"Chex Mix" Nuts
Editor's Note: Zola is off to England to celebrate her birthday. Here is a previously published column and recipe for you to enjoy. Happy Birthday Zola!
On the road again...
Remember that scene in the old Rocky movie when Sylvester Stallone drank all those raw eggs? BIG YUK.
Rocky set his alarm to wake at 4 AM to start his training day. A lot of travelers have 4 AM wake up calls too. You have to get on the road. You need something quick to eat. You need power food to give you the stamina to make it through the day. You might be driving or you might be running from flight to flight. Doesn’t matter.
This column is all about power foods that won’t make you fat but will get you through your busy day.
Things to snack on if you need to chew and travel.
Nuts. I make up recipes for nut mixes all the time. It takes 15 minutes to roast them. Done. You can take them in baggies. When you are a member of Plan Z the diet by Zola you get access to hundreds of recipes and about a half dozen of those recipes are for nut mixes. I’m giving you one of them today.
Cheese cubes. If you aren’t traveling more than a few hours or if you can carry a little cooler bag this is a no-brainer. In a pinch you can buy blocks of cheese on the trip. What I’d do is take the time to buy a high quality cheese beforehand and cut it into cubes. Put the cubes in baggies and munch on them. Cheese fills you up. It’s high in protein and believe it or not the cheese and nuts won’t make you fat. It’s the popcorn and other carbs that do you in. I have the science to back me up. It’s not fat that makes you fat and it doesn’t clog your arteries either.*
Your meal choices:
Red meat. Red meat energizes your liver and gives you great energy. Eat steak and feel good about it. Take pre-grilled burgers along if you have to and heat them on the road. You can use the microwave at the rest stop or order a burger at a restaurant. Just take the top of the bun OFF. You don’t need the carbs. Eat the burger with a knife and fork. Put cheese on it too if you want. I love places like Culvers for a burger and I get the coleslaw or salad. Fresher is better but even taking a piece of cold meatloaf on the plane isn’t out of the question.
Eggs. Hard boiled would be the easiest to haul. Any eggs are healthy; heart healthy too. At a truck stop you can probably find hard boiled eggs so if you forgot to plan ahead pick some up. Many airports have them too. In your stash area, I suggest you keep some sea salt. Regular table salt is not good for you. Sea salt is. You can get pepper anywhere.
Eat healthy and stay full so you keep up your energy.
*When you have some downtime or you have a long flight coming up...pick up a copy of How We Get Fat and What to do About It by Gary Taubes. All the science you need about what REALLY makes us fat is in there and it’s an easy read. Hint: It’s not the fat that makes you fat and it’s not all about calories in/calories out. You’ll be glad you bought this book.
“Chex Mix” Nuts
Ingredients:
1 can of nuts. These can be mixed nuts, peanuts, a combo of pecans and walnuts. Let your nut brain run wild and choose your favorites. 3 cups of nuts is about right.
olive oil spray
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or more to taste)
A grate of sea salt. If you use pre-roasted nuts from the can they are likely salted already and you can skip this but if you use walnuts and pecans from the bag you’ll want to salt them.
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
Instructions:
Pour the nuts into an ovenproof pan. Spray nuts with oil and toss. Sprinkle on the seasonings and toss thoroughly. Roast in your oven at 375 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes. When you start smelling the wonderful aroma, or when you spy a little browning on the edges, take them out of the oven. You’ll also know they are done when the moisture from the Worcestershire sauce has soaked into the nuts. Now toss one more time. Cool on paper towels. You can even eat them warm and really savor the coating.
