Home Sweet Home.
Over this past Easter weekend I was lucky enough to take some time to fly back to my hometown of Fargo, ND. A bunch of my extended family was getting together for the holiday so I decided to join them for the festivities. We ate, we took family bike rides, we laughed, we BBQed, and had caught up with each others lives. I had a great time with my family during this time but I also realized just how much traveling is an obstacle when you are trying to maintain order in your low carb life. There are really several things that hit me all at once every time I travel home that can lead to problems in my diet.
1. Traveling Breaks the Routine.
I usually have those standard places that I know are nearby, tasty, and have my favorite low carb options. Its convenient and I build up a routine of what to eat. When you get to a another place in your travels you don't have those luxuries and are often at the mercy of whatever is available. That might mean in an airport food court, at an unknown restaurant, or just the low carb cooking of friends and family.
Over this past Easter weekend I was lucky enough to take some time to fly back to my hometown of Fargo, ND. A bunch of my extended family was getting together for the holiday so I decided to join them for the festivities. We ate, we took family bike rides, we laughed, we BBQed, and had caught up with each others lives. I had a great time with my family during this time but I also realized just how much traveling is an obstacle when you are trying to maintain order in your low carb life. There are really several things that hit me all at once every time I travel home that can lead to problems in my diet.
1. Traveling Breaks the Routine.
I usually have those standard places that I know are nearby, tasty, and have my favorite low carb options. Its convenient and I build up a routine of what to eat. When you get to a another place in your travels you don't have those luxuries and are often at the mercy of whatever is available. That might mean in an airport food court, at an unknown restaurant, or just the low carb cooking of friends and family.
2. Your Favorite Foods of Yesterday Make a Comeback.
Whether its my mothers homemade carmel rolls and eggbake breakfast or the deliciously wonderful Taco Johns, traveling home for me becomes difficult because I am now surrounded with tastes and food options that I love and have an almost nostalgic quality to them. Restaurants and recipes that old Tim once took part of on a more frequent basis seem to show up and appear to be irresistible and since I know I can only get these things in this limited window of time, it becomes even harder to say no.
3. The Dilemma of the Holiday
Not all trips occur on holiday's but this one did and many often do, and holidays in my house are celebrated with food. Lots of fresh baked treats, homemade meals, and snacks everywhere. On top of all the food that shows up on the holidays we all know how much of a social experience it can be to partake in certain food with people. They want you to enjoy it and its hard to say no when everyone is moaning about how wonderful the squash cookies with marshmallow frosting are (Thanks Nicole).
Whether its my mothers homemade carmel rolls and eggbake breakfast or the deliciously wonderful Taco Johns, traveling home for me becomes difficult because I am now surrounded with tastes and food options that I love and have an almost nostalgic quality to them. Restaurants and recipes that old Tim once took part of on a more frequent basis seem to show up and appear to be irresistible and since I know I can only get these things in this limited window of time, it becomes even harder to say no.
3. The Dilemma of the Holiday
Not all trips occur on holiday's but this one did and many often do, and holidays in my house are celebrated with food. Lots of fresh baked treats, homemade meals, and snacks everywhere. On top of all the food that shows up on the holidays we all know how much of a social experience it can be to partake in certain food with people. They want you to enjoy it and its hard to say no when everyone is moaning about how wonderful the squash cookies with marshmallow frosting are (Thanks Nicole).
Knowing these things can be half the battle for me when I travel home, and it seems like each trip I am getting better at using restraint, but its still difficult and. will always be. But one shouldn't let these thing stop your enjoyment of quality time with friends and family.
I did want to highlight a restaurant in Fargo that my Mom and Dad took me to called The Spitfire Bar and Grill. I had an outstanding Cobb Salad here. It was loaded with lots of Bacon, Cheese, Tomatoes, and Avocado. Very fresh and very hearty. I could barely finish it and it was the lunch size. I had my salad with a Mexi-ranch dressing to give it a little bit of a non-traditional kick and I think that it tasted great. I may get some spicy ranch to keep around for some of the salads I get at places that I want to change up the taste for. Also, the place smelled amazing and if I was hungrier at that particular visit I might have gone with the BBQ because the smell of meat was in the air. Man, when is Yankee Candle going make a wood-fired BBQ scented candle?
I did want to highlight a restaurant in Fargo that my Mom and Dad took me to called The Spitfire Bar and Grill. I had an outstanding Cobb Salad here. It was loaded with lots of Bacon, Cheese, Tomatoes, and Avocado. Very fresh and very hearty. I could barely finish it and it was the lunch size. I had my salad with a Mexi-ranch dressing to give it a little bit of a non-traditional kick and I think that it tasted great. I may get some spicy ranch to keep around for some of the salads I get at places that I want to change up the taste for. Also, the place smelled amazing and if I was hungrier at that particular visit I might have gone with the BBQ because the smell of meat was in the air. Man, when is Yankee Candle going make a wood-fired BBQ scented candle?
