What Kind of Food to Pack For a Road Trip: Mikaela Reuben’s Advice

Nutritional Chef and Health Consultant Mikaela Reuben has participated in many international workshops, designing balanced and healthy recipes and menus. She works as a private chef—usually for actors—as well.

It’s not strange then that one of her passions is eating and exploring the markets to find ingredients, learn where they come from and create something unique out of them. Mikaela also loves to connect with people and through these connections she’s come to the understanding that each body is unique and thus has a unique path to optimal health.

She’s currently based in Vancouver, Canada, and has spent some time living and learning in Los Angeles, California. She’s a full time traveler and goes wherever the appetite takes her. As an experienced traveler, Mikaela knows how to prepare before a trip. Because food is her main business, you can see her preparing meals for the road. As a Vancouver resident, she has road-tripped to California a couple of times and this is what she packs, food wise, in order to better enjoy the journey.

Here are some quick questions for Mikaela regarding her perspective on nutrition and travel.

What kind of routine do you take with you when you travel?
If I know where I’m going I’m not that concerned with planning, but usually when I travel I always make food for the plane and I make sure that if I find a really good café or restaurant, I get two of something so I can have it for later in case I don’t find another place like it. In my last trip I brought so much food that I was still eating my own food in Amsterdam a few days after I had gotten there.

What do you always travel with?
I will actually say probiotics and powder supplements. Such a dork, but I do, that’s really Mikaela!

What do you recommend if one wants to eat healthy while on a trip?
Plan ahead the way you would do it for a meeting, or how you would take care of your medicine if you need it. Know that you are going to be hungry and take your favorite nuts or dried berries to control your blood sugar. Going with the flow could be a bit dangerous because you can’t guarantee that you are going to find the food you want. You don’t want to eat things that are processed and you want to avoid eating things that look very different than their natural form, like every microwavable ready-to-eat meal. On the road also you should avoid deep fried things, because you don’t know what kind of oil was used and it can upset your stomach.

Do you have a question for Mikaela or have more healthy tips to pack for a road trip? Let us know in the comments!