautiful non-alcoholic AIP friendly drinks. One of the big things about Whole30 and AIP is no alcohol so if you are someone who enjoys a glass of wine on a Friday night when you go out (or two or three--hey, no judgement here), then you can definitely feel left out when it comes to treating yourself at a restaurant. If you want to be super healthy, order the Garden State--- a mixture of carrot, apple, lemon, and ginger. If you want something sweeter, The Finish Line-- a mixture of watermelon, pineapple, and honey-- will meet your criteria. (Sidenote on HG: this is not the place for a quiet, intimate conversation. The restaurant is located on lower Greenville and quite the Paleo/hipster/flannel-wearing/beard-sporting crowd. I think I counted no less than 12 J. Crew slim-fit checkered shirts in there one time. The roof top seating is beautiful, but loud. Honestly the evening scene is a little overwhelming for me now that I'm not 22, but if you can go on an off- hour, the food is worth it.) Mudhen Now for the newest addition to the Dallas Paleo scene, Mudhen. Having only been there once, my review is limited. What I can say is this: the ambience is to die for. It is located at the Dallas Farmers' Market. There is an expansive shaded patio with a view of downtown Dallas and tree lights and greenery surround the tables. For a cool spring evening, there is no better place to relax with a glass of kombucha (which they serve!). Unfortunately, this place uses rice bran oil for a lot of their cooking, but if you ask they can use olive oil or coconut oil. We ordered a few appetizers and I wanted the collard wraps, but the dressing had soy. No problem- the chef came out and asked if I was ok with a substitute AIP compliant sauce and she changed the dish for me. I also ordered the LocoMoco-- a grass fed burger over cauliflower rice with bacon and a fried egg. And I had some mashed parsnips and then half of what Tom ordered. From our trip (and who knows, this restaurant is still getting its grounding) the food is not as tasty as HG, but the menu is more expansive and the ambiance (in my opinion) is much better. If you are under the age of 21, you may not agree with me on this-- but that's because age brings wisdom, young'uns. yummy spread from Mudhen's dinner.
Anyway, that wraps up my top three places to eat in Dallas. I wish there were more places I could add here. Of course, you can always go to Whole Foods' prepared food bar and search for something on the fly, but they rotate dishes as well and as some of my more sensitive friends who follow AIP have found, cross-contamination is a big thing and it can cause symptoms to reappear. Another easy option is to visit somewhere like Hopdoddy's or The Twisted Root and order grassfed burgers without the buns. Steer clear of the fries though:( If you try any of these places, let me know what you think. And of course if you visit any of these places and need a foodie companion, definitely let me know! I'll be there with my homemade dressing!! |
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January 2017
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