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Staying Low Carb While on Vacation

We just returned from a two-week European vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it! We visited London for the first time and were very impressed by this amazing city that has the energy and culture of New York along with the history and architecture of other European cities. We also spend a few days in Zurich visiting my relatives, as we do whenever we’re on the other side of the Atlantic.

In England, my husband and I met up with a UK-based dietitian  named Annette Henry who is currently working on her PhD conducting research on carbohydrate restriction, appetite regulation, and weight loss. We also spent an afternoon with Eddie and Jan Mitchell from The Low Carb Diabetic website. Eddie has Type 2 diabetes and eats a low-carb diet in order to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, weight, and lipids. Jan follows the same way of eating. We had a fantastic time with each of these fellow low-carb advocates and shared a real sense of camaraderie and purpose.

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In terms of carb-friendly dining options, the airlines apparently don’t have much of an understanding. Here’s a photo of the dinner I was served on the plane. I ordered a “diabetic meal,” and this is what it consisted of (carb content approximated):
5 oz grilled chicken breast
1 large roll (30 grams carb)
1 cup white rice (45 grams carb)
1 cup mixed fruit (15 grams carb)
1/2 cup cooked vegetables (5 grams carb)
Mixed salad with fat-free vinaigrette (8 grams carb)

I ask you: Is this meal containing around 100 grams of carbohydrates appropriate for someone with diabetes? I don’t even want to think of what my blood sugars levels would have risen to had I eaten the high-carb foods. My husband didn’t make a special request for a diabetic meal and was served a nearly identical tray. The difference? He was given regular salad dressing, while I received the fat-free vinaigrette that was higher in carbs!

Overall, the food in Europe was very good, and it was quite easy to stay very low carb no matter where we ate. I had eggs  and/or bacon with spinach or mushrooms for breakfast, and meat, poultry, fish, or  cheese with vegetables at lunch and dinner. This kept me well under my usual 30-40 grams of carbs for the day, and I often had raw hazelnuts, almonds, and chocolate made with 100% cacao for dessert, as well as tea with cream or half-and-half at or between meals.


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One of my favorite meals in Switzerland was Wuerst und Kaese Salat (sausage and cheese salad), which I’ve loved since childhood. I had this three times in Zurich. It’s simply sliced sausage, cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots topped with a cream-based dressing. Delicious, nutrient-dense, filling, and less than 5 grams of digestible carbs!

I’ve been following a very-low-carb diet for over a year now, and I truly love this way of eating. I can tell you with 100% honesty that I didn’t feel at all deprived throughout our entire vacation because I ate nourishing high fat, moderate protein foods to satiety, along with liberal amounts of delicious fresh vegetables. How could I feel anything but satisfied on such luxurious fare?

Bottom line: Stay on plan during vacation by choosing low-carb foods unique to the area you’re visiting, and enjoy!

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15 Comments

  1. Steve Parker, M.D. says:

    I’m glad you mention your Answers.com posts here because I can’t figure out how to get automated notification from Answers.com.

    Sounds like a great trip!

    I’ll have to try one of those sausage salads.

    -Steve

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Thanks so much for reading my Answers.com posts, Steve! I’ll continue to link to them on this site because I don’t think they have an automated notification program for new posts.

      This trip was one of the best ever. I didn’t mention all the non-food-related stuff we did, but it was all good!

      You’d love Wuerst und Kaese Salat, trust me 🙂 I’m going to create my own at home.

  2. Bill Lagakos says:

    The airline’s “diabetic-friendly” meal = Epic, epic fail.
    Thanks for posting this; if nothing else, it’s a big reality check (for me at least).

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Ridiculous, isn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s a similar story in most hospitals
      🙁

  3. I flicked through a Diabetic Living cooking magazine today. All meals contained massive amounts of carbohydrates: bread, rolls, pasta, rice, flour…..So this is how diabetics are being taught to eat??? Think I will stick to my own recipes.

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Don’t get me started on Diabetic Living! Lots of high-carb foods — the carb counts are high even for the meager portions. You’re best off sticking to what you know works 🙂

  4. Great post Franziska. Currently in Belgium caring for my terminally ill mother, I am encountering huge opposition as far as my low carb real food lifestyle is concerned. Am ignoring all the negativity, but can assure you: in Belgium LowCarbing = mental instability !! No like-minded people around

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Thanks so much, Nadia! So sorry to hear about your mother, and also empathize with not finding any support for LCHF in Belgium. Probably even harder for you given that in your homeland of Sweden it’s so widely accepted. Great that you’re ignoring the naysayers and continuing to do what works for you If I hear of any low-carb supporters in Belgium, I’ll definitely let you know!

  5. Air meals… when we travel we never ask for either gluten free or diabetic for the reasons you just mentioned. We simply get a normal meal, leave the bun, juice and starch.

    We went away for a 12 night cruise around the mediterranean and also stayed for two weeks in Italy and had no trouble eating low carb. We did get many odd looks from waiters when we told them we didn’t want the bread but no problems. I’m not diabetic but pre-diabetic and my aim is to never become diabetic. Hopefully I will achieve that with low carb living 🙂

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Hi Lynda,

      You’re a very smart traveler! I hadn’t traveled internationally since going low-carb a couple of years ago, and I was pretty shocked.

      Sounds like you had a great time on the cruise! Yes, I got those strange looks a few times as well when requesting no bread, rice, pasta, etc.

      Very best of luck to you! Nice blog, by the way! 🙂

      1. Thanks Franziska – I don’t promote my blog or try to get loads of readers… the ones I have I try to show that there is another way and that you can stick with it. Too many blogs start well and then go quiet when the writer returns to the previous way of eating. My aim is to be consistent as an example of what you can achieve.

  6. Hi Franziska

    It’s such a shame airlines do not appear to offer a healthier choice of meals. Friends who travel on the railways often say they have the same problem. Why is it when restaurants/cafes are becoming far more conscious of offering a healthier option the airlines etc can not/do not, seems a shame.

    I know we’ve said it before but it was great meeting up with you both.

    All the best Jan

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Hi Jan,

      It’s really disappointing, yes, and particularly difficult for people who travel often. We did ask the airline for a low-carb meal prior to the return flight and were told they didn’t offer a LC choice, but I’m hopeful that if there’s enough demand it will eventually be an option.

      Thanks so much for your kind words. And as I’ve said before, we really enjoyed meeting you and Eddie too.

  7. Lifextension (Anna) says:

    Great post, Franziska, (and great blog!). I think a lot of low carbers really struggle with the idea of eating low-carb while travelling OS. On the contrary, I find the middle east and the mediterranean much more accommodating for low carb vegetable dishes, sea food, and lamb; Europe (Germany, Poland, Switzerland) delightfully liberal with their fatty meats and cream based dishes and cheeses.

    1. Franziska Spritzler says:

      Thanks so much, Anna! I’m very flattered to receive nice feedback from someone whose work and writing are so impressive. And I’m in complete agreement about all the delicious fatty foods and vegetables that are such a staple in European cuisines.

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