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The Living Deliberately Goal: Eat a diet that is nearly all whole foods, as organic and locally grown as possible.

Broken Down: While traveling, keep it to whole foods and avoid processed junk.

In usual circumstances, I’m a true home-body. I love to nest, love routine, love stability and structure. My happiest days are just after grocery shopping, looking at a pantry full of glass jars of beans and grains, and a fridge crammed full with rich, whole dairy and colorful produce. My co-op has bins of beautiful bulk items, honey dripping into bottles brought from home, with wooden floors and hip music playing in the background. I’ve frequently felt homesick in the past weeks and one of the places I long to return to is 3 Rivers, if not for a full grocery list, maybe at least for some cream top yogurt and coconut almond granola.

Living on the road has not been awful; I’ve had cozy places to stay, mom’s homey cooking now and then, warm dinners with friends, and there was the turkey-crammed holiday in there as well. Still, not so long ago I was cooking 21 meals a week, completely from scratch, surrounded by my own tools and ingredients. There is a contrast, no bones about it. Margarine exists in others’ fridges! Fast food means lots of soda offerings. There’s no co-op in this small town and finding whole milk is as good as it’s gonna get…forget finding non-homogenized or (shhh….) raw options. For weeks I couldn’t even find my way around a kitchen with a wit of sense.

This is where having a “seasonal” attitude has helped tremendously. This won’t last forever. The thought behind the meal matters much more sometimes than the actual content. And, making good choices hasn’t been impossible. For instance:

• I can always get water to drink, no matter where I go. That is a luxury in many parts of the world! So, NO SODA.
• A box of Frosted Mini Wheats has been a constant friend. A good dose of fiber, a filling meal in a pinch, and much cheaper than eating out…it’s also a comfort food of mine.
• Veggies can be had at least once a day, every day. Salad with dinner or carrot sticks to snack on or a side of peas. Getting some green while on the road is easier than it used to be.
• I’ve been eating foods containing MSG here and there, simply because it’s in SO MUCH and is often unavoidable without hurting someone’s feelings. And a grace has been that I’ve not had a single headache from it, a change from my usual reaction.
• I also have a box of granola bars in the car and a jar of roasted peanuts for a quick protein-jolt. There are bottled waters in the back and when I’m traveling far, milk in the cooler. I never used to pack snacks and I’m finding that this change in behavior has been a smart and helpful one.

I know/hope the day returns when I chart a week’s meals and head to my various grocery stores to get our “usual” foods again. In the meantime, it’s a comfort to realize that health doesn’t need to be abandoned just because the old context was removed. It feels good to see how far resiliency and flexibility can stretch a person, and how elements of value can exist in many realms. And, while it’s easy to make a little idol out of organic living, people always come before ideas. So, “please pass the margarine”.

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