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Hi Friends!
I like to think of myself as the ninja of traveling. As an IT consultant who traveled weekly for many years, I have a few tricks up my sleeve from my time on the road. In fact, if I hadn't stopped consulting and traveling I probably would've started a travel blog to share all my hacks, people watching and more!
A few weeks ago, I planned a vacation to L.A. I was all packed, ready to go, even got myself to the airport and terminal when I finally admitted to myself I was in too much pain from the car accident to be traveling anywhere but to my own couch. My attempted travel got me thinking how effortless it is for me to stick to my healthy eating habits when I travel. So today I'm sharing with you Healthy Travel Foods You Should Have In Your Suitcase.
Healthy snacks
Granola bars, trail mix and dried fruit are guaranteed to always be in my suitcase. With so many unhealthy things within reach at airports, it can be real easy for me to slip. When I have my own personal haul with me in tow, I'm much less likely to buy something unhealthy. They make great fillers for packing things snug too! When I was getting ready for my last trip, I swung by CVS to pick up a few snacks I love and few new ones too. That way I have something new to look forward to trying on the trip. Here's what I got.
- CVS Gold Emblem Abound Hearty Harvest Probiotic Trail Mix - awesome blend of sweet apricots dipped in yogurt mixed with dried cranberries, sweet raisins with crunchy pumpkin seeds and almonds YUM!
- CVS Gold Emblem Banana Crisps
- CVS Blueberry Lemon Almond Crunch - this is like almond granola minus the oats & so much better because blueberries and lemons well, those flavors just belong together
- CVS Gold Emblem Pomegranate & Cranberry Snack Bars - delicious mix of oats, almonds, cranberries, blueberries, pomegranate, hemp & sea salt
- CVS Gold Emblem Abound Goji Berry Blend Trail Mix
- CVS Gold Emblem Fuji Apple & Blueberry Clusters - I love the crunch of these
Protein
I like to carry a lot of protein with me when I travel to keep me full and sane. When I have the right amount protein in my diet, it keeps my blood sugar stable so I crave less sugar. It took me a long time to figure that one out, but once I did it made the world of difference in controlling my food cravings. I bring things like protein powders, single serve tuna packs and nut butter as well as raw nuts and seeds. They're all great options to get protein and a dose of healthy fat. Since I'm never sure what I'll feel like eating, I bring a variety to chose from. Here's what I packed along with my CVS snacks.
- Vega protein powder
- Single serve tuna packs
- Egg whites
- Chia & hemp seeds to top yogurt or salads with for my seed cycling
- NuttZo to go packs because I can't live a day without nut butter
Fresh Fruits & Veggies
A lot of people think they can't bring food through airport security, but that only applies to liquids. As long as the food is not a liquid, you can bring it with you into the terminal. I carry fresh fruits & veggies in my suitcase as a reminder to eat them while on vacation. For some reason I never think to eat them when I'm on the road, but if pack them I know I have to eat them or they'll go bad. Sort of eating out of guilt but hey, whatever works! A wide variety of single serve produce packs are available everywhere now which makes it so much easier to pack produce for travel. Here's a few things I bring.
- Single serve apples & blueberries
- Oranges, strawberries, cherries, melon
- Single serve carrots, celery & edamame
- Cucumber & broccoli
A Fresh Meal
I picked up a handy dandy lunchbox at CVS to pack a fresh meal for my trip. While airports do have a ton of healthy options when it comes to food, I still like to pack a meal from home for my outgoing flight because I know I'm going to be eating out a lot while I'm gone. Security had no issue with my food or my lunchbox. This lunchbox is awesome! I can't tell you how long I've been looking for one with dividers like this that isn't a million pieces (similar one here and the real one you can find here). It has 5 sections, comes with built-in utensils and even includes an ice pack.
I packed my lunchbox with kale, tuna & mustard, carrots and cherries. When I travel, I like to eat a lot of fiber at the beginning of my trip to keep my digestion happy. I'm usually off my routine and eating unfamiliar food for a couple days which messes up my body. Doing this, keeps things as "normal" as possible if you know what I mean. Not to mention airport food is ridiculously expensive. I'd rather save my money for the actual vacation and not spend it all at the airport.
Homemade Snacks
To compliment my CVS snack-age, I stashed a few orphan snacks from the freezer in my carry-on that desperately needed to be eaten. With all my cooking and baking, I sort of forget what I have in there. From time to time, I purge things and prepping for a trip is the perfect time to inspect what I have on hand that I should eat. It would really be a crime to waste grain free oatmeal raisin cookies and super seed bites.
I like to have a bunch of snacks with me, homemade & store bought and a variety of them too. I'm more likely to stay on the healthy train when I have a variety to pick from otherwise I get bored eating the same thing over and over. Snacks also tame the hangry monster in me. You just never know when it's going to strike!
Water Bottle
My carry-on always has a self filtering water bottle that I can easily fill up after getting through security. Many larger airports offer water stations some even filtered. They're convenient and a huge money saver! It's important to stay really well hydrated on flights as the compression dehydrates you. Then when I get to my destination I have my bottle with me ready to go everywhere with me so I can stay plenty hydrated during my trip. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere at home so it feels just like home!
There you have it! Now you know my secret to traveling with healthy food and sticking to healthy eating habits. I think now that I told you my secrets, you should tell me yours!
But first my friends CVS are graciously offering one of my readers the chance to win an assortment of their Gold Emblem Abound snacks. Enter below for a chance to win these delicious snacks! Giveaway is open through this Saturday.
CVS Gold Emblem Abound Snacks
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What are some of your favorite travel hacks?
Lots of Health, Food & Love,
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Disclosure: While I partnered with CVS to bring you this post, all opinions stated here are my own.
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love these snack ideas! i travel weekly for work and have found myself in a jam way too many times not being prepared with snacks.