If you’ve found your way to our about page on our website or our instagram, you’ve probably seen some fun facts about us on there. One of those fun facts about me is that I love to travel and I mean, love! I could talk about travel all day long and love hearing about clients' adventures.
One thing that often comes up in my conversations with clients is: what are good travel snacks? And that is a really good question!
Travel is an amazing thing but it can be hard to have consistent and balanced meals and snacks while traveling. Oftentimes, our routine and schedules are vastly different than they are at home, which isn’t a bad thing! Travel is a great way to try new foods and experience new cultures. So, today I’d like to share some tips that might help you stay nourished on your next adventure, along with some on the go travel snacks.
With a changing routine, it can sometimes be hard to determine our hunger and fullness cues. Time zone changes and long travel days don’t always make it easy. Packing snacks for travel days can help you stay nourished between meals, especially if you unexpectedly have any layovers or changes.
The easiest airport snacks are nonperishable items. You might not always be hungry or in the mood for what you brought, so this allows you to hang on to anything you might not eat right away. Items like crackers, pretzels, popcorn, trail mix, dried fruit, roasted chickpeas, beef jerky, “energy/protein balls”, banana chips, dry cereal, animal crackers, peanut butter packs or cups with fruit such as banana or apple, are all fairly easy to pack in your airport bag. Sandwiches are also a great airport snack like PB and J or even cold cut sandwiches, if you know you will be eating them within a reasonable amount of time.
If you’re like me and have special dietary needs (I have celiac disease and must follow a GF diet), always pack more than you think you might need, at least for travel days, if not for your entire trip. It’s better to end up carrying a few extra snacks in your bag, rather than going into every grocery or convenience store you see searching for a snack that you can safely eat. Even if you don’t have special dietary needs, packing a few extra things can help save money and time.
Not only can meals and snacks look different during travel days but during your trip, meals might be more spread out than usual. This is where snacks and some planning for lunch can come in handy.
Depending on where you are staying, you might have access to a kitchen. If so, it can be helpful to do a little research ahead of time and locate any nearby grocery stores or small shops that sell food. These can be great to stock up on water and snacks for the duration of your stay.
Some hotels may offer breakfast which is great, but some don’t. If you have a fridge at your accommodation you can grab things like yogurt and granola, cereal with milk or even eggs with toast for an easy breakfast, if you decide not to venture to a local breakfast spot.
Lunch is often the meal that can accidentally get delayed or skipped. Things like PB and J sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches or cold cut sandwiches and premade salads are available at most places that you can make in the morning before heading out on your fun adventure. In addition to breakfast or lunch items, you can also replenish your snack bag with things like cheese sticks or cheese and crackers, fruit, granola or protein bars and pretzels with hummus.
It can be helpful to reflect on past travels and times when nourishment wasn’t consistent. Was it because you didn’t pack enough snacks or maybe your days were packed with activities and there were no breaks for meals? At the end of the day you want to be able to enjoy yourself on your trip and not have to constantly think about planning or preparing for meals and snacks. A little bit of pre-planning can be helpful along with letting go of expectations for meals and snacks. The overall goal is to consistently nourish your body so you can feel good and enjoy your time exploring.. And maybe try a new food!
Also note: If you are traveling internationally, check any regulations the country might have on food. Most countries don’t allow fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, dairy products and meats. If this is the case, make sure you consume those snacks beforehand on the plane!