Eat Healthy when Traveling
Whether you are planning a fun family vacation this year, or just going on a business trip, here’s some healthy snacks that won’t make you gain weight while you are on the road or in the air.
A lot of these suggestions are geared toward road trips, since they will require you to have a cooler, but a lot of these will work for travel days at the airport as well!
Sandwiches
Nut Butters – I can’t help but love Almond Butter and Creamed Honey Sandwiches! What about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? You can make these sandwiches ahead of time on whole wheat bread, and keep it in an air tight container until you are ready to enjoy. They can get a little messy, especially with kids, so make sure you bring something to clean up with afterwards.
Meat – Sometimes, it’s just nice to have a really yummy and simple Tuna or Salmon sandwich. I like to use a mayo replacement and lots of pickles (I can’t help myself!). You can also add lettuce or tomatoes to your sandwich! If you aren’t eating your sandwich right away, put the tomatoes in between the meat of choice and the lettuce, since you probably don’t want them making your whole wheat bread soggy by the time you eat it.
Wraps – Try a whole grain tortilla with lettuce, low sodium lunch meat, and yummy vegetables of choice. This is a great low calorie meal that will help keep you full between meals.
Fruits and Veggies
Fresh – In separate containers, stock up on pre-washed berries, celery sticks (with peanut or almond butter for dipping), apple slices, carrots, cherry tomatoes, banana, cucumbers, and whatever fruit or veggies you will love to snack on. I suggest avoiding produce that is too messy to eat on the go.
Dried – Either pick the dried fruits and veggies with nothing added, or make them yourself! Dried bananas, apricots, and edamame are just some of the healthy dried produce you can snack on! You may want to also consider brining all natural fruit leathers to snack on – just make sure you buy the variety that don’t have any sugar added.
Protein
Mixed Nuts – I suggest buying something prepackaged or divide up the nuts in single serving containers so you don’t over eat! Nuts are very healthy for you, but they also have a lot of calories and should be limited – especially if you are sitting for long periods of time in a car or on an airplane.
Seeds – Sunflower seeds, for example, are full of protein and very healthy for you, and they are a great snack to help you keep full while you travel. Pick the raw sunflower seeds over the roasted and salted, since they are the healthiest choice.
Hard Boiled Eggs – This one definitely needs to stay cool, but it can be a great protein snack on the go during road trips.
Jerky – Pick the turkey over the beef jerky, and I suggest making your own to have a lower sodium content.
Beverages
Water – You need about 8 cups of water a day, sometimes more depending on your weight and activity level. Drinking plenty of water will also help you eat less since it keeps you full for longer. You can add a little flavor to your water by adding a little lemon!
Flavored – Want something more than just water? You should consider trying Honeydrop Beverages. They are USDA Organic and sweetened with honey, instead of sugar.
What to Avoid
Chips – Chips are usually pretty messy for a car or airplane trip, especially if kids are coming along. I suggest that you skip the chips since they are a lot of calories, don’t keep you full, and leave you craving for more.
Cookies – Crumbling cookies aren’t the best for travel for a number of reasons. Not only are they messy for on the go, but they are high in calories and don’t satisfy your hunger compared to healthier alternatives. Why even bother…?
Other Junk Food – I can’t list (or don’t want to) all of the junk food that you should avoid while traveling, but some of the ones I would avoid if Pop•Tarts, Quaker Rice Cakes, and doughnuts covered in powdered sugar. All should seem like obvious choices to avoid, but just make sure you check the labels. A lot of products marketed as healthy, aren’t all that healthy after all.
Have fun and safe travels, whether it’s for business or for vacation, and know that you truly can enjoy a healthy trip.
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