Travel Hangover
Some of you might remember my Rules of Travel, which were recently re-posted on Meals and Moves. After a rocky flight home and a nauseous flight recovery, I would like to make an amendment to that list.
Old Rule: Something about avoiding alcohol and only drinking water on the plane.
New Rule: Diet soda, when consumed at 35,000 feet, counts as water. Drink up.
I had a horrible flight from San Francisco to Chicago, nauseous the whole journey and I’m not really over it, 24 hours later. Diet Sprite was the only thing that sounded good.
It started out well enough. It was a beautiful morning in San Francisco and my dad and I enjoyed the drive to the airport with little traffic.
A beautiful morning to cross the Bay Bridge!
Unfortunately I broke one of my own rules and didn’t bring enough food. Since I was up at 5am, I took breakfast to go. This wasn’t even enough calories for what I would normally consider breakfast, let alone breakfast + snacks:
I brought an apple, a 100-calorie protein shake (Mom’s fridge), and a 100-calorie sample of Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal. I broke it up and ate this over a 4-hour period. Oh, and a $4.75 latte from Peet’s at the airport.
Finally satisfied my pumpkin spice latte craving!
This was not enough. I was finally able to eat again at 5:30pm, Chicago time. I was shaky for food. I talked myself out of an evil chicken sandwich from McDonald’s (which is what I really wanted), and instead went for the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad.
Am I the only one who thinks McDonald’s salads in the US are totally decent? Assuming you are a meat-eater, and you get the grilled chicken, I think they’re great. Unlike most fast-food salads, the dressings are low-calorie and natural. The Asian salad is my favorite (it has edamame and mandarin orange slices!), but I think they might have discontinued that one. The Southwest is good, too. The dressing is higher in calories than the Asian salad (100 calories and 6g fat), but I like the black beans and chipotle corn.
Note: McDonald’s did not pay me for this review. I just really like their salads. In fact, while we are the subject of blogger freebie rules, I have actually never received free food in exchange for publicity on this blog. When I do, you will know about it 
In the spirit of full disclosure, I guess I should come clean about these, too:
I couldn’t help it. I scarfed down the salad so quickly and still felt shaky and nauseous. The fries saved me.
Then I saved myself from further damage and bought these as snacks for the plane.
Chicago to London was better, mainly because I slept most of the flight. I ate the plane food, more or less in its entirety.
I was happy to see Matthew when I landed. I napped for a couple of hours once I got home, waking at 3pm London time. Had a quick dinner (turkey dinos…you can’t be picky when you’re not cooking!) and went to bed around 10. By some miracle, I slept through the night!
So today I am just nursing this weird, hungover-without-actually-drinking feeling and catching up on blogs and the news.
Some cool stories that I found last night:
Starting Good Food Habits in Kids from the Womb
Calorie Postings Don’t Change Habits, Study Finds
Michael Pollan’s Rules to Eat By
And, if you missed it in my link above:
FTC: Bloggers must disclose freebies on reviews
What do you think of the new blogger disclosure rules? Since bloggers enjoy other rights similar to that of journalists (freedom of speech comes to mind), I think it seems fair that they are upheld to similar standards of disclosure. Just my initial thoughts.
No related posts.
I’m glad to see you stated McDonalds salads in the US. In the UK I find them really disappointing and tasteless
Hope you feel better soon
Jo @ Seeking Healthy Balance: I have found the same thing with them in the UK–just boring and nothing special at all. When you get to the US, try them out! They are really tasty!
Healthy food is healthy food! When you are in a pinch I really do love some of McDonald’s or Wendy’s or even Chick fi la salads!
O’hare has some amazing food (I ate this insane Chinese there once) so I think you made a really healthy choice…even with the fries
Aw, I wish you were in SF longer to meet up with your blogger peeps. I’m sure you have quite the readership from here. Speaking of which, will you and Matt be moving here soon? Also, FoodBuzz is less than a month away!!
I also like the McD salads, and like you, I secretly crave the Chicken sandwich instead. It’s only a $1 on most menus!
Sorry you felt nauseous on the plane; that is the worst feeling!
I like McD’s salads, too. They ARE decent!
Just wanted to add that I think it is ridiculous that we are going to have to “add an asterisk” to our opinions on a food we eat every time we blog about an item! I think most blogs are very honest about whether they received an item for free and most companies always relay that they are interested in an honest review – good or bad. I don’t ever feel like I’ve been “duped” by a blogger singing the praises of a particular food because everyone does have their own opinion and tastes. If someone blogs that something is good, I’ll give it a try, but if I don’t like it, I don’t blame the blogger or the company. It’s just my tastes. Anyway, sorry for the novel. I just read the article in the Wall Street Journal last night and it irked me and I see it’s all the buzz about the blogs, too!
