Friday Superfood Loving, Inspiration and Travel Snacking

By Meghan Telpner / Health

What a busy time of year this summer is! We rush, and rush, and rush so we can have weekends or even better, weeks free to max and relax, travel, go camping, whatever it may be.

So the timing was just about perfect when this amazing package arrived for me in the mail from one of our most amazing supporters, Navitas Naturals.

Look at the amazing goodness they sent me. A package complete with cacao nibs, goji berries, golden berries, mulberries, maca, cacao powder, acai berry and even a couple tubes of cacao lip balm. Amazing.

Even more special was that this arrived in the midst of my move, where I was moving from my place of work to a home reserved for just being my home. Now they don't call these goodies "superfoods" for no reason. When it comes to the food we eat, we want to power pack each and every bite with equal portions of nutrients and deliciousness and these babies deliver superior awesometownness on both fronts.

These superfoods relate to this week's Words Of Wisdom inspiration from one of our dedicated readers, recipe creators and even, guest blogger, Erin Budd.

When I took the Raw Food Power Workshop last year, I didn't realize what a large stepping stone it would be in my transition to health. I thought I was healthy already: I didn't eat white flour or sugar, and I was already using "superfoods".

We ate salads every day using organic vegetables. At the workshop I learned how easy it is to sprout and got new ideas on how to use superfoods. Since I started following your blog and trying many of your recipes. We've since cut out all animal products from our diets (except my mom feeds wild salmon and organic eggs to my son and he loves them) and we transitioned our kitchen to whole foods only.

There are always fresh sprouts of some sort in our kitchen and lots of fruit and vegetables. I soak and dehydrate our nuts and seeds. My son and I drink green smoothies every day, and we feel great. My husband thought we were healthy before. With the changes in our diets, he feels even better, he has more energy, he can't stop talking to everyone about it, and can't understand why other people he knows don't do the same thing, because it really is easy! - Erin Budd

Proof my fair readers that if you give your kiddies goodness, they will eat goodness (and if you give them crap.. same applies).

One of the common questions I get asked is what to pack for travel, camping and all sorts of on the go situations. I always suggest a nuts/seed mix and my favourite is to mix in some superpowers along with it.

This mix I made when I was off to a wedding, where it can be a risky venture. Weddings are long and often there is nothing I can/will eat. I always have an emergency superfood mix on hand and this goodness delivered!

Before you head out for the weekend. Pack a punch of deliciousness with this super mix!

Navitas Loving On The Go Power Mix

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup Navitas Mulberries
1/2 cup Navitas Golden Berries
1/2 cup Navitas Goji Berries
1/2 cup Navitas sweetened or unsweetened cacao nibs (I like the sweetened in this mix)

Mix, pack and go

(Note that if you won't be eating straight away, best to take with you just what you'll be eating so the rest doesn't get smouldery, hot and gross in your car's glove box, or mashed at the bottom of your bag)

Where am I off to this weekend? I have my oldest girlfriend's birthday party, perhaps a dash to some antique markets, some chill time in the park, and likely time with family. And I will have my superfood power pack joining me for all the fun.

Have a great weekend!
Meghan

Question Of The Day: What is your go to power-packed portable snack favourite for travel, camping or on-the-go-ness?

ps. I have not been joking when I tell you our fall classes are filling. We now have just 3 spots left in our hands-on cooking programs this fall (that includes the 4, 6 and 10 week programs). Our September and October workshops are also going quick. You know where to find the schedule!

9 Responses to “Friday Superfood Loving, Inspiration and Travel Snacking”

Shannon said… July 22, 2011

This is my biggest challenge... I still haven't found much in the way of travel options. I fly a lot and stay in a lot of hotels... snacks are hard for me. However, breakfast at a hotel - impossible. With no wheat, dairy or eggs I'm pretty much stuck. I end up eating some kind of meat (which I don't want to), home fries (yeah, that's great for me, sure) and fruit (at least that's good). I have to have some kind of protein in the morning but hotels just don't seem to offer anything that is no meat or dairy based. It's my new challenge I'm working on figuring out!

