The Art of Having Fun

Happy & Healthy: Healthy Travel Snack Ideas

by

8 years ago

Healthy snacking ideas for when you're on-the-go Summer is always a tricky time of year to achieve the perfect (yet delicate) balance between structure and flexibility when it comes to my diet. The good news is the warm weather definitely forces me to stay hydrated by sipping on water more often than usual, as well as getting an extra helping of refreshing foods like fruits. On the other hand, my schedule is more laidback and sometimes it’s easy to fall out of my healthy eating routine. This is even more true when I’m getting on a plane, jetting from one place to another. We all know that airports don’t exactly have the healthiest of selections when it comes to travel snacks… I mean, talk about salt and chocolate covered everything, right? Not helping! Now that I’m trying to make my health kick more of a lifestyle change than just a small spurt of determination, I’ve really been racking my brain for some healthy ways to keep full while on the road (or in the air). I’ve heard it a million times before, but I’m really starting to realize that preparation and bringing your own snacks is the key to staying on track. And if you’re like me when I started my snack-searching, you’re probably wondering what makes a snack healthy in the first place. Here are some basic rules of thumb: Keep it around 150-250 calories, get something with a few grams of fiber and protein, and make sure it’s not high in fat (keep it under about 12 grams). Nutritionist Kelly LeVeque helped me out a little bit here, and passed on some great ideas for healthy snacks to pack. And since everyone has different kinds of cravings, Kelly gave us a little bit of everything. (Let’s be honest, I feel like my cravings change by the minute, so having a variety is extremely helpful.) Plus, any of these options would be a snap to throw in your bag and take in the car or on a plane. Here are a few snack ideas for something sweet, crunchy, salty, and creamy:

SWEET

  1. Organic Coconut Yogurt
  2. Dates Stuffed with Almond Butter
  3. Fresh Pressed Juices
  4. Frozen Blueberries with Almond Milk

CRUNCHY

  1. Baby Carrots or Rice Crackers with Hummus
  2. Pickles (or any other organic pickled vegetables)
  3. Raw Almonds or Nut Mix
  4. SkinnyPop Popcorn

SALTY

  1. Sliced Protein and Whole-Wheat Tortilla Roll Ups
  2. Homemade Veggie Chips
  3. Krave Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky
  4. Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and Guacamole

CREAMY

  1. Almond Butter with Apple Slices
  2. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  3. ½ Avocado with Himalayan Pink Salt
  4. Homemade Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Obviously, because of the grab-and-go nature of snacking to begin with, your snacks won’t always be perfect. But the goal is to be reaching for something better than whatever you can find on that convenience store shelf. Hopefully these snack ideas give you some good direction, and keep you energized while you’re on the go! What’s your favorite healthy bite to have during the summer season? Xx Gray Photos: Gray Malin