Top Tips For No Fuss Healthy Travel Snacks
So I’m currently writing this on a flight (again)! This year has been full of travelling for work purposes and I’m not complaining but, it’s not always easy to make healthy choices when the food options are limited at most airports, budgets are tight and airlines charge a small fortune for anything half decent on board. To avoid a busted wallet and soggy sarnies, I always try to pack my own (mess free’ish) food before we leave. With that in mind and holiday season upon us, I thought I’d share some of my tips and “food on the go” options.
If you’re lucky enough to have a local shop with pre-prepared healthy options then they can be great, however I personally worry what the quality of food is like when mass produced for retail outlets. Here are a few tips I swear by when travelling;
If you don’t have any already, invest in some decent snack boxes or BPA free plastic containers. Leakages are not pretty and they make it real easy to travel with healthy foods.
Avoid bringing or buying too many liquids (they’ll just be confiscated at security anyway). You can pick up some water on the other side of security checks to take with you on the plane. I always do this because both myself and the kids usually get thirsty before the stewardess comes round with the trolley.
- Select a good balance of sweet and savoury. Sometimes we need a little sugar after a long flight!
Sweet options
- My absolutely favourites are berries! Juicy blueberries, raspberries and blackberries hands down beat any packet sweets and are full of anti-oxidants and vitamin C. If you’re on a flight, berries can give a helping hand with fighting off any lergies carried by other passengers and will keep your glowing complexion pristine!
- The humble Apple is easy to travel with and will freshen your palate quickly
- Dried fruits like mango, apricots and papaya are a delicious and mess free option (just avoid dried fruits with sulphites).
- Dark chocolate is also a winner and the magnesium could help to relax any anxiety you might have with flying. Opt for fair trade and organic with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids some popular brands now make handy mini sized bars.
- Organic coconut chips are another tasty and easy option, just whack them in your snack box and away you go.
Savoury ideas
- I love avocados so guacamole is a great way for me to top up on healthy fats, chopped veg sticks used as dip-sticks work wonders I normally go for cucumber, red pepper and carrot but you could be as adventurous as you like, have you tried raw asparagus? If you don’t like avocados try making a hummus from cashew nuts or full fat cream cheese. Big lip licking emoticon needed here…
- Nuts are another staple of mine but I have been on flights were they were prohibited due to passenger allergies. So be prepared that you might be denied them. I like raw nuts but if you don’t… I’ve stolen a friends recipe recently in which she roasts almonds in coconut oil, cinnamon and pink salt – OMG! So good it should be illegal. Nuts are a great rounded snack with a good balance of fats, protein and carbs. Avoid pre-packed roasted or salted though as they contain the sodium and fats that we should limit and have very little benefits.
- Olives – Easy peasy you might even be lucky enough to get them on board the flight.
- Meat. Why settle for a bag of roast beef crisps when you could have real roast beef instead? This goes for any meat really (apart from pepperonis and some other processed meats). Prepare a few extra servings in the meals you cook in the days before travelling and set the portions aside in the fridge, or freezer if they are thin pieces and you have a long journey. Thinly sliced beef, ham or Turkey is an easy, quick and tasty finger food. Protein will help keep you feeling fuller for longer and less likely to snack on foods you don’t want to be tempted by. I always opt for organic and grass-fed meat, the flavour can’t be beat and it’s packed with vitamin K2 (something we need and is not found in factory raised livestock where they don’t get to feed on sun-grown grass and shrubs).
- Only pack what you really need for your journey, packing too much ‘just in case’ can lead to over eating or wasting food.
- Keep it tasty and fun, feeling deprived is the last thing you want to feel when arriving at your destination. Fresh and fabulous? Yes please…
These options require little to no fuss to prepare, keeping the options simple and easy makes it more manageable and far less stressful. My two young daughters enjoy these snacks too. The addition of practical and pretty snack boxes make them more fun!
Do you have any more travel tips for healthier eating on the go? We would love to read about them in the comments below.
Happy travelling ✈️✌?️
Natalie x