Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Strange But Good Travels

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My food get stares at home.

 

And comments.

On the road, people really think I’m odd.  I suppose it isn’t exactly normal to travel with 21+ servings of protein.  Whatever.  Today’s Strange But Good eats may not be strange in the comfort of your own home, but on a business trip in snowy Ohio they weren’t exactly mainstream.

 

My breakfasts were semi-homemade hotel hot bar creations.  The best combo was this high-protein coffee oatmeal:

Coffee Protein Oatmeal

Coffee Protein Oatmeal

  • Oatmeal (pre-made from the breakfast bar)
  • 1 serving vanilla protein powder
  • Cinnamon (from hotel kitchen – they usually have it if you ask)
  • Coffee
  • Peanut butter

 

Mix oatmeal, protein powder, and cinnamon with just enough coffee to combine.  This oatmeal was quite dry, so it took about 3/4 cup.  Top with peanut butter and enjoy!

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My mid-morning snack was not to shabby either!  I packed no-salt deli turkey and almonds, and grabbed an apple from the hotel.  Not strange, but maybe a bit odd to pull out of your bag in a conference room.

 

Everyone wanted to go out for lunch, so we caravaned to Outback Steakhouse.  I suppose I could have found something on the menu, but it would have been filled with salt.  Knowing we’d go out for dinner and I’d get more than my fill of salt later, I ordered a salad and topped it with my BYO protein  – balsamic marinated chicken.  You better believe I swiped a slice of their warm bread.  It’s the only thing I like at Outback, and oh boy is it good.

Again, not a strange meal, but bringing your own food into a restaurant will earn you some stares.

BYO Protein Salad at Outback

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I am REALLY proud of myself for getting to the gym both nights at the hotel.  I had great workouts, and my co-workers even joined me for a bit.  Of course, I crammed in my protein back in the room.

Dessert protein (i.e. Meal 7) is the most important meal of the day, right? 😉  This is one of my favorites on the road.  I buy individual servings of Greek yogurt (I used Oikos here), mix it with fruit and other flavors, and cover with foil to freeze.  When it comes time to eat, it’s thawed into fro-yo!

This was an Asian Pear-Cardamom Frozen Yogurt.

 

Asian Pear Fro-yo

Asian Pear-Cardamom Frozen Yogurt

  • 1 serving plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 Asian pear
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Stevia or other sweetener, to taste

 

Pulse pear in a blender or food processor until only a few small chunks remain.

Stir together yogurt, pear, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and sweetener.

Cover container and place in freezer.  Remove and let soften to frozen yogurt consistency.  You can freeze just 1 hour if eating immediately.  Or, if you don’t have time to thaw, microwave ~30 seconds.

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Time for some legit strange but good food from YOU!

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above.

In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!  Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

 

Sprint 2 the Table

 

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂




***

I'm praying we get off the ground this afternoon before the snow storm hits!  Then I get to do it all over again next week...

Have you ever brought your own food to a restaurant?

What is your strange but good this week?  Do share!

 

Comments

  1. Coffee and Oatmeal together are like two of my favorite things. I’m seriously wondering why I haven’t done this before?! Kind of baffles me. Haha, my food always gets stares/comments. I’m totally used to it now though!

  3. HAHA about sneaking in your chicken to OUtback! I remember when I first started losing weight (way back), I used to sneak Ryvita crackers in my handbag to avoid eating the bread…thank GOD times have changed :)!

    • Someone commented they bring baked chips to Mexican restaurants. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that!!

  4. hehe…I’ve never bring my own food or salad topping to a restaurant. I’m also on a low sodium diet so I rather not eat out. I love your BYO strategy on a trip! 😉 Who cares what other thinks? As long as our body and tummy is happy!

  5. Hahaha! I LOVE that you brought your own chicken! I went to a pancake place here in town once and brought a peach and some coconut peanut butter with me for toppings! I swear I’m just gonna start carrying around that pb in my purse from now on…that shizz goes on EVERYTHING!

    Hope you have a safe trip back honey! I saw your pic on IG and I can only imagine your pain! Ugh, is it too early want it to be Spring already?!

    • HA! I’m totally going to start bringing PB to restaurants.

