Plant-strong in the air!
Recently the entire Engine 2 team traveled to The Big Island for a Whole Foods employee immersion.
Before we all boarded our flights we snapped some photos with our cameras to show you what kind of plant-strong food the team eats when we travel.
We were surprised that many of you did not know that you could bring food on planes! So to clear up any misconceptions, we thought we would write about traveling and what food we love taking with us.
First, the only rule regarding what you can take on a flight is liquid, so you can’t bring a half gallon of Rips’ ranch dressing. You can take about a ½ cup of it if you wanted to. Be sure you put it in a container that won’t expand when you get up in the air, you don’t want to be cleaning up your exploded Rip’s ranch dressing on the inside of your carry on!
Some of our favorite things to take on a plane:
Wraps: we get Ezekiel tortillas, spread hummus on them and fill them with roasted veggies, spinach and cut up tofu. You can also use mashed up beans if you like.
Sandwiches: Whole grain bread (we like to toast it, so it doesn’t get soggy) – stuff your sandwich with your favorite veggies (we like making roasted eggplant sandwiches).
Jeff Novick burgers: These are our favorite plant-strong burgers! And they are great cold as well as hot. We made a few burgers to last the flight and then to have on the other side, because we knew we were landing later at night.
To get Jeff’s new dvd on how to make the best burgers (and fries) go here: https://secure2.vegsource.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=494
Big bowl! Morning flight? Why not take your big bowl dry ingredients, some dried fruit (or some cut up fresh fruit) and a little container of non dairy milk? Be sure to bring a small Tupperware or bowl so you can enjoy your big bowl.
Salad: This is a great one, because you can go make a salad at almost any grocery store now, or get a to go container at a place like “Sweet Tomatoes” and take your huge salad on the flight with you. We put balsamic vinegar or salsa in a little container for dressing.
Spring rolls: This one is a great one for kids. Just get rice paper, wet it (so you can roll it easily) and then fill it with your favorite ingredients. You can pack a small container of sauce for dipping.
Oatmeal crisp: This is a great food that travels well. You will have to bake it the night before though. In a baking dish put a layer of frozen or fresh fruit (any fruit), next add a layer of oats (about 1 inch thick), next cover the oats with non dairy milk, until the oats are soaked. Put the baking dish in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed into the oats, there should not be excess liquid when you are done. This is a big hit for the kids as well. We made one with pineapple and strawberries for our recent flight!
Hummus: Make a batch of fat free hummus and pack some cut up vegetables and whole grain pita bread.
Fruit: We learned that with some international flights as well as flights leaving Hawaii you might have to watch what kind of produce you take back with you. Check with the airport or airline if you are concerned.
Rice, beans and salsa: Brown rice, black beans and your favorite salsa make a great travel meal. You can get some whole grain tortillas or make your own corn tortillas if you like.
Looking for good food at an airport? While most airports are not known for having the best food options, we have found some great options, when we look hard enough. If you can find a airport restaurant see if you can get steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, brown rice or beans. You can also get a big salad at most restaurants along with some balsamic vinegar or salsa. Need something quick? Most of the small stores carry fresh fruit now.
What are your air travel tips? Do you have any favorite travel food?
