On the Road!! Help me!

qb4short

Hi Everyone. I have just found a new motivation to take things a little more serious in life. I was a college athlete for 4 years and now after being out for a little more than a year I have not kept myself in shape. Unfortunately my job isnt helping. I am staying in a hotel room Monday through thursday and i realize exercise is still key, but i am looking for recipies or help on meals to make in a hotel room. Yes i have looked at hotels with kitchens but its not in my budget so lets rule that out. can ANYONE offer some help in this area please! thank you!!

beckythebunny122

Assuming that you have a coffee maker, you can make oatmeal with the hot water.
Avoid Ramen and Cup O' Noodles though - way too much sodium.
Many fruits and veggies can be left out or put in green bags to preserve freshness (my new favs are bell peppers, oranges and pears)
Canned tuna and crackers (I like Carr's water crackers)
PB (I use Better N' Peanut Butter) and All-Fruit spread with bread
(variations: tuna sandwich, PB crackers)
Dry cereal (I like cheerios and crispex - it's my new chip substitute)
Salad with make-your-own-balsamic vinagarette

Can you pack a rice cooker or small crock pot? If so, you can make many other things - but that might be harder.

Your biggest problem will be protein. Since you have no way to keep things cold, it rules out meat and dairy. And since you can't really cook things with a microwave, it rules out beans and such.

Really, the only protein sources I can think of that don't need to be cooled or cooked are canned light tuna (which you still have to watch intake b/c of mercury) and peanut or other nut butters (which have high fat, but it's good fat in moderation). There are things like protein bars and protein shakes, but I don't use them since they have lots of sodium.

free2roam66

Motels have free ice right? What about one of those small travel coolers that look like a large lunch box. Just big enough to fit 2-3 pieces of steak or boneless chicken and some ice to keep it cool. Just put in fresh ice each morning.

And to cook the meat, what about one of those small George Foreman Grills. I've seen these at Walmart and Target for around $20. They were originally made for college dorms, I think. They're the perfect size to cook one piece of steak or chicken.

Also check out a lot of things that are designed nowadays for college dorms. They're small, portable, and perfect for someone staying in a motel room with no kitchen. They even have refrigerators now that are so tiny you can transport them around in your car and then plug them up once you get there.

Hope this helps.

stuartme123

Get yourself a hot pot!
I've been in sort of the same boat this summer. I'm in a converted hotel to student housing, and the nearest kitchen is 5 flights away... I've made it into a competition (how well I can eat without a kitchen or even a microwave!!!) I've been able to make myself dinner almost every night with just the hot pot, which has taken some experimentation and adaptation. You just have to be willing to scrub the thing after you're finished using it, because food sticks to the metal part very easily.

But it boils water very quickly and keeps it boiling, so you can make any type of pasta and add anything you want to it (sauce, spices, vegetables, chicken pieces, cheese is my weakness...). Also, you can use it to make instant oatmeal or "stove top" and add all sorts of things to make it more interesting. If you put a thin layer of water in to heat up, you can heat a lot of things like you would in a microwave or a pan. I even tried making eggs like that, which doesn't come out very pretty looking, but its a cross between a fried egg and a poached egg. Its also faster than a microwave when heating up soup! :happy:

Hope this helps!!! It was the best decision I made about my eating habits this summer! :drinker:

weaklink109

Assuming that you have a coffee maker, you can make oatmeal with the hot water.
Avoid Ramen and Cup O' Noodles though - way too much sodium........

Don't rule out ramen. The secret is, DON"T use the seasoning packet. That is where the sodium comes from. Or use a very small portion of it. I am talking about the square packages where the seasoning comes in a packet. The cup types w/ everything mixed together are definitely a no no due to sodium.

Another poster mentioned a small refrigerator. I actually have one that plugs into my car's cigarette lighter plug AND can be powered by household current as well. Not very big, but it helpd me transport a ham to a family dinner about 200 miles away and kept it nice and cold all the way.

Good luck with your search for motel room edibles!!

thirtyby40

I have a plug in cooler, similar sounding to the last poster. You can buy them in several sizes, buy the size that suits you. I take bottled water, and precooked things that are good cold. ie chicken breast cut up to make wraps. Throw some washed lettuce, cut up tomatoes and cucumber (or whatever you like) in the cooler. Wraps travel well since you don't need to worry about flattening them. Easy, quick and yummy. I am not one to use condiments, but those plug in coolers work great. The first couple of times I was embarrassed bringing in a cooler to a hotel. Then I realized nobody even notices...

Be creative with foods you love, you will be surprised with what travels well and requires no reheating. Chicken and salad another great option.

lessertess

Are you flying or traveling by car? If by car, a small cooler and hot pot are great suggestions and you can take food with you. I have to fly so I normally hit a local grocery store when I get into town and stock up on what I can.

Some things I've found that help supplement meals and snacks so that I'm not eating out all the time: luna bars, fiber one bars, nuts, fruit, peanut butter high fiber bread, dried fruits, multigrain crackers, water (avoid the cost of vending machines) and microwave popcorn. (even if the room doesn't have a kitchen many hotels have a microwave in the common area).

If there's a convenience store nearby you can stop in and get single serving packs of yogurt, cheese, sliced fruits, hard boiled eggs, etc, that you can put on ice for short periods. Although I just normally stop in on my way to work and take it with me for lunches or snacks.

Eating out is tough no matter how you slice it but it can be done. (A lot easier on the company's dime )

Stick to fish, grilled chicken, grilled steak and vegetable medleys and salads (remove cheese, bacon, croutons) and either get low fat dressings or vinagrettes on the side.

Avoid the breads, desserts, alcohol, creamed anything, or anything smothered in cheese.

Personally, I think airports are the WORST. It boring and stressful at the same time and there's so much unhealthy food available. I find it nearly impossible to control myself. My last trip I was in the air or in airports for 12 solid hours.

lessertess

And about exercise:

If you're traveling with a computer you can play exercise DVDs. Pack some resistance bands; they don't take up much space.

Most hotels have a fitness room now with ellipticals and treadmills so cardio is no problem. Most even have some free weights.

My last trip was great, not only did they have great equipment each cardio machine had it's own TV.