Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Star chef never travels without beef jerky, nuts

NEW YORK — When they are travelling, quite a number of professional chefs adhere to a healthy diet, bringing high-protein, low-sodium snacks with them.

Seamus Mullen said that 99 per cent of airline food is "garbage" and it is better to bring your own snacks when travelling. Photo: Colin Clark / Bloomberg

Seamus Mullen said that 99 per cent of airline food is "garbage" and it is better to bring your own snacks when travelling. Photo: Colin Clark / Bloomberg

NEW YORK — When they are travelling, quite a number of professional chefs adhere to a healthy diet, bringing high-protein, low-sodium snacks with them.

New York chef Seamus Mullen, author and chef-owner of the Spanish restaurant Tertulia and the El Colmado counter in New York, is one such person. In 2012, his body had a negative reaction to the multiple drugs he was taking to cure his rheumatoid arthritis, and he barely survived a trip to the intensive care unit.

A health check revealed years of the kind of unhealthy living that goes hand-in-hand with rising-star-chef status. “Rich foods, unlimited alcohol, and late-night partying” had finally caught up with him.

The 43-year-old adopted a diet that was high in fat and low in carbohydrates, cutting out processed food and sugar. And he does not let up, even when he flies.

“Before I began ‘healthy hacking’ my travel, every time I got on a plane, I got sicker,” said Mullen. “If your baseline is not feeling great, and then you get on a plane, it is guaranteed you will be in a worse place when you get off.”

On planes, he is careful to stay hydrated, and recommends bringing along an extra bottle of water as what you receive from the flight attendants will not be enough. He wears compression socks, and makes sure to find the space to do simple stretches on flights for his blood circulation.

He does not eat airline food.

“Ninety-nine per cent of in-flight food is garbage,” he said. “I have a big meal before I fly, so that I am not starving when attendants offer me bad food they have reheated on board.”

He also brings his own snacks. “I always bring grass-fed beef jerky with no sugar. Even though it is salty, it is good protein and satisfying ... Plus, it requires a lot of chewing, which keeps you in check — you will not overeat it, like you will potato chips and pretzels. At some point, you just cannot eat any more jerky.”

Also on the “always pack” list are macadamia nuts, toasted seaweed sheets (they have anti-inflammatory properties, too), clementines because they are small and pack easily, and low-sugar energy bars.

“If you have time to prep, make a salad that includes avocado and sardines, anchovies, tuna, or mackerel,” he said.

“Oily fish tend to be good for keeping inflammation down and are therefore worth it, even if they are a bit stinky and alienate fellow passengers.” BLOOMBERG

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.