Eating “En route” Part II

Between flights

Our plane from Tel Aviv arrived late at night in Toronto, our overnight stop-over en route to Milwaukee. With an early connecting flight, we needed to be up by 5 a.m. the next morning.

After picking at the far-from-nourishing airline meals during the flight, we were hungry for dinner. And I was already thinking about tomorrow’s breakfast.

We had researched kosher restaurants in Toronto, but after the flight from Tel Aviv, we were too tired to travel from the airport hotel into town. For less than round-trip taxi fare, my husband had the brilliant idea of ordering out. Le Bistro Grande, a lovely kosher dairy restaurant, was most cooperative and within half an hour they delivered a tasty meal of pasta with vegetables, salad and bottled water.

As for breakfast - I had my single-pack cereal boxes, paper plates, bowls and plastic utensils. We added a banana, milk and orange juice purchased from a Starbucks at the airport.

But what if you find yourself far from the convenience of a kosher restaurant? And you forgot those cereal boxes?

In most airports you can find something healthy and kosher to eat. Check the coffee houses for whole fresh fruit and pure fruit or vegetable juice. I found small baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in an airport store.

Look carefully among the candy bars and you’re likely to find at least one fairly nutritious “snack” or “health” bar. In Canada I like the “Break-a-Way Snacks” Organic Nature Bar. It’s a mix of seeds, nuts, dried fruit and sweetener. Although high in fat (11 grams per bar) and rather sweet (12 grams of sugar), it is a good source of fiber (3 grams) and quick energy. I also like “Kashi” bars and “Larabar”, a dried fruit and nut bar with 5 grams of fiber.

Kosher packaged nuts are usually available at airports. Look for plain nuts or mixtures of dried fruits and nuts.

Our recent dinner menu at O’Hare airport while waiting between flights was tuna salad on crackers (carried with us), fresh carrots, cherry tomatoes, sparkling water and fresh fruit.

Once you’ve reached your destination, don’t forget to keep drinking. It’s especially important to re-hydrate, and water is the beverage of choice.

While I don’t recommend drinking coffee (or alcohol) while flying (both will increase dehydration), here is a suggestion that helped us once we were on the ground: A cup of coffee followed by a short nap (15-20 minutes) helped us deal with jet lag, especially in the afternoons when we felt especially sluggish. By the time you are finished resting, the effect of the caffeine will give you an extra “push” until bedtime.

Safe, healthy traveling to all of you – N’siyah Tovah!

Eating “En route”

Part I

My husband and I just returned from a trip to the U.S. We travel fairly often for family, business and pleasure.

It’s challenging enough for us to find kosher food away from home. But healthy kosher food is even more difficult.

On the Plane

Most airlines have eliminated hot meals on all but overseas flights. And those meals leave something to be desired.

Here’s what Air Canada served us last week:

Dinner: Garbanzo bean salad, two rolls, mini-hot dogs, beans, rice, green beans and a chocolate-filled hamentashen (no kidding – this was in May!)

Breakfast: Three white-flour pastries (muffin, cookie, roll), canned fruit cocktail, a spongy baked egg dish with a teaspoon of tomato sauce and fried potatoes.

Add in margarine, non-dairy creamer and water – all kosher, of course.

It’s easy to see what’s going on here – low cost food high in carbohydrates, fat and sugar. O.K., I’ll give them credit for serving low-fat, high-protein legumes. But three types of beans in one meal?

So what did I eat? Garbanzo bean salad and green beans for dinner, supplemented with almonds and dried cherries brought from home. And for breakfast, a granola bar and fresh fruit, packed away in my carry-on bag.

To reduce jet lag, long-distance travelers should eat lightly and drink lots of water. So let’s not complain too much about poor airline food. After all, you shouldn’t be eating so much anyway. And all of that water should have you feeling rather full. But most of us get just a little hungry on these long flights. And what are you supposed to do on flights when no food is available?

Carry food from home with you!

I’m a firm believer in traveling with food. Whenever I spot small sample boxes of cereal, I grab a few for the next trip. Throw in a few paper bowls and plastic spoons, buy a small carton of milk and fruit at the airport and you’re set for breakfast.

When in the U.S., I buy single-serve peanut butter. And I always travel with whole-grain grain crackers and a plastic knife.

Dry-packed tuna and salmon in flat foil pouches are perfect for traveling. My local fast-food restaurant is more than happy to give me a few packets of mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing to mix in with it. Packed in a zip lock bag with a few forks and napkins, they take up very little space in your carry-on bag.

Nuts are also a good source of protein that travel easily. Choose almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or peanuts and look for unsalted or low-salt varieties.

And don’t forget fruits and vegetables. Bring along already washed cherry tomatoes, carrot and celery sticks and cucumbers to eat on the plane. Firm summer fruit like plums and cherries travel well in the summer. Choose easily peeled citrus, grapes and apples in cooler months.

Traveling to a country that doesn’t allow in fresh produce? Eat your fresh fruit and vegetables on the plane and take along dried fruit for later. Dried apricots, pears, cherries, peaches and prunes all travel well.

I travel with fruits and nuts that I mix at home in a zip-lock bag. My current favorite is walnuts and dried cherries. In the winter, chocolate chips might find their way into the mix too.

After a long flight, our plane landed and we looked forward to an overnight rest in Toronto before heading to Milwaukee and then California.

More eating challenges ahead!

Happy 60th Birthday Israel!

Beyond Falafel

May 8th, is Israel's 60th anniversary.

There are celebrations planned throughout the country and in Jewish communities around the world. Most will include food, of course. And falafel will likely be on many menus.

I enjoy a good falafel. We have one of the best falafel stands in town right across the street, and it's nice to indulge occasionally.

But Israeli food has graduated far beyond falafel.

While falafel and schwarma joints still abound, especially here in Beer Sheva, fine restaurants can be found in all large cities.

Gourmet is “In”.

Boutique wineries and cheese makers are abundant. There are now nearly 300 wineries located throughout the country.

When I made aliyah in 1970, you could buy yellow cheese and white cheese. Period. Today, the variety of soft and hard cheeses made in Israel rivals that of France.

Organic produce is available in many larger grocery stores. We get farm-fresh organic produce delivered directly from the farm to our doorstep every week.

Add to this the amazing influx of people from every corner of the earth – everyone with their own unique cuisine. In spite of the wars and hardships that Israel has suffered, a new, sophisticated cuisine – an Israeli Cuisine, is developing before our eyes.

In 60 years we’ve come a long way as a country. And our tastes in food and drink have become far more sophisticated than they were back in 1948.