I am all about snacking mindfully. Snacking not only keeps the hangry beast at bay, it stabilizes blood sugar, optimizes your metabolism, and prevents overeating. Travel should not be an excuse to let your clean and conscious eating habits go by the wayside. Sure, I am all for a vacation indulgence or two, but it should be worth it and not because you did not set yourself up for success. Airport and airplane food are notoriously unhealthy and laden with preservatives, sodium, and sugar. But why get stuck in a bind? Here are six snacks which are travel-appropriate and will leave you looking and feeling great by the time you reach your destination.
Before we get to the goodies, here are a few flight rules and regulations to keep in mind to avoid getting busted by security and to stay on friendly terms with your seatmate.
- no liquids
- room temperature appropriate food only, i.e no refrigeration required for extended periods of time
- no offensive smelling items (hard boiled eggs, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts, or foods heavy on the onion and garlic)
- pack snacks that can maintain their texture and consistency, especially when jostled around
- your snack should be easy to eat and not messy - no cutting, wet naps, or bib required
chickpea salad
In a bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsps white balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fold in 1 box/can rinsed sodium-free cooked chickpeas, 1 small red bell pepper diced, 3 sliced radishes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and 1/4 cup chopped red onion. Finish with freshly ground white pepper and transfer to a travel friendly container. Aim for 1/2 cup per serving.
spicy sesame cucumbers
In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar, 1/2 small red chili pepper minced, seeds removed, and 2 tbsps toasted sesame oil. Transfer vinaigrette to a travel friendly container. Cut 5-6 seedless cucumbers lengthwise into 6-8 slices. Then cut each slice crosswise so you have 2-inch sticks. Place cucumber into the container, sprinkle with black or white sesame seeds, and cilantro. Shake container to mix. Refrigerate for at least an hour before packing.
nutbutter filled raspberries
Fill raspberries with your favorite nutbutter for a spin on pb + j.
avocado salad + rice cakes
Gently mix together an avocado cut into cubes, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1 chopped radish, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a travel friendly container and eat with rice cakes. Aim for a quarter of an avocado and 2-3 rice cakes per serving.
Peanut butter + jelly trail mix
In a travel jar (I like to repurpose jelly or mason jars), combine lightly salted peanuts, apple juice sweetened cherries (you can find them at Whole Foods Market), and unsalted cashews. Aim for 20 nuts per serving and 1/4 cup dried fruit.
baked sweet potato chips
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Thinly slice 2 sweet potatoes using a knife or a mandolin. On parchment paper-lined sheet trays, toss sliced potatoes with 2 tbsps olive oil, and 1 tsp each of paprika, cumin, coriander, and sea salt. Bake for 2-3 hours, flipping the potatoes and rotating the pans half way through cooking. Chips are done when they are golden and lightly browned. Some chips may remain a tad soft in the center - let them air out for a few minutes. Even the softish ones are delicious. Transfer to a paper bag. 15-20 chips per serving is recommended.
The tools
Metal tin from planetbox
Plastic fork from black + blum
Glass containers from williams sonoma
Napkins by susty party
If you don't want to lug around a glass container, and really who does, consider repurposing a plastic to-go container that you can easily recycle once you reach your destination.
Happy Travels