No Dairy No Grain Travel Breakfast Tips
I wake up early, pull open the curtains, and face a captivating image; a mountain views straight out of a fairy-tale. Smoky Mountain fog blankets the mountains in Asheville, North Carolina, and I can see for miles from my room at The Inn on Biltmore Estate (below). Breakfast is always the first thing on my mind in the morning and has become increasingly difficult to eat on the road in anti-inflammatory form. How do you consume a dairy-free, grain-free, sugar-free breakfast when the only choices available to you on most hotel buffets are cereal, toast, and pastries? I make my way down to The Dining Room in anticipation of the buffet and I am pleasantly surprised by the choices – the buffet alone has fixings for salmon and bagels. By taking off the bagel I make a breakfast of salmon, shredded hard-boiled eggs, onions, capers, and tomatoes (above) which is high in protein, low in fat, and all delicious.
When considering breakfast, whether at home or while traveling, I think we Americans have to get out of the mindset that cereals and dairy are the only choices for breakfast. Muffins, pastries, or waffles with syrup is not a healthy breakfast – it’s pretty much the same sugar level as eating a slice of cake. Why not look at a menu or a buffet table when you are out and about having breakfast and reconsider the possibilities. Below is a quick list of items I have found at hotels on both menus and buffets all around the world which are no dairy and no grain and of course, still taste yummy and fill the tummy.
No Dairy – No Grain Things to Eat at a Hotel Breakfast
- Hard boiled, soft-boiled, fried, and scrambled eggs
- Omelets with no cheese
- Salmon or tuna (ask the waitress for items from the lunch menu if necessary)
- Sausage and bacon
- Apples, berries, and fresh fruit
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Tomatoes, onions, vegetables, and herbs
Next time you are considering a travel breakfast, consider ALL the possibilities with what you see on the menu or on a buffet table. Do not be afraid to ask the waitstaff for something else they can access easily from the lunch or dinner menu. When I eat a no grain, no dairy diet and walk daily I have reduced my pain levels from my osteoarthritis down by more than 80%. Sticking with my diet while I travel on my speaking tours has kept me feeling energetic and able to do far more than I could be crippled with pain. Assembling a breakfast that supports my diet might be challenging but is more than possible. When traveling, my advice is to ask your waitstaff for assistance and if the waiter or waitress does not know an answer, ask for a manager. By and large, restaurants are still built to serve and want to keep you as a customer.
