All you experienced Zoners out there I need some advice for traveling. I'm soon to be going on a long road trip. Will spend one night on the road and have 2 long driving days. What are your best suggestions for places to eat, snacks to take with me, how to stay in the zone. Thanks.

I have succeeded very well on long road trips!

I pack a small cooler with string cheese and various carb items, maybe some strips of red or green pepper, grapes, etc. Any portable zone-favorable fruit/vegetable would work well. I also keep a bag of almonds handy (but don't set it out for mindless munching).

You will be eating at various restaurants, and I generally stay away from fast food whenever possible. If you must eat at fast food joints, then a grilled chix salad is generally your best bet. If you are short on carbs (due to salad being quite low-carb), then the fruit/veggies that you take along come in handy to supplement your meal.

If you are eating in higher-end restaurants, the menus are generally more accommodating to a zone lifestyle. Again, salads work well, but you can make special requests by asking for a veggie or a side salad instead of a potato, choosing broiled/baked/grilled proteins instead of breaded/deep-fried. Portions are large, but you can ask for a to-go box and then keep the extra portion in your cooler for a later meal (good for saving money, too).

Also, if you are spending a lot of time in the car, don't forget to stop every few hours and take some walks.

Under the tools tab on this site, there is a section with restaurant reviews. I think there are some really good ideas in there. I especially like the spicy-grilled catfish at Cracker Barrel!

Hope that helps!

Hi All,
I have been zoning for about 2 1/2 months. I've lost 16 pounds. I've traveled and stuck to the zone without a problem. However, I am on my way to China. I am a little nervous because I am not sure what to expect. I plan to pack zone bars, nuts, nut butters and protein powder. I can't ship anything that needs to be refrigerated so string cheese is out. I've heard that you can't trust the fruits there so I am hoping someone could give me suggestions. Thanks.

Where are you going in China? Local, organic produce is available almost everywhere according to Martin Yan's series on China. If are concerned, stick veggies that are steamed or stirfried in sesame oil. Lots of veggies with small portions of meat is standard fare in chinese cooking. I think you will be amazed at all the choices you will have. Just pass on the rice and wheat noodles, they have buckwheat noodles and glass noodles which are from soybeans, so high in protein.

Is this a tour or are you staying there for an extended time? China is on my todo list, so I have been trying to learn about the foods etc over there.

Be sure to let know know how you do. Enjoy it all!

Joell

Jennifer,

You could pack some soy nuts, they are a good snack. A bit high in fat, but a good balance of protein and carbs.

Don't worry too much about the string cheese, it may not last for the whole trip, but it might make a good snack on the day you travel over, it should keep for a day without refrigeration.

Thanks for the replies. I'll give you a little report since I am five days into my trip. I brought packaged tuna, salmon and chicken. Along with Almond milk, almonds, zone bars and zone protein shakes. Plus some canned fruit. I know I went a little too far :). Anyway, I was glad I packed a full days worth of food for the plane ride. I needed it. Everything was carbs and the meat was nothing to write home about. They did give an apple snack in the evening which I pared with salmon. I arrived at a beautiful hotel in hong kong. There was no problem with egg-type products. Either hard-boiled or poached. Lots of asparagus and broccoli but don't think you can ask them how they prepared it. Most do not understand well and that is a pretty detailed conversation. For dinner I had an angus burger - no bun with a side of veggie and ate my own snack later.

Then I left for China's mainland. Here it was a little more difficult for me because I happened to also be a picky eater. So I wasn't interested in anything that was alive on the grill or had it's head on the plate :)

It's hard to even stick with fish at this point (for me anyway) because it is mostly undercooked and whole (w/ head ect). SO I felt safe with scallop and a veggie and that was fine. Again, egg for breakfast with a turkey sausage. you will be amazed at how much they rely on rice here. Rice and noodles are staples (obviously off our list). Long story short, leave space in your suitcase for zone staples that do not need refrigeration - they are actually easy to find in the US and also on line. THen on your way home, you'll have room for all of the gifts you bought!!

Jennifer, I would suggest do not stress yourself too much about it. Zone diet is supposed to be a life style choise as well and you cannot go about stressing out every day about how the broccoli was cooked! Just be reasonable. Eat lots of cooked vegetables, or steamed ones. Avoid greasy food, avoid starchy foods as much as possible. But enjoy your stay in China and experience their local food as much as you can, don't be rely on the food you've brough from home! Chinese cooking is one of the richest in the world and it would be a shame to eat canned food from US rather than fresh produce there. Re eating fish with head - I cannot do that eaither so just cut the head and tail bit off, remove from the plate and eat the rest of it. I would even try just a little bit of noodles and maybe rice as this is what people eat there! Wouldnt eat a lot of it, just a bit. And enjoy your stay there!

Thanks for the update, Jennifer! Enjoy your time!

My wife is slowly coming around to the idea of least cooked, best raw foods, esp. Vegetables, more and more lately. Seems to be better beneficially, and really helps additionally boost our immune systems. esp., organic, or minimally artificially protected from pests.