- Laurel Alanna McBrine said… July 22, 2011
  
  My suggestion for breakfast protein is to carry some vanilla sunwarrior protein and a shaker cup. Some powdered vitamineral greens would be bonus!
  
- Jen W said… July 22, 2011
  
  I'm a huge fan of lunch for breakfast! I know it's sometimes difficult but if you have access to a mini fridge or even just a bucket of ice, you could keep some hummus on hand to have with a bunch of cut up veggies. I find cutting out sweets in the morning sustains me longer and lessens my cravings for sweet through the day. If you prefer some sweetness in the morning, you could bring a jar of nut butter with you on your trip to have with an apple or banana. Having mixes like Meghan posted above or granola are also great alternatives to at least get you through until you can find some healthy to eat :)
  
Erin Budd said… July 22, 2011

Awesome! Thanks! Here's another idea for travel snacking (but you will also need a bowl and spoon, so it might not be something you'd want to snack on at a wedding, but it is good for traveling): mix the following in a glass jar: 2 cups chia seeds 1/4 cup coconut flour 2 tbl maca powder (or more or less, to your taste, up to about 1/4 cup) 1/4 cup cacao or carob powder 1/4 cup cacao nibs 1 cup goji berries (or dried fruit of your choice) (I grind the goji berries up in the magic bullet but you can also keep them whole...) 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. himalayan salt crystals 1/4 cup coconut sugar Remember - everything is optional (except for the chia). You can even grind the chia if you prefer. You can also add things like hemp seeds, rice bran, chopped nuts, seeds, mesquite, lucuma, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, vanilla bean powder, sunwarrior protein, hemp protein powder... (but don't just add a ton of different things, try to keep it to about 5-8 or so different ingredients at the most.. sugar/spice is extra on top of the 8 basic ingredients.). Just mix it all up and store it in your jar until you are ready to use. When ready, in a glass bowl mix about 2 - 4 tbl of mixture with about 1/2 cup of water (or mylk) - add more liquid if necessary. The chia will absorb the liquid (as you know ;) ). Coconut flour also absorbs liquid. If you use warm water or mylk then it will taste more like a "porridge". Stir well and let sit a couple of minutes. Enjoy anytime of day! And you are partly right - if you give your kiddies goodness, they will eat goodness - the other part to it is: you have to eat the goodness as well! Because they will be eating what you eat! (If you eat crap, then your kids will eat crap, because, again, they want to eat what you eat). But this way, everyone wins!

- Meghan Telpner said… July 25, 2011
  
  Doesn't that sound amazing! Thank you for sharing.
  
- Kika said… June 27, 2013
  
  Ooh! I'll definitely be making this for my upcoming travels.
  
Andrea said… July 31, 2011

It seems that Mother's Day gift I gave Erin (workshop gift certificate) was probably the best gift I've ever given anyone. I'm the best sister ever. :D (How did I fall so behind on your blog again? Right, because I know the posts are awesome so I save them for later, like saving the best for last.)

Jayme said… September 21, 2011

I travel quite a bit too and have trouble with hotel breaky! I am a big fan of oats in the morning! I bring a bag of steel cut oats (spelt/kamut.. whatev') mixed with chia, hemp, dried fruit and cinnamon with me when I travel. At night I pour a bowl and soak it all nite long and in the morning I just add a touch of boiling water either from those crappy coffee machines they have in the room or from the lobby downstairs. Yummmmy.... I bring a thermos along too cuz it takes me a while to eat all my oats but Im always soooooo happy that I bring my oats on the road with me! Otherwise.... I would be lost. Another trick I love is chia, water, lemon and honey in a jar. Keeps me better hydrated and its protein packed to keep me feeling full. Love chia love

Making Love in the Kitchen » Breaking Down The Creed: Eat Real Food » Making Love in the Kitchen said… February 10, 2012

[...] or just a simply trail mix. [...]