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Going to the eclipse?

Get ready. You know there will be traffic and crowds. If you are a Totality Hunter like me, don’t plan on getting into a local restaurant. Best bet is BYOE – Bring Your Own Everything.

TOTAL ECLIPSE MENU

Breakfast

What do you think about breakfast these days? Do you eat it? I don’t for a few reasons including better glucose-control. A cup of coffee or two and water will take me to lunch.

If you do eat breakfast, consider Overnight Oats (recipe at end of article), easy to make the night before and take to-go for early morning starts.

Note to self – bring travel coffee cup.

Lunch

  1. Sandwiches and Wraps: Easy to customize but possibly tricky to get morning-of as stores will be crowded. Buy your food the night before. Wraps store better overnight if you have refrigeration. PB & J might be the ticket.
  2. Vegetable crudité: Pack carrot sticks, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper strips along with some dip like hummus or ranch dressing in to-go packets. To-go packets (mayo, mustard, salsa) are really handy on the road.
  3. Salads: Opt for salads that hold up well during transport, such as pasta and bean salads (made with vinegar/oil-based dressing), quinoa salad, or a kale salad in a sealed container.
  4. Chips and dips: potato chips, pretzels, or popcorn – after all, we;re going to the best movie short of recent time!
  5. Travel well: Olives, candied salmon, veggie sushi, hard boiled eggs from 7-Eleven.
  6. A sweet yummy – fruit, dried fruit, cookies, brownies.
  7. Water: Don’t forget to bring plenty!
  8. Travel knife and small cutting board. Pack in checked luggage.

Go-Without-Chill-Till-Dinner

Traffic might keep you out on the road till the dinner hour. Be prepared! I’ve brought a small cooler as a carry on bag in the past. I’m packing this cooler for the eclipse. It fits flat into my luggage.

Best bet is to have foods that don’t need chill. Peanut butter to the rescue!

  1. Veggies: Eat them, they love you. Cucumbers, snap peas and carrots hold well.
  1. Nut butters: Peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut spreads are calorie-dense and provide protein and healthy fats. Pack in small containers or get single-serve packets.
  2. Tortillas and breads: Use with nut butter, cheese, or canned tuna (bring mayo packets).
  3. Avocado and tomato: Slice for bread and crackers
  4. Dried fruits and nuts: Lightweight and calorie-dense, combine a variety of nuts like almonds, cashews, and walnuts together with dried fruits like raisins, apricots, and cranberries.
  5. Jerky and dried meats: High in protein and portable, jerky and dried meats are excellent choices. Vegetarians make sure to check out mushroom jerky.
  6. Cheese: Hard cheeses like cheddar or Dry Jack last well without refrigeration.
  7. Fresh fruit: Grapes, apples, bananas and oranges travel well.

Remember to pack utensils, napkins, plates, cups, and maybe even a chair. A trash bag for clean up afterward because we leave no trace.

Make sure to note your eclipse time the day before and don’t forget your glasses.

Food Party! Destination

Melbourne, Arkansas

Start time: 12:36 p.m. Totality: 1:53:07 p.m. End time: 3:13 CDT.

Be a citizen scientist at the eclipse with your cell phone and Sun Sketcher.

Photos courtesy of LSIC

I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for years.

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