Ced & Ed's Travel Meal Plan

We are hitting the road this week + feeding is actually pretty simple

Cedric is READY.. Edith hates her hat

Whenever we travel, we break our usual routine of home cooking and healthy eating. This week we are headed to SoCal which means we will be having our fair share of In-N-Out, Pho, and Mexican food. Despite aiming for a whole-food diet, we are happy to indulge in the occasional pizza, fast food, and late-night eating, especially when traveling. Our mentality to feeding the pups is pretty much the same—a break in their routine is no biggie. We want to travel light, so we aren’t bringing any dog food with us. Instead, we’ll grab food at grocery stores or restaurants along the way for them.

Many people claim their dogs can’t eat anything but dog food, or that a small switch in their diet will lead to illness and diarrhea. This is likely due to the fact that modern dog gut has taken on maladaptive traits from only eating kibble. This is sad and should not be the norm.

Throughout history dogs ate whatever they could find or were given. Dogs are super adaptable (which is why they can survive on processed food like kibble), and should be able to eat a varied diet without issue. In fact one of our family dogs that previously had a sensitive tummy lost the sensitivity after being switched to whole foods.

Our traveling staples

While we are on the road, we don’t go out of our way to plan meals for the pups. We really only make sure we’ll have something to cook with (an electric pot is super easy), and our newest addition to our travels is All Pups Seasoning. It’s convenient to bring along with us to add extra nutrients to the dog’s food. In Cali, we’ll probably pick up a few ingredients from the grocery store:

For a simple stew:

1. Rolled oats

2. Eggs

3. Ground Beef

4. Frozen veggies (such as peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli)

Snacks:

1. Plain yogurt

2. Berries

3. Bananas

We’ll cook the oats, eggs, beef and veggies into a simple one pot stew. We usually find a hotel or short term-stay with a stove, but if not we use an electric pot. At a hotel, it’s easy to order things like eggs, oatmeal, and steamed veggies from room service (just expensive haha). Last time we checked, Whole Foods had plain chicken breasts and boiled eggs in their ready-to-eat section. The dogs do better with some grains and fiber, so in a pinch we pick up instant rice or oats that can be made with just hot water.

Fruits like berries, bananas and apples make a convenient, fiber-and-vitamin-packed snack. As it’s short term; we don’t stress too much about balance. On one road trip, we picked up a plate of scrambled eggs from Denny’s and served it to them with some instant oats. For hungry dogs, these meals are about as satisfying as any real food and still contain basic nutrients. Adding a sprinkle of All Pups Seasoning is the cherry-on-top to fill in some nutrient gaps (like calcium and iodine).

Longer trips

For longer trips away from home, and if we have any on hand (we sell out too fast to hoard any for ourselves), we like to bring Pup Pot Meals with us. It’s simple to make (just add water and protein) and uses one pot. These are great for the long term as you can rest assured that your dog is getting balanced meals.

While Pup Pot Meals are quick and easy, you don’t have to have them for traveling, especially on short trips. Nature was made to be very flexible, and your dog should be able to eat a flexible diet, just like you. Of course, it’s probably not a good idea to introduce new foods during your travels as you don’t know how your dog will react. Stick to what you know they can digest well. (Friendly reminder to not feed them fast food, junk food, or parts of food you wouldn’t eat yourself—bones, pits, shells, etc.)

Here are a couple simple stew recipes:

DIY stews

So what do dogs need in the short term? Macronutrients to power their bodies—these are fats, protein, and carbs. Dogs prefer to use fat for energy, while they use proteins to do things in cell and the body like move oxygen around. Carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and grains can be a great part of most dogs’ diets. Though some breeds, like the Siberian Husky, are less able to digest carbohydrates than others.

We like to keep Cedric and Edith’s meals at 45-55% calories from fats, 30-35% calories from protein and 20% or less calories from carbohydrate. However, this is just a rough guideline, we don’t calculate calories religiously. Sometimes we might do low carb meals and other times we might feed slightly more carbs. Here’s a break down of their travel meals, (and really daily meals in general):

1. 1 pound protein: 90% lean ground beef, boneless chicken thigh or similar. Beef is super nutritious, so it’s great if you don’t have liver.

2. 3-4 eggs. Eggs are very nutrient dense and have most of the nutrients your dog needs to thrive. From protein and omega-3s to choline and vitamin E, eggs are loaded with micronutrients. If you don’t have All-Pups Seasoning, wash and crush one eggshell to throw into the food for the calcium.

3. 1/4 to 1/2 pound vegetables. Frozen vegetables work great because they are washed and cut. You won’t have to do any prep. Mixed peas and carrots and broccoli florets are among our favorites. Veggies contain micronutrients to help nourish, and fiber which helps for smoother digestion.

4. 1/4 pound dried grains: Grains are mostly a source of carbohydrates and fiber. We find the pups do best with some grains in their diet. Quinoa is one of our favorites. Though technically a seed, we love to feed quinoa because it’s also a complete protein (albeit in smaller amounts than meat). Rolled oats are also a great addition because they have soluble fiber in a form called beta-glucans which are associated improved gut health and immune health.

Of course you can buy prepackaged food or feed dry food. There are many great brands available. For air dried brands make sure they are mostly high-quality meat rather than predominantly grains. It’s hard to distinguish because most pet food manufacturers use the wet weight of proteins and the dry weight of grains. If it’s listed as chicken (and not chicken meal), it’s likely the wet weight which is up to 4-times more than when it’s dried.

Finally, if you normally feed home made, but switch to dry food on the road, make sure the pups have enough water.

That’s it for this week.

All the best,

Joelle and the Precious Creatures Team