      It’s actually sunny here this week! No snow… just windy. Makes me appreciate the South.

  6. Love it! I have totally brought my own food to a restaurant. I’ve brought a pouch of tuna to put on top of a salad for a healthy protein choice. I’ve also brought a little baggie of baked tortialla chips to my favorite mexican restaurant, so I could have some chips and salsa (I didn’t want any of the fried chips). I don’t do this any more though–the owner now makes me a little plate of “veggie chips” (jicama, carrots and celery) to use instead. Love that place! Happy Friday!

    • I did the tuna thing too… except this trip my boss said “no fish!” LOL!

      The tortilla trick is brilliant – I’m going to do that from now on. Thank you! 🙂

  7. I love that you whipped out your baggie of turkey and chicken during the conference and lunch. Hahaha! Maybe you should start carting around a small cooler and start selling your #strangebutgood combos to coworkers. You know they want to try it! 🙂

  8. Awesome! So many healthy choices while traveling– not an easy thing but you made it look it. Props.

    ALSO amazing about Chobani traveling through security. This is vital information!!!!!

  9. I will continue to reiterate that should we ever travel together, it would be a sight to behold! Of course, I pack snacks for everything. On Christmas I took oatmeal into the movie theater. Once I actually assembled a yogurt cereal mess during a movie. Whatever. 🙂

    • We would have to check luggage because we’d carry on so much. I remember your movie theather oatmeal… still need to rock that one. 🙂

  10. Wow, I couldn’t resist outback’s food, or any food eaten out. Good for you for making the best of your business trip!!

  11. Mmmmmm that pear and greek yogurt sounds heavenly!!!!!!! I linked up this week because I forgot to last week!!!! OOPS! I’ve brought my own food before, but now I wouldn’t. I need to just enjoy life and not worry about food so much.

  14. I used to make coffee oats sometimes at the office, but I never added pb. I’m sure that goes pretty well! As for Outback, I totally agree. I’m really not a fan of that place… except the bread, but I always love bread!

  15. Snowy Ohio has melted into dreary Ohio here in Dayton . . . but I hope wherever you are you get home safely.

    I don’t think the idea of butternut squash with a Chicken Saltimbocca is strange–it’s definitely good–but shredding the squash is a bit strange. I sure felt strange for thinking of it in the shower.

    Do you think up weird recipes in the shower?

    I’m proud of you for fitting fitness in with travel–that’s terrific!

    • Haha – I think about food in the shower too. but really that’s not strange because I think about food everywhere. 😉

  17. I used to carry around packs of Stevia in my purse if that counts. I’m trying to wean down my massive stevia consumption, so I stopped.

    Outback does have good bread.

  18. you brought your own chicken? why haven’t i thought of that! all the chain restaurants i go to are salty salty. I feel swollen after.. and in the wrong places. Cankles anyone? 😉

    • I’m so glad you joined up!!! I can’t wait to get back home to try out your pudding. Brilliant!

  21. You are so creative on the road I just love it! Those coffee protein oats sound amazing! I might have to copy your hotel breakfast here at home cause it sounds so good!

  22. I still think blood salmon wins for strangest name 😉 GOOD to know that I can carry Greek yogurt through security (and not so comforting to know I can carry baggies of white powder, haha)–hopping on a plane next weekend, and I’m going to need all your traveling-with-protein tips!

  23. That oatmeal looks delicious! I’m going to be traveling soon for pleasure and then another trip for business, so I’ll be sure to use some of your healthy travel tips 🙂 I DEFINITELY plan on recreating that oatmeal both at home and in the hotel.

    My meals get strange looks at work- and they’re not even that strange. My co-workers comment and gawk at things like greek yogurt, lots of vegetables and oat dishes!

  25. Asian Pear-Cardamom Frozen Yogurt- yet another amazing idea. Too bad I don’t have any greek yogurt right now but I think I’ll try it with plain yogurt. I haven’t had ice cream since gelato back in Italy and that was 6 months ago 0.0

  27. One day I will get my ass in gear and join this party. i am REALLY BAD about actually doing link-ups!
    I haven’t been to Outback in forever, but I do remember that brown bread. Holy crap it’s good!
    And I love your oatmeal coffee. Mmmmmmmmmm.

