Festive food triggers: one baseline meal a day

1. Why one baseline meal matters

For many Ticked Bucket List travelers, it’s not one big meal that causes the crash – it’s three unstable days in a row. Blood sugar swings, trigger foods, alcohol and late nights stack up.

One safe baseline meal a day does three quiet jobs:

• Gives your gut something familiar to work with.
• Supports steadier meds timing and absorption.
• Shows your nervous system that not everything is out of control.

2. Define your safe baseline meal

Start from home. Ask:

• “What simple meal leaves me feeling most stable, more often than not?”
• “Which version of that is realistic on this specific trip?”

Examples:

• Oats or porridge with safe toppings.
• Rice + mild protein + non-trigger vegetables.
• Gluten-free toast, eggs and a non-trigger fruit.
• Simple soup and bread from a nearby café.

This becomes your Baseline Meal. It is not exciting – but it’s what makes the exciting meals possible.

3. Choose which meal to anchor each day

Pick the meal where you have the most control and the least social friction:

• Breakfast anchor: best if evenings are unpredictable and big.
• Lunch anchor: useful when staying with family who control breakfast, but you can step away mid-day.
• Evening anchor: works if mornings are chaotic but you own your nights.

Script for loved ones:

“To keep my pain and gut from exploding, I’m going to keep one meal a day very simple. That helps me join more of the fun instead of recovering in bed.”

4. Build your “safe plate map” before you go

Look at your destination and ask:

• Is there a supermarket or corner shop within easy reach?
• Does my stay have a kettle, microwave or fridge?
• Is there a café that can reliably do my baseline meal?

Make a mini list in your phone:

• “If things go wild, I can always get: plain rice from X, yoghurt and fruit from Y, simple soup at Z.”

Your future self at 21:30 after a loud family dinner will be very grateful.

5. Buffets, big meals and “just a taste” pressure

Tools that protect you in festive overeating zones:

• Half-plate rule: half your plate looks like your baseline; the other half is where you sample “festive”.
• One new thing per meal: not five new sauces plus three desserts plus mystery drinks.
• Micro-portions: you can honour the cook with a spoonful, not a full serving.

Scripts:

• “That looks amazing. My system is fussy now, so I’ll try a small portion so I can stay well for tomorrow too.”
• “I love that you made this. My body has changed a lot, so I’m going to have a tiny piece and see how I do.”

6. Alcohol, caffeine and sugar – the festive triangle

If all three are triggers, stacking them is like lighting three matches in the same room. Use a one-focus rule:

• If you want dessert, be more cautious with alcohol and late caffeine.
• If you want a drink and your meds allow it, keep dessert small and caffeine daytime only.
• If your meds interact with alcohol at all, “no thanks” is health care, not rudeness.

You’re allowed to protect tomorrow’s body, even if tonight’s table doesn’t understand why.

Next steps with Ticked Bucket List

• Pace your festive family itineraries
• Plan travel days around meds and food timing
• Map baseline meals into your pre-trip checklist
• Design your post-holiday recovery week

Festive food & baseline meal FAQs