Home Cooked Eating on the Run

One time, a guy started eating my dinner right off my dish. Another time, someone stole my yogurt - and my spoon! And people always comment, "Oh, all we get is peanuts and that's what they give you?" If by "they" you mean the lady behind the cold cut counter at the supermarket, then yes.

Some people think that anything sitting in an airplane galley is fair game, which I presume is how my yogurt got stolen. My career as a flight attendant has taught me many things. I now know how to deodorize a stinky bathroom with old coffee grounds, I can clean up bodily fluid spills without flinching, and I'm ready to fight even the biggest psychopath who may try to sabotage my plane. But the one most important lesson I've learned is to heed the call of the stomach. I always pack my own food for my trips because it's cheap and it's more healthy than restaurant options.

These eating-on-the-go tips aren't just for flight crews. They work for people on road trips or anyone who will be away from a stove or microwave for an extended period of time. This is an example of what I might pack for a three day trip away from home.

There are three requirements my bagged lunch must meet: it must be easy to prepare, travel well, and taste good. So I usually end up bringing the same stuff for every trip.

I use an insulated cooler bag by eBags. It's just the right size and it can keep ice from melting up to eight hours. I always keep plastic forks, spoons, and knives in it, extra quart sized zip top bags, mini half-and-halfs, Tylenol, hand wipes, lotion, and ear plugs in it. I'm also able to stow a hotpot in there for quick reheats in hotel rooms.

The day before I hit the road, I prepare six meals, all of which get stored in plastic bags. Zip top bags can easily be thrown into boiling water to heat up a meal with no ill effects. First I prepare two bags of Hormel turkey chili and rice. It's delicious, it's easy, it's healthy, and it's filling. My dad made this when I was a kid when my mom went out for the night. It's all he was able to cook and he did a fine job of it. Once it's bagged, into the freezer it goes.

Next, I boil three eggs and cook up some tortellini or whatever Buitoni product suits my palate. The trick to getting hard boiled eggs to peel easily is to immerse them in an ice bath after they've cooked. Let them sit for a while then run hot tap water over them. It'll loosen the shells like a charm. I pour marinara sauce into two plastic bags then scoop the tortellini into it. The eggs go into a bag with a paper towel, everything gets zipped up, and tossed into the fridge.

Of course we need some veggies in this mess, perhaps it'll edamame and baby carrots. Sometimes I'll bring canned veggies with tab tops so I can peel them off, sometimes I'll steam asparagus or make a broccoli salad.

I need fruit too, so in go three apples and two or three bananas. Here's a tip, wrap your bananas in foil and they won't turn brown. Even after a four day trip!

My breakfast is usually Multi Grain Cheerios, I bring a water bottle filled with milk. Sometimes I'll bring milk boxes but I end up leaving half the box full when I throw it away. I don't like wasting perfectly good food like that, but I can't save a half used box of milk either. I'll fill a bag with a crunchy snack like Chex Mix or crackers, throw it in the food bag and I'm good to go.

Vitamins and two yogurts round the whole thing out.

Right before I leave the house, everything in the food bag gets iced down. When it's time to cook, I take out one of the zipped up meals, put it in a coffee pot and brew hot water over it to make a nice hot lunch. Or if I have access to an outlet I use the hot pot to get it all piping hot.

It's easy to eat well and affordably when you can't be at home. As long as fresh ice is available somewhere along the journey and an electrical outlet can be found, a healthy meal is always at your fingertips.