Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Twenty-five to 30 trips a year can sound taxing for the average person, but for Jennifer Bain, it’s become the average. The Toronto-based freelance travel writer, and former Toronto Star food and travel editor, is used to jetting off frequently. But constantly eating in airports and restaurants made it hard for her to maintain healthy eating habits, and eventually, after more than two decades of this lifestyle, it took a toll.
In 2021, a standard blood test revealed she was at risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which fat builds up in a person’s liver. And that same year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She took the year off from travelling to focus on chemotherapy and her health: She cleaned up her diet, opting for leaner cuts of meat than the brisket, steaks and fried food she would typically eat and smaller portion sizes.
“I lost 50 pounds over the year,” says the 57-year-old, who is now cancer-free.
Since returning to travel writing in 2022, Bain says she’s done a pretty good job of maintaining a healthy weight. While travelling, her days are often 12 to 15 hours long, as she tries to capture the essence of Scotland or the magic of a cruise from Greenland to Nunavut for one of the publications she’s writing for.
Now when she travels, Bain says she often packs Quaker rice cakes and eats natural peanut butter and bananas for a simple breakfast, and does her fair share of research to find local grocery stores, where she usually buys fresh produce and yogurt for quick meals to balance out the food she’s required to eat at restaurants.
Here is how Bain shops for groceries.
How I save money on groceries: We don’t really drink or go out for dinner much when we’re at home, which allows us to save money. I just bought a Costco membership, which makes a difference for buying toiletries and frozen fruit in bulk. Their roast chicken tastes great and it’s $7.99, it’s become my favourite rotisserie chicken.
How I splurge on groceries: My kids spend a lot on UberEats or DoorDash. It can certainly add up. We want to support our favourite restaurants, so it’s our alternative to going out.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Fresh fruit is really expensive and we don’t always eat it as fast as we should.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: I can’t eat like I used to. Now, when I eat at restaurants my plate might look like a piece of chicken or steak, with a side of house veggies, green beans, steamed broccoli. Before, I used to indulge in whatever.
Five items always in my cart:
- Organic popcorn with Himalayan salt – Lesser Evil – $4.50: This is a great snack to have on the go. I like the taste of it, it makes for a light choice, and it’s a good source of fibre.
- Coconut water – Tropical Delight – $30 for pack of 12: I’ve recently discovered coconut water. I like this kind, because it’s just one ingredient. It’s a great alternative to soft drinks when I want something other than water, and I can usually find it while travelling.
- Medjool dates – Terra Delyssa – $24.80: Lately I’ve been carrying these with me, even when I travel. It’s a great dessert alternative. They have a really intense, sweet flavour, and make for a nice chewy mouthful.
- Berry overnight oats – Lynn Crawford – $8.99: Whenever I’m travelling and departing from Pearson International Airport, I usually get these overnight oats at the Hearth Market Kitchen. It has oats, oat milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, strawberries and raspberries, and makes for a good snack or light meal.
- Peanut Udon Salad – Trader Joe’s – $4.79: If I’m travelling in the U.S. – which is pretty often – I’ll stop and pick up one of these salads. It has a lot of vegetables and wheat-flour noodles. It’s a good alternative to eating at restaurants all the time, which is easy to do when travelling. I buy this in the morning and eat it when I’m ready to eat it.