The Essential Sugar Free Traveler's Kit

I’m going to tell it like it is. Traveling sugar free is tough! Everything, and I mean E-VER-Y-THING has sugar in it. Every menu has to be scrutinized. Every box has to be read. The only alternative sweeteners are artificial. Going to the quick mart is just depressing. And don’t be hungry when you walk in! It makes you want to break down and cry when you suddenly realize that you can’t eat anything in there. Water, water everywhere and…well you know.

You cannot leave your home for any trip, however long or short it is, without being prepared. Just a few things will take make life on the road a whole lot easier. The picture above shows the things that I can’t do without:

*Stevia: The little jar is just the right size for travel. I sweeten all of my drinks with it.

*Olive Oil: I take a little vial with me to dress my salads with.

*Agave Nectar: A little goes a very long way! I can make a myriad of sweet treats with it.

*Sea Salt: All other salt has dextrose and dextrose is another form of sugar. I always take my own.

*Lemons and Limes: I’ll ask for a sparkling water on the plane, squeeze in lemon or lime juice and sweeten with stevia, and I have my own soda! Combine with the olive oil and salt for dressing salads, or (microwave) steam veggies.

*Nut butters: Peanut butter is a “no” for me, and it’s hard to find it unsweetened anyway. If I do find nut butters, it’s usually too expensive and/or full of sugar. I’ll take tahini, almond butter or soynut butter and sometimes all three. There alot of good uses with your own nut butter: spread on rice cakes, make a dressing for your salad, combine with agave and add to crumbled rice cakes to make a sweet treat. There are so many ideas.

That’s the basic list. With these things I can be pretty flexible. I can join others at a restaurant outing and have something to put on my otherwise bland food that I have to order. I can go to the grocery store and get fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and prepared them how I like.

Depending on my mood and long the trip is, sometimes I’ll add:

*A Black pepper grinder
*Herbal Tea Bags
*Erythritol
*Some kind of (homemade) candy
*A little cinnamon or powdered ginger
*Mustard powder

Those are not essentials, but they can break the monotony.

If you are travelling by air, your liquid essentials (olive oil, agave, nut butters) will have to go in 3 oz or smaller containers if your going to carry them with you onboard. You can always put bigger quantities in your checked baggage and refill as needed. The hassle is worth it in the end.

Traveling without sugar is tough, but possible. There’s no need to stay home in the kitchen. Unless you really want to.