Mike Rosenblatt wrote:
>Stopping at supermarkets remains a possibility, but you need to have
>some way to cook some of the foods available there. A small camping
>stove or steamer would help. If you need to (or want to) travel outside
>of the Country such a stove is even more important. But how can you put
>one in your suitcase? Supposing it uses a volatile or flammable fuel,
>how can you carry this on an airplane?
Mike - When traveling I almost always have the best luck finding appropriate
foods at the supermarkets and produce markets along the way. Though this
can be frustrating it can also be quite an adventure in regional cuisine.
For cooking low fat goodies I use a backpacking stove. There are several
excellent manufacturers. I have personally used MSR and Peak I models. The
MSR WhisperLite International runs on either white gas (Coleman Fuel) or
kerosene. It weighs 13.8 oz and costs $62.50 at REI. The Peak I Apex II
Model 445 runs on white gas, kerosene or unleaded auto gas. I don't have
the specs on the Apex but it is similar to the MSR. I pack the stove inside
one of the nesting saucepans that I carry so my whole "kitchen" is contained
in a neat, compact and protected package. There is no need to carry
flammable liquids with you. Fuel is readily available all over the world.
These stoves are lightweight, efficient, reliable and tough! They offer a
lot of versatility and give the traveler a powerful tool to help maintain
his (her) dietary independence.
>We all recognize that traveling low fat is very difficult. Our diet,
>while extremely healthful is socially isolating and becomes very
>difficult on the road--almost impossible.
Low fat traveling IS challenging but knowing that you can prepare simple but
elegant and healthful meals on the road adds a dimension of
self-determination to the experience that is liberating. Foraging across
country will result in some wonderful meals and vivid memories. The
knowledge that you are not at the mercy of the fast food machine is
priceless. In my experience, our diet need not be socially isolating -
quite the opposite- friends (and strangers) are often intrigued by the
self-reliant traveler who can produce wonderful, healthy meals from the
local bounty.
Andrew Acklen
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