Healthy Travel Snacks to Pack for Your Next Trip

Traveling, whether it’s for pleasure or work, often throws a wrench into your normal eating schedule. If you plan ahead and pack healthy snacks you will avoid the hunger pangs that result on binging on whatever is right in front of you. So, which snacks are actually healthy? There is so much misinformation spread from marketers trying to make junk food appear healthy that it’s hard to know what is really good for you. I’ll help simplify your search for healthy travel snacks by providing a few key points to keep in mind as you browse the grocery store.

Snack on Healthy Fats

Snacking on whole foods is the best option. They will provide the most nutritional benefit because they aren’t processed. It’s just food in its natural state. The farther food gets from the farm the less nutritious it becomes. As food is processed the nutritional composition changes and other ingredients with no nutritional value are often added. Even minimal processing changes nutritional content. Cooking vegetables, in general, decreases the vitamins but in some cases transforms the nutrients for the better. In particular, cooking tomatoes increases their lycopene content and allows for better absorption. Steaming carrots can increase their beta carotene. The lesson here is that fresh, whole food is the healthiest snack option, so be mindful of the level of processing food has gone through before placing it in your grocery cart.

Translating this information into what whole foods make for good travel snacks takes a little outside the box thinking. Here are my suggestions:

Nuts

These are a staple in my diet and I always pack them when traveling. Due to their high fat content you only need a handful to feel satisfied. In addition to healthy fat, you’ll benefit from the protein and huge amount of micronutrients. I recommend organic, raw nuts which are found in nearly all grocery stores. This will help ensure you’re getting the largest amount of nutrients. Buy two to three kinds of nuts to give yourself a variety of nutrients:

• Almonds- vitamin E, magnesium
• Cashews- magnesium, zinc
• Walnuts- omega 3 fats
• Pecans- anti-oxidants
• Pistachios- iron and they assist in producing melatonin to help with jet lag.

Steer clear of candied and flavor-coated nuts because they tend to have added ingredients that will spike your blood sugar and can lead to dehydration.  If selecting roasted nuts check the ingredients to make sure there are no additives.

In addition to nuts, packing almond butter or peanut butter packets is another good option for a quick pick-me-up. If you can’t find the packets, simply prepare nut butter and cracker sandwiches before you leave home.

Seeds

Despite the small size, seeds contain a huge amount of nutrients and tend to be high in healthy fats, so they help to curb hunger cravings. Seeds are often overlooked as a snack food but because of their high nutritious value I recommend them as a travel snack to keep your energy levels up. A couple to add to your bag:

• Pumpkin seeds- zinc
• Sunflower seeds- vitamin E, fiber

Mix them with your bag of nuts, and if your’e like me and have a sweet tooth, add a small amount of extra dark chocolate chips to create  trail mix.

Healthy Fruits and Veggies

Fruit

This might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about healthy travel snacks. Most fruits don’t require refrigeration and are very portable. The key to choosing fruit is to focus on fruit that has a low glycemic load. Simply put, glycemic load refers to the amount of fiber and natural sugar in fruit. High fiber balances out the high amount of natural sugar, resulting in steadier blood sugar and fewer sugar cravings later in the day. Try sticking to fruit with a glycemic load of less than 11. Good choices include:

• Apricots
• Wild blueberries and blackberries
• Oranges and nectarines
• Cherries
• Watermelon

These can all be found at local farmers markets if you prefer to buy them during your travels. Wild blueberries are a little tougher to find than most so if you’re longing for blueberries, consider a summer trip to Acadia National Park in Maine because it’s an excellent place to find wild blueberries.

Aside from the traditional fruits, there are other great healthy travel snacks that will keep you satisfied. Avocados and olives are often thought to be vegetables, but remember that anything with a seed is a fruit. Avocados are packed with healthy fat that will stave off hunger and help keep your blood sugar under control. They are also an excellent source of potassium. One avocado contains about 20% of the recommended daily potassium intake.

Olives are a staple of the mediterranean diet and in addition to their heart-healthy oil, they are a terrific source of Vitamin E and fiber. Their slightly bitter taste is the result of olives being packed with antioxidants. Pack a handful in a small container for easy snacking or look for travel-friendly packages of olives at your local grocery store.

If you prefer to snack on dried fruit while traveling, be sure to read the labels and avoid those with added sugar and preservatives. Organic dried fruits from Newman’s Own Organics are what I look for. Single serve fruit bars from That’s It also don’t contain added sugar and are found in most grocery and convenience stores. Starbucks also sells them.  For a little more crunch, I love Bare banana chips.

Veggies

This is a no-brainer, as I’m sure you’re aware. You already know vegetables are an important part of your everyday diet and shouldn’t be eliminated while traveling. Although you won’t be packing a salad in your suitcase, you can still pack a few snacks for the car or plane ride. For their portability and no refrigeration required, I love:

• Carrot sticks
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini slices
• Cherry tomatoes

I like to eat all of these on their own but if you like having something to dip them in, hummus is a good choice.

Eat Healthy Granola Bars

Granola bars are commonly thought to be a healthy travel snack. They are most definitely not! Granola bars are candy bars marketed to be healthy. They are full of sugar and sugar is often the number one ingredient. Yes, they usually contain healthy ingredients like oats, nuts and seeds, but the amount of sugar in granola bars negates the benefits.  If you want the convenience of having a neatly packaged bar for quick energy, my go-to is the Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bar or the EPIC Performance Bar.  Both are naturally sweetened and provide protein to help keep you full. The Bulletproof bars are a good option for those on the Paleo or Keto diet. I also like to make my own energy bars. I pack them in aluminum foil and eat them for breakfast throughout my trip. It’s a great way to save a little money and you know you’re eating a wholesome meal.

The world of snacking can be tough to navigate, and these are just a few ideas. I hope they get you started thinking about how you can best satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs while traveling. Please comment if you have other go-to healthy travel snacks. I would love to hear from  you!