DH and I were out of town today, and had dinner at a restaurant. Not a lot of choice for me, but I managed. But it got me thinking about foods to take from home when traveling, especially higher fat options, as low carb choices in restaurants are often also lower fat. So I was trying to imagine a "fat bomb" that would keep well in a cooler (i.e. not frozen), and wouldn't be too messy to eat. Also, today we went by car, but sometimes such a treat would be good to have on public transport (like a plane), where peanuts are frowned on (other peoples' allergies). And, specifically for me, I would not want it to be sweet - a little maybe, but I don't really like sweet things. So my mind started working, but all I could come up with was some sort of variation on an almond butter ball - almond butter + nuts and/or coconut and/or dried fruit. Something I need to work on. Anybody else have any ideas for me?

Many ideas here: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lo...wcarbtravel.htm
I would not add extra fat when travelling, but go for nuts, cheese and dried meats. Trader Joe's has a cute little snack pack of Italian cheese and salami.

I've made these several times; I think they're very good:

http://wifezillasway.blogspot.com/2...-fat-bombs.html

When you make fat bombs you should mold them in silicone molds or silicone muffin cups so that you can pop them out easily. After you remove them they can go in a regular food storage container.

Also remember those little packets of almond butter made by Justin. Or just bring a whole jar.

Also, salami is made for travel; hard-boiled or stuffed eggs work too.

bike2work - I've seen that recipe before. The chocolate doesn't appeal to me, and the coconut oil would not hold up well if not frozen, I don't think. I do make a fat bomb recipe that I like, but the coconut oil really demands a freezer. I make them in little paper candy cups (mini cupcake papers), which works really well. Salami and cheese were other options that crossed my mind; and nuts, of course.

Jey100 - Thanks for that link; a quick glance through shows that it is well worth a more thorough read.
DH and I fly to Europe every few years, as his siblings all still live there. So I am particularly interested in things I can bring along to keep me fed over the course of a 12-13 hour flight (and if it saves me from airline food as well that can only be seen as a plus <grin>)
The added fat was considered because often the only thing to find at a restaurant is a salad. Often they are good and filling, but afterwards I feel a lack of fat.

almond flour muffins or flax

creamcheese on celery

macaroons- they don't have to be overly sweet

my go to's are not high in fat really but i usually pack: deli slices of turkey, turkey jerky, string cheese, or nuts

unless it is an international flight or i have a long layover, i prefer not to eat on planes. even if i am hungry, i would rather save it for wherever i am headed.

Thanks, good ideas. This is really the problem (as regards planes). DH's family is in Germany, and we live in the Pacific Northwest. When we visit his sisters it is an 11 to 12 hour flight, plus the waiting at the airport, plus the time it takes to get from destination airport to sister's house. Add in jet lag, and it is always a very long day. I dislike airline food at the best of times, but now I don't think I could eat it even if starving. We may be making this trip again next year, which is why I am looking for ideas now. Using some of the ideas for long car trips will be handy, though not vital. For one of these long plane trips I really need to have a plan in place.

As long as it's not liquid, not in liquid, a pain to eat or smelly you can bring it on a plane. I've taken chicken parts, cut-up leftover steak, raw vegetables, string cheese, stuff like that.

I bring wings or mesquite chicken, a selection of raw veggies, chicharrone, maybe some strawberries, and almonds. We spend the better part of a day en route when heading to the east coast and I always feel bloated when flying so I try to pack things that fill me with relatively small portions along with some veggies for a bit of freshness in what is normally a pretty stale environment. :/

I pack:

• macadamia nuts - great fat to protein ratio (about 10:1) and high fiber/low carb
• oil roasted cashews - good fat to protein ratio (about 3:1)
• walnuts - decent fat to protein ratio (about 2.5:1) and omega 3 fats
• peanuts are about 2:1 but I like them - especially dry roasted, in the shell, no salt added
• If traveling on an airplane I'll take my nuts and also a low carb protein bar. I prefer Quest bars because there are no GMO ingredients and in the natural line, no sugar alcohols. They are very filling and satisfying. They have a lot of protein, but that keeps me from getting hungry for a while.
• If I have a cooler, good old cheese comes with me. But I no longer do domestic cheese unless it is certified rGBH free. I don't want to be Monsanto's lab rat.
• Sometimes pork rinds (chicarrones) but they aren't that great in a fat to protein ratio, and they take up a lot of room.

So most of the cheese I eat is imported from Europe or domestic Organic. 64 countries have banned GMO foods (including rGBH) because there is enough scientific evidence to determine they probably cause diseases like cancer down the road. That's enough for me. I don't want to be in a hospital saying "I wish I hadn't eaten that -- I wonder if that's what caused this." But that's another thread.

So it depends on how long I'm going to be gone for, and how much I am able to carry.

I take a vacation once a year if I can afford it - and I travel very light (I can do a month on one carry-on bag). I don't have to wait for luggage, and the airlines won't lose it if it is in the cabin with me.