  29. BYO protein is the only way I eat out these days! Clean and safe. I’m always the strange one when we meet people out to eat. Oh an I LOVE coffee oats! Max asked for the parfait the other day. I need to make that one again. I hope you have a great weekend!

  30. ha! I do the same thing, poke through the hotel breakfast bar for something to use – I made an oatmeal banana WAFFLE once. then was lectured that I am only to use their premade batter *sigh* 😉 mine was better, she was just jealous.

    I LOVE the idea of making oats with hot coffee! WHY have I never thought of this? you are genius.

    • Ok. You have just won the crown for the Queen of Creative Hotel Breakfasts. If they had a waffle maker, I’d be doing this tomorrow. Sheer genius.

    • The oatmeal was pre-made by the hotel. I added protein powder and then enough coffee to keep them creamy. But I’ve done it with raw oats at home – like with my Tiramisu Parfait!

  33. OK LOVE the oatmeal one with coffee! I eat mine always with protein powder, cinnamon, chia/flax & then from there it gets to be fruit or PB or almond butter or even just the oatmeal & protein powder – so many ways to change up!!! I just put Designer Whey white choc protein powder in it the other day & so good!!!

    Hubby love Outback!! They put butter on all their meat & I mean ALL!!!! I LOVE their bread too &always plan for that! I usually have my own protein & either order the veggies or sweet potato dry & add my own stuff to it while he eats…. 🙂

    • That was excatly my breakfast at the hotel this morning – chocolate protein powder and all. So good!!!

  34. Oh I totally should have warned you, especially if you’re in small town Ohio, which is pretty rural. People think I’m nuts because I don’t eat meat, and we are up there as far as one of the most obese states in the US. I’m not saying there is a connection, just that we are not progressive when it comes to food. Not even a little bit. Stay strong, and I’ll send you good, forward food thinking vibes from Cleveland.

  38. Just like Sarah said about traveling together – I need to join this trip. I travel with enough food to feed a small village and I constantly get asked “what ARE you eating”

    Please please hold me to joining strange but good next week!! I need to get back in touch now that my schedule has a teeny tiny bit more leeway

    ohhh and I got the new pear from chobani and put cardamon in it with my granola! So gooood.

  39. Coffee and oatmeal may be a stroke of genius.

    As for bringing your own food into a restaurant…I have done it once. I knew I was going out to a place that served almost exclusively meat (which I don’t eat)…so I brought my own mock chicken salad and used that on top of a salad (very similar to your Outback salad).

    You do get some stares, but I actually like people to ask questions because then I can share some of the information I have gathered over the years and talk about why I eat the way I eat. However it doesn’t stop people at work from making fun of me (but I think it is in good humor :)!

    • Ohhhh… mock chicken salad would be a good one to travel with! I’ll have to remember that next week.

      People don’t make fun of me most of the time… at least not to my face. 😉

  40. I’ve been freezing greek yogurt for dessert for the past couple months and its something I look forward to every night. Cutting out sugar really makes fruit and other sweet things along those lines really taste like candy. I love pineapple or raspberry Chobani, or mixing plain Chobani with honey or cinnamon. I’ve never tried cardamom but I feel like I’d like it if its in the ginger family.

    • funny uoi say that – I always add either ginger or cardamom. Tonight I enjoyed a pumpkin fro-yo with almond extract, cinnamon, and ginger.

  41. When I was in college, I remember our group (we were broken up into small groups in nursing school) would go out to eat way too much. I was always the only one who brought my own food! They all thought it was bc I didn’t want to spend money (which, trust me, I didn’t…not on junk), but it was bc I’d rather enjoy my food and their company. I always had yogurt and celery and all sorts of stuff, and ordered a plain salad from the restaurants as not to offend the servers…and then asked for a spoon as I pulled out my yogurt 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. […] Convenience: When I travel (which is frequently), I always have a stash of powders.  You never know when you’re going to be caught without a meal option!  It’s also the perfect hotel breakfast.  I use chocolate protein powder and coffee to make a gourmet hotel breakfast – Mocha Oatmeal! […]

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