I’ll tell you a secret but you can’t tell my husband – I actually like Mickey D’s fries. Shhh…
I’m glad you’re home safe and that you had a good trip.
Marisa (Trim The Fat): I didn’t read about the astrisk part! That does seem a little extreme. I don’t necessarily feel like I have been intentionally duped, but there are definitely times when bloggers haven’t explicitly said something was a gift when I think it was the right thing to do. Buying expensive health products is not realistic for a lot of readers and I think it’s nice to know which products were sent for review and which were actually purchased by the blogger.
I was in London for a year had Macdonalds 2x and got sick. In the States and in Asia no problem wierd huh!
Ha flying is so hard especially if your time is limited to buy food at the airport. Flying back to Hawaii I had pringles and goldfish along with diet coke hehehe.
I actually like mcdonolds salads too! The chicken tastes yummy!
ive totally eaten mcdonalds salads before – sometimes you have no other option, and they taste good to me! so do fries
thanks for your sweet marathon comment – i totally appreciate all the love. i am glad you made it home safely – and my mom ALWAYS recommends sprite + saltine crackers when i don’t feel good. so i feel as though you made a good choice!
Rules were made to be broken–or at least bent
i used to love the mcdonalds taco salads! haha. but always and forever my loves there will be the double cheeseburger, fries, and ice cream cone… i haven’t had mcd’s in forever!
aw sorry you didnt have the best flight back
. I think Mc ds salads are pretty good, considering the type of foods they typically serve there and everything!
i always crave diet coke or 7up when flying
Oh man, this post totally made me crave a sprite zero. And some fries…:)
so glad you made it home safely. I get nauseous on planes too sometimes and just feel icky. It’s like I’m hungry but not and usually I have a terrible time sleeping. Hey a girl’s got to eat and McDonald’s does have some good options.
I also agree with the FTC regs, seems like the right thing to do
Feeling ill on a plane is the worst!
And I never drink diet soda – only time I may do it is on a plane.
I think the fast food salad can be a good option. As long as you don’t drown it in bad for you dressing, it’s a decent pick in a pinch.
Woah. Travel hangovers are no fun. Being shaky from hunger is one of the worst feelings in the world, pipped only (for me) by feeling nauseous in any way. Ugh. Hopefully you’ll recover soon!
Lara, sorry, I didn’t mean that literally about the asterisk! I just felt that if everytime I say I like a food, I don’t want to have to “insert disclaimer”. Maybe I’m taking it the wrong way, but it seems a little over the top to me.
On the flip side, I fully agree with you that some health foods are very expensive and it wouldn’t be right for a blogger to try to coerce others to buy it via a raving review. I don’t think I’ve come across any blogs that intentionally do that. Of all the blogs I read, it seems that the blogger(and I’ll include myself here, too) is upfront about whether or not they purchased an item, received it as a “gift” or “try me” from a company or won it as part of a giveaway, so it just seems overkill to have to continuously classify our opinion of something. I don’t know, maybe I’m just reading into it too much – LOL! Sorry for having a “debate” on your blog!
Glad you’re back safe and sound- and looking forward to seeing you in a week or so!
yayayay!
Yah, 300 cals for b-fast and lunch is ridic. low! Hmm, I’ve never NOT brought enough cals. If I were to tell you that I have about 1000 in my purse alone, I would not be lying. I have a special little bag that houses just energy bars, then another one for single servings of nuts and nut butter and then my candy-only one seems to have gone missing (the teeny tootsie rolls are good for a craving and they don’t melt).
And I must have fries when I go to Mickey Ds. Just a few- half of a small is great. Life just wouldn’t be worth living without those.
Rest up!
I like Wendy’s salads!
Hope you’re feeling better soon
I hate traveling. I’m shocked at how quickly your internal clock seems to have adjusted!
love your honesty with the micky D’s fries…sometimes they just do the trick to make you feel better!!
I am sorry you had a nausaeas flight but glad you are feeling better! and I agree, diet sprite certainly counts as water up there
flying is so hard sometimes with the food packing and limited airport choices and these days when you cant pack liquids!
hope you snap out of it soon!!
Way to listen to your body and get the fries! Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta go.
Glad you made it back safely. Thanks for all the airplane tips, I’m heading to Colorado next week!
lol :i guess i should come clean” you are so honest and cute. and i love peets! i wish we had it here. glad you made it home and hopefully you recover from the vacation hangover soon. i hate those!
