Travelling.... Ideas from UK'ers?

[r.mines]

Hi, all!

Just thinking out loud here. I'm planning a trip to England next month, and I'm already concerned about my ability to stay on low-carb while I'm there. I'll be staying with friends who are big bread-and-potato eaters, fairly light on the protein, and while they're totally considerate about other peoples' needs, they're not going to change their way of eating just for me! So I'll be eating other people's cooking for a couple of weeks, and I'm a bit worried about it.

We'll probably eat out a few times. In the evenings it won't be a problem, but cheap (i.e. affordable) lunches usually involve sandwiches, fish and chips, baked beans, pasta, and other stodgy things.

Any ideas about dealing with Other People's Cooking? And what to do when the people you're with want to eat lunch in a pub or sandwich bar? (I hate beer, so at least avoiding that particular temptation won't be a problem!)

I'm thinking about bringing a few things with me - maybe some Splenda, soy and whey protein powders, and some Atkins bars (I don't like them much, and I know they have more carbs than the label states, but they're better than a high-carb alternative!). I think I'm not allowed to bring meat or dairy into the UK, so I can't bring jerky snacks, unfortunately (does anyone know about this?).

I might also pick up a carb-blocker, which I wouldn't normally use, but "just in case." Can anyone recommend one they've found effective?

I figure I should be reasonable with myself, aim to maintain and not to lose, and not drive myself crazy worrying about 'hidden carbs' in processed meats, restaurant foods, etc.

Any advice appreciated. And any of you folks across the pond, if you know of any shopping/restaurant tips for low-carbing in Britain, that'd be great! I lived in London for four years, so I know some of the ropes, but I never low-carbed there.

Well, I feel better already! Thanks for reading this ramble!

Rachel

[Andy Davies]

Hi! Most British people are sympathetic to any special needs, requirements, tastes, likes, dislikes, items to avoid, etc., provided these needs are expressed and explained. If your hosts have no knowledge of low-carbohydrate diets already, I suggest that you simplify it in this way, which any Briton will understand, "I can eat any meat, fish or pouiltry, any vegetable except potato, any fruit except banana and no food containing refined flour or cereals. This includes pastries, pasties, spaghetti, pizza and bread." There are plenty of other foods available in the UK which you will be able to eat without compromising your Atkins diet, and you should be able to enjoy a visit here while continuing to lose weight. Good Luck!

[r.mines]

Hey, Andy, thanks for getting back to me!

Actually, I'm back already (London was great!)....but your advice still holds. I must say I didn't have any trouble sticking to low carb. I forgot that, unlike here, veggies, potatoes, etc. are usually ordered separately from the main course, which makes it easy not to have any. Gee, those chips were a temptation, though! Homecooked meals were also not a problem, as starches were served on the side. For brekkie, I brought my own flax 'granola' from home and had it on Greek yogurt - love Greek yogurt - haven't been able to find it here.

I love London, the few other parts of England I've visited, and my one too-short trip to Edinburgh....I'm trying to figure out how I can go back to visit on a regular basis.

Cheers,
Rachel

[Andy Davies]

Sorry no-one managed to answer your query in time for your trip to the UK. Hopefully, the information might be of use to yourself or someone else for a future trip. Glad you liked the UK.

[Bonnie]

Originally posted by Andy Davies
Sorry no-one managed to answer your query in time for your trip to the UK. Hopefully, the information might be of use to yourself or someone else for a future trip. Glad you liked the UK.

Andy, I am planning a trip to England in June next year for approx. three weeks so your info was very helpful to me...thanks...

:) Bonnie

[Andy Davies]

Thanks for the note, glad to be of use. There are such things in the UK as "Wholefood" shops. Not in rural places like this, but in towns, especially large ones. They are often staffed by people who look like left-over hippies, and their concerns are not focused, like ours, on low-carb products, but on "organically grown" products. These are foods grown without any fertilisers, pesticides, etc. The foodstuffs are usually rather dearer than mainstream supermaket prices, but in order to maintain "organic" status the foods have to conform to certain tightly-controlled standards, so the products should be safe, and conform to the shops' description of them. These are monitored by Trading Standards and other regulatory bodies, so it should be safe to assume that what they claim is what you get. There is some evidence that carbohydrates in themselves are not such a problem to us as the refining processes that strip grains of all their goodness and leave us with virtually neat starch. Wholefood shops believe in not refining grains, so if you cannot find suitable low-carb products in the UK, it might well be worth experimenting with whole-grain products from a wholefood shop. Just an idea. Hope you enjoy your forthcoming visit to us.