I'll do low carb there and back, but while on vacation I don't follow the plan militantly. There are foods in different countries I want to sample. It's part of the experience. But I always try to be conscious not to overdo the starches/sugars. I do a lot of walking in the places I visit, so I usually don't gain any weight in the couple of weeks I have to go off plan.

I almost never-ever eat airplane food. If they offer real nuts (rare these days) I'll eat it but the meals they prepare aren't worth the carbs for me. I'm a picky eater, but the Quest bars and nuts are easy to take on a plane so they do me just fine.

Bob

MandalayVA & zajack - Thanks for the responses. My problem - as regards plane travel - is that our nearest international airport is 3+ hours away. Which means that we drive there, stay the night, and then spend the next day doing airport/flight stuff. Therefore fixing wings or other chicken/meat bits at home necessitates a good cooler etc. before ever we get on the plane. Thus my request for easily transportable things. I can manage a small cooler, but not (easily) over the course of 36 hours. Still, these are good ideas for long car trips. (I also need to take into consideration the fact that DH already thinks that I am quite mad to be LCing, and making a fuss about airline food would only confirm his opinion LOL. Best to "fly under the radar" so far as possible))

Bob - Thank you. I am not familiar with Quest bars; I shall have to look into that. Nuts and cheese are already on my list; need to find a source for macadamias. Cheese, of course, is a wonderful option on the way home - few things I enjoy more than perusing the offerings in European cheese shops, and the deli counter.

I agree entirely about letting things slide a bit while traveling. Half the joy of seeing new places is trying the food (even old places; there are German offerings that I "save up" for, till I can get back there). I too find that traveling either results in "not gaining", or even, sometimes, "losing" a bit. Certainly the walking is part of it, but also, I think, not snacking, and sticking to the 3 meals a day (with a break for afternoon coffee and "something sweet", if one is traveling with my DH LOL. I have no sweet tooth to speak of, so always [even when not caring about my weight] choose the least sweet, and smallest, option. Personally, I would prefer to have an extra serving of good German sausage LOL)

In my experience airlines, since nixing the peanuts, only serve pretzels, which I have never particularly liked. I understand the paranoia about peanuts, though I think it somewhat overblown, so I wouldn't take peanuts onto a plane - but I prefer other (real) nuts more, so that isn't a problem. I'm thinking that my final list will include nuts, cheese, veggies (carrots, celery, etc), and salami; maybe some olives. And your Quest bars, maybe.

I use an insulated soft sided cooler on wheels...fits nicely in the overhead and I bring the wings frozen on longer trips so they act as a coolant at first and become edible later. As long as your hotel has a small fridge to put stuff in overnight...it should still work.

But ... but ... but where do I put my book, and my knitting, and the other stuff I "need" for a 12 hour flight? No, I think I will spend a bit of time before the long flight making sure I am still in ketosis (no hunger), and stick with the snacky type foods. One I forgot is homemade jerky. But having those things which can be frozen used as "ice cubes" for the rest of it is a really good idea. Thank you for that.

I do have a sweet tooth, but I control it. I saw both my parents die from obesity related diseases, and decided that I want to do my best to avoid that premature end.

As far as taking a cooler on the plane, all I take is one carry-on bag, so that is out of the question.

I made my living flying 2-3 times per week for about 5 years and never checked a bag.

For my mother-in-laws 80th birthday, we took her to Budapest - where her parents were born. We checked her luggage and went ahead and did ours while we were at it.

They lost them all. We got ours 2 days later, she never got hers. Even though we told her not to, she had some of her Parkinson's medication in the checked bag. Parkinson's people forget and when we asked her if she had her medicine with her, she said yes (but only 3 days worth). We called Delta and the Budapest airport every day.

On the way home, we stopped and checked the lost and found at the Budapest airport, and there it was.

Funny story after that. My DW and I already checked our bags so we checked mom's bag after we found it. Well this aroused the airport security. We were in line for boarding, and my DW was pulled aside and thoroughly searched, including her braided hair. I'm glad they were so thorough because even though we were innocent, the next person might not have been. Anyway, we have a good story to tell.

So for me it's one carry on. Travel shirts that dry out quickly, travel pants that do the same and have anti-pickpocket devices, essential personal items, and "survival food".

The Quest bars have more protein than fat, which of course isn't that good to keep you in ketosis, but that can be balanced with other things. Typically they are high fiber and low carb.

I used to do Atkins bars, but they have GMO soy in them, and after seeing a friend die from Agent Orange caused cancer, I'm not eating anything with Round-up residue on it if I can help it. But GMO is another thread.

On the other hand, if you are really concerned staying in ketosis, a jar of Nutiva Coconut Manna might do the trick for you. It's intense (and delicious), one tbsp is 100 calories, 9g fat and 1g protein - and of course the fat is that wonderful medium chain ketosis promoting coconut fat. I don't buy it anymore because for me, one jar could easily be a single serving

All I drink on the airplane is water, and I've been told that isn't safe because they refill the bottles. But I guess it's better than dehydration.

Bob