It’s not always easy to eat healthy when you are on the go. This is especially true when traveling. The food you find in airports and that is served on planes is not only unhealthy, but
often extremely unappealing. What I am eating when I travel often depends on where I am going. If I am beach bound, you’d better believe I am trying to my best (usually) to eat good before suiting up. Although I often have an ‘eat whatever I want on vacation’ kind of mind set, if I am going to be in a bikini for much of my trip, I try to keep myself in check until I actually arrive at my destination.
Traveling frequently comes with surprises. If you’ve ever boarded a plane and then heard the crew announce that you’ll be sitting on the runway until further notice, then you may have found yourself wishing you had some snacks in your carryon. I learned this the hard way once and have never traveled without snacks again. Several hours of delays + hunger does not = a happy traveler.
If you are road tripping or even need healthy snacks to keep with you at the office, these are a few great ones to keep on hand. I find all of these at Whole Foods and sometimes my local grocery store. If you don’t have luck at your stores, you can always order online. It’s usually easier to find a specific flavor you want online, also. Keep reading to learn more about each of my favorite healthy on the go snacks.
First, trail mix. I know what you’re thinking, you can find this at the airport. While, that is often true, when I read the ingredients in those carried in airports, they are full of a lot of not so great ingredients and preservatives. That is why I love Back to Nature trail mixes. There are several different varieties in addition to the harvest blend pictured above. They also make cookies, granola, and crackers. All of their products are organic and free of preservatives. You can search on their website for products that meet any dietary restrictions you might have including: dairy free, soy free, gluten free, vegan, peanut free, and kosher. I eat these as a pre-workout snack when I’m not traveling a lot, also.
Oh Justin, how I love your almond butter. Particularly when it is in these perfect little packages that you can keep in your purse, car, or desk. I can almost always find apples or bananas at the airport so adding these to either makes a snack that will keep me full longer. I’ve even been known to eat it right out of the package when I need a little snack. Even at home, I’ll eat a tablespoon or two (or three) of almond butter right from the jar for a protein-filled snack pre or post workout.
I love Chia. Chia is one of my favorite semi-recent discoveries. Nutiva has made chia extremely convenient by mixing chia seeds, fruit, and spices into a small little package. It is organic and has no added sugars or fruit concentrates. It’s so convenient, you don’t even need silverware, as you just squeeze it right out of the package into your mouth. Above is the apple pie spice flavor, which is my favorite. They also have plain apple and coconut mango. Nutiva makes several other healthy snacks and products including coconut oil, flour, and sugar. They also have hemp and red palm products.
For my sweet tooth, I love macaroons, always, but especially when traveling because I often find myself tempted by a giant bag of M&Ms, Sour Patch kids, or chocolate. Emmy’s Organics cures my sweet tooth without having to resort to a lot of bad candies that have dyes, additives, sugar, and processed crap. There are a ton of macaroon flavors including chai spice and chocolate chip, but my go-to flavors and those most frequently found in my local stores are coconut vanilla and dark chocolate. Emmy’s also has cereals and sauces.
Lara bars are my saving food grace. If you have not heard of or tried Lara bars yet, please do yourself a favor and get some to try ASAP. There are so many delicious flavors. From key lime pie to pecan pie to snickerdoodle during the holidays, you can meet almost any sweet craving with one of these. Pictured above is carrot cake, chocolate coconut chew (my current favorite, especially when I find myself wanting a candy bar), and pineapple upside down cake. I almost always have one in my purse and there are Lara bars in my desk, in my car, in my work bag.. you get the point. I find these so easily and love discovering new flavors. 2 AM and find yourself wanting fourth meal? Boom! Lara bar. Need a snack or a quick meal replacement? Yup, Lara bar. Lara bars are a gluten free blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. They are made from whole food and each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients. All bars are minimally processed and are as close to their natural state as possible.
Which snacks I keep on hand or bring with my on my travels change as I find myself walking the aisles of Whole Foods and discovering something new that sounds good. I can meet so many junk food cravings with foods that have good ingredients and are better for me without resorting to eating badly and feeling bad. The last thing you want is to eat food that leaves you feeling less than your best, especially on vacation.
