The other day I stumbled across a Men’s Health Article that stated are comrades to the south, the Argentinians, eat on average 30, yep a whooping 30!, more pounds of beef a year than Americans do. Yet the obesity rates and heart disease rates are still lower than in the United States. “How can this be?” I thought.

It all boils down to one key element that makes Argentinian beef far superior than American beef. It is not the clean south American air, it is not the breed of cattle, not even some legendary farmers. The difference is simple. The cows eat grass not grains.

Shocking but true, Americans cows do not normally eat what nature intended for them to eat which is grass. So far it has had devastating effects on the meat that they produce and makes the meat people eat nutritionally inferior.

Case in Point: According to famed New York Chef, Alicia Rodriguez ‘ “The [Argentine] beef has about half the calories, and a lot less fat and cholesterol.” In fact, one independent test found that a 4-ounce cut of American beef contained 10.8 grams (g) of saturated fat and 328 calories, while the same cut of Argentine beef had 2.5 g saturated fat and 140 calories.’

That is a huge difference! And it is all attributed to the food that the cow is eating. It seems like common sense but some how along the way someone missed a step and decided that what is natural for the cows is not the best. I cannot understand why in the United States we have to seek out grass fed beef.

For more information and original article content visit Men’s Health:

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/international_food/Argentina.php

I decided to just ask about these options, just to check the knowledge of the staff.  I was delightfully surprised to find that the flight attendant I asked about the gluten free snacks, knew exactly what she had available.

They offer snacks, but only offer gluten free meals on longer flights and you will need to call in advance to request a gluten free meal. Overall, I was very happy with my experience on Virgin America.

The Sweet Riot Unbar snack was clearly labeled gluten free.

The Galaxy Munch was also clearly labeled gluten free.

Sorry about the photos, lighting in planes is not the best.

4. Bring Snacks/Meal Replacements that are Gluten Free.

3. Do your Research. Going to another place is fun. Make an effort to learn a little about the local cuisine and what they have to offer that is Gluten Free.

2. Ask Questions Before and During your travels. It is a good idea to call airlines, travel agents, cruise lines etc. first and ask them what they have to offer that is Gluten Free. The chances are better that they will be able to help you if you ask in advance.

1. “Go Native”. It doesn’t take long to learn or write down a few key phrases in a foreign language. These phrases that can save you if you are traveling to a foreign country. A few things are memorize are “Does it have flour?” & “I do not like flour or bread”. These are usually enough to get your point across.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUXqitI3sg

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Traveling. It is one of my favorite things. I travel 4-6 months out of the year. And I have had to learn how to cope with being gluten free abroad.

Traveling is an environment where you need to expect the unexpected. You are out of your natural environment and planning is key. When traveling, especially to countries foreign to you be sure to have snacks and plan ahead. Here is a list a great snacks to take with you on the plane or to keep in your backpack:
—-nuts (high in protein so not only are they gluten free, they will keep hunger away)
—-easily transportable fruit. apples, pears, bananas and oranges are all great ideas
—-gluten free bars
—-protein power. you do not have to be a body builder or worry about gaining weight to drink protein power. Since liquid is not allowed in planes this is a great snack or meal replacement since you can add water anywhere and it takes up virtually no space.

Planning snacks and meals is essential when you are traveling abroad gluten free. But what is also critical is asking questions. Ask how a meal is prepared. Is the chicken breaded? Is the chicken served with rice or noodles? Are the noodles made from rice or flour? It only takes a few seconds to learn how to say “I want no flour, bread, noodles” etc or write it down for easy reference.

Being gluten free while traveling has never been a problem for me and it shouldn’t be one for you either. It just takes a little planning and a little patience.