Traveling is so hard. I’m always starving for some reason and have random cravings. I hope you recover fast. Don’t worry about a few fries – they won’t kill you
Oh and I’m sure that McDonalds salad tastes good, but unless I’m forced to eat it, I wouldn’t touch it. Maybe I’m a little too into the organic meats thing lately, but I can just picture the chickens in their crates on top of each other. McDonalds is definitely trying to get the cheapest chicken possible and it comes at a price of poor quality and poor practices.
mmm…sometimes mcdonald’s fries are just SO necessary! hope you recover from your travel hangover soon…it sounds like u need a vacation from your vacation!
I’ve never had a McDonald’s salad! Looks good though! Love the fries – hehe – you crack me up! I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well on the flight – blah! Glad you’re back with Matthew, i’m sure it feels GREAT to be home!!
Marisa (Trim The Fat): Oh no, don’t apologize! I appreciate you contributing to the conversation!
Stacy’s cinnamon sugar pita chips are drugs in a bag! That stuff is UNREAL! Sorry you had a rough trip – those ones are never fun
I LOVE Peet’s Coffee and have yet to get a pumpkin spice latte…I’m thinkin’ I need to hit up Peet’s for that! Hope you get over the hangover soon!
That’s too bad that your flight experience was not that good…at least you are at home, safe and sound!
Oh so sorry about the flight mishaps. At certain airports their choices are starting to improve. But I bet you’re so happy to be back to your life and with your husband
Hi Lara…sorry you had such a hairy travel day and not enough food. I find that the stress of traveling burns far more calories than one would think as I always find myself ravished in airports and you wouldnt think sitting around waiting burns calories but I think it’s the stress.
As for full disclosure…I think that little bloggers like me who get a 4.99 thing of Dates from Oh Nuts if I link them, that’s enough. Or make a quick mention and move on. Who really cares I scored such a cheap item. And who cares next week if I buy my own dates from Trader Joes.
I think this rule should definitely apply to the bigger bloggers who have turned their blogs into infomercials. I dont even read what many people would consider to be the Top 5 most popular food bloggers (give or take) b/c I cannot stand the informercial-ness. Even though I know it’s free swag, it’s just sickening how much of it there is. And I dont enjoy that, so I dont read it. And if they were to have to disclose everything they get, their blogs may get more interesting again like they were a few years back before I feel it all went wayyyyy too infomercially.
Anyway, who cares either way though
And who’s gonna police this stuff? We can’t keep drugs out of our country, or terrorists off airplanes, how are we going to keep unreported swag off blogs ?
Not a huge fan of the McDonalds salads in the U.S., but the McDonalds in Italy, that’s a whole other story. There is one in Rome that is amazing!!!
Glad you made it back safely, and I’m sure Matthew was so excited to welcome you back. Hope you’re feeling back to your old self soon Lara! At least you got some good sleep already.
I always disclose the fact when I get products for free. I would feel dishonest if I didn’t.
P.S. – I usually go for the Sprite Zero whenever we fly. I get air sick too, and it’s usually the only thing that sounds good.
I always crave Sprite Zero when I am naustious. When I had the flu last week, I made my hubby go out and buy a case because that is the ONLY thing that sounded like I could keep in my stomach. It worked too!
SOrry you had a rough flight. Hope you recover very shortly. Take is easy hun.
I hope you feel better! sorry the flight wasn’t great
I like tomato juice when I fly. really not sure why!
I don’t know all the details of the new FTC regs. I’ve never gotten any free stuff so I haven’t really had to think about it.
Yes! After my tummy troubles travelling this weekend, I discovered diet soda or sparkling water is a MUST. Definitely add that one to the list
Can I just congratulate you on eating McD’s fries? Seriously! Your body was obviously craving something that the fries were able help. It was a good choice to get them after the salad
Hope you’re feeling better!
sorry to hear about the nausea! that’s horrible! i usually end up with huge headaches after my long flights..LAX to sydney is always the worst!
I hope you’re feeling better. I always feel that way when I travel. I like your site.
Glad you made it back safely; sorry you are not feeling well… I have ended up on quite a few trips without enough food and (probably) as a result didn’t feel well; no fun…
I’ll check out the links now; they sound interesting…
ew im so sorry about the flights!! i think being nauseous and hungry at the same time might be one of the most horrible feelings in the world.
as for the FTC shiz…well, im not that hip on the food blog scene to get those benefits. haha, but like you said, when i am, you all will know!
Eeek, sorry about the rough flights – that’s never good
Hope you feel better!
Love those Stacy’s Pita chips – I just bought a bag myself.