5 Best Travel Snacks
Having healthy travel snacks readily available is the key to balancing your hunger, cravings and energy levels while on the road
Trail Mix
Don’t jump the gun on this one ladies. I am not taking about the trail mix filled with M&Ms and peanut butter cups…bummer I know! There is nothing better than a great mix of nut medley to help keep your blood sugar levels up.
Key things to look out for: Make sure the nuts are “naked”, meaning no added salt. Some trail mixes can have up to 200mg of sodium per serving, which is close to 10% of your daily value. Stay away from “yogurt” covered raisins; it’s usually not real yogurt and contains lots of trans fats. Best way to know what is in your trail mix? Make your own. Go to the market and buy fresh nuts and dried fruit.
Fresh Fruit & Protein (Nuts)
The best snack and probably most accessible – fresh fruit! You can find it almost anywhere whether it’s at a gas station or a local street cart. Your best bet is to go with lower sugar fruits that are high in fiber. My top picks are apples, berries, grapefruits and pears. To help balance these snacks throw in some protein by adding a handful of unsalted almonds, or a piece of string cheese. Traveling is a great opportunity to try exotic fruit, whether you are in Hawaii or Bali there are lots of new and tasty fruits to try!
Hearty Fresh Veggies
As with fresh fruit, veggies are easily accessible to purchase just about anywhere. Not only are veggies a great source of fiber but they also have a high water content, which aids in feeling fuller. My top picks are baby carrots, green beans, cucumbers, and celery.
Hard-boiled Eggs
This one may be a bit trickier while traveling overseas if you do not have access to a kitchen, but these are one of my favorite go-to snacks. At the start of your day, boil half a dozen eggs to last you a couple days. I usually pack two in my purse. For those of you watching your cholesterol ditch the egg yolk, or limit yourself to one while still consuming the whites.
Protein bars
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this choice (hence it being the last on my list.) I did include it though because sometimes we are in a hurry and a protein bar is better than letting yourself go hungry, but the above “real” food options trump this snack. However, if this is the best it’s going to get, here are my top choices: Think Thin Bars (the white chocolate one is delish!), Balance Carb Well Bars, and Power Crunch Bars.
See Other Healthy Travel Tips:
20-minute hotel workout for traveling women
*Be prepared and snack happy with your healthy and easy travel snacks : )
Photo: ollesvansson korimatiessa
Great summery, Christina! We shouldn’t forget water too! Hydratation is just as important as balancing our hunger, cravings! 🙂
I’m a big believer in trail mix- it keeps almost indefinitely, usually no problem at customs, and packs a wallop of energy per handful. I tend to suffer from “digestive jet lag” -I’m hungry when it’s not mealtime at my destination- so I really appreciate being able to munch a little trail mix at 3:00 AM!
Fresh fruits and veggies are your best bet. They are easy to replace and will stay fresh all day so you don’t have to worry about eating them all in one sitting. Plus it’s easy to swap carrots for apples for a banana so you don’t get bored.
Great advise Christina! Enjoy your travels!
I love this post!! I’m a big believer in carrying healthy snacks with me when I travel. It keeps me from getting grumpy and feeling faint AND helps me choose real food when I do stop to eat since I’m not ravenous enough to eat whatever I can find.
As someone who has major trouble with low blood sugar, I try to carry lots of protein with me when I travel. Last month, I took a cross-country trip and I just happened to have gotten a bunch of shelled pecans for Christmas. (One of the perks of living in the South, I guess.) I took those little boys and roasted them in my oven, put them in a baggie, and had an instant, blood-sugar-stabilizing snack!
I’m roasting some edamame today… darn I seriously wish salt wasn’t so “bad” for us, but I do find once I start to cut back on it, after a few days my tasted buds adjust. If they’re good, I may post the recipe. I don’t think the protein content is as high as some other things here, but it does have some. Christina is on her way to SEAsia on a big trip.. We look forward to having her check back in with us and tell us what she’s snacking on over there… No bugs! 🙂
I love all of your comments and am so glad to hear that you are all snacking healthy! I just got back from my 3-month trip to SE Asia and Australia, I will be writing more articles from my experiences!