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Traveling can open your worldview, allow you to experience other cultures, and provide the opportunity for connection with family and friends. At the same time, it can wreak havoc on your well-being—if you're not careful. A little bit of careful planning can go a long way when it comes to keeping up with healthy habits while you're traveling.
Here, we'll take a look at why healthy snacking matters when you're traveling and explore easy-to-pack snacks that support your health and taste great.
The importance of healthy snacking while traveling
Healthy snacking is key to maintaining a healthy metabolism, supporting energy levels, and maintaining weight (or weight loss, depending on your needs and goals). When traveling, it can be easy to fall into the trap of all-too-convenient high sugar, high fat snacks that are packed with empty calories. Planning ahead can make it easier to avoid the nutritional pitfalls that seem to be around every corner when you're making your way from Point A to Point B.
Healthy snacking offers many benefits, including:
- Can provide a nutritional boost if you're unable to eat full meals due to traffic, short layovers, etc.
- Can provide additional fiber and nutrients to support digestive and immune health
- Curbs appetite, decreasing the likelihood of eating beyond fullness at the next meal
- Provides a coffee-like burst of energy if several hours have passed since your last meal
Healthy snacking can be a beneficial choice every day—not just when you're traveling. That being said, healthy snacking while traveling is certainly more difficult than healthy snacking when you're at home or in the office. Let's explore some simple healthy travel snack options.
Portable fruit and vegetable options
Loading up on fruits and vegetables before you hit the highway or the airport is a convenient, simple way to get the nutrients that you need.
Try these simple options for getting more produce into your day when you're traveling:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Cucumber slices
- Snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes
An important note: it's a good idea to stay away from dried fruit while you're traveling. While it's delicious, it's super-high in sugar, and can leave you in the middle of an energy crash soon after the initial boost of energy wears off.
Protein-packed snacks for sustained energy
Protein-heavy snacks are a fantastic way to keep your energy up while you're traveling. That being said, most of us aren't interested in packing a day's worth of room-temperature chicken or turkey in our carry-ons.
Try these high-protein options to help you feel great as you move toward your destination:
- Nuts with healthy fats like almonds, walnuts, and pistachios
- Single-serving almond or peanut butter packets (pair with fruits for a fulfilling snack)
- Protein bars with 10-20g of protein
- Single-serving cottage cheese cups
Whole grain and fiber-rich snacks
Enjoying balanced nutrition while you're traveling can help to ensure that your body's systems—including your digestive system—are functioning normally. Whole grain and fiber-rich snacks can help to keep you feeling your best despite travel fatigue.
Try these options to keep your fiber and whole grain intake up while you're traveling:
- Whole grain crackers (look for options made with oats, quinoa, or brown rice)
- Popcorn
- Oatmeal bars
- Whole grain, high-fiber wraps/tortillas
- Fiber-rich muffins (look for recipes that require flaxseed, oats, or whole wheat flour)
- Roasted chickpeas
- Whole grain rice cakes topped with hummus
Hydration tips and healthy drink options
Dehydration can affect your mood and mental health, energy levels, and even your immune system function. Staying well-hydrated while traveling is key to feeling your best. Dry air, changes in climate, and changes in sleep schedules can all contribute to dehydration.
Try these tips to stay hydrated while traveling:
- Keep a water bottle with you and take advantage of water bottle refill stations at airports and rest stops.
- Drink at least 8 ounces of water for every hour that you're flying.
- Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, as both can contribute to dehydration.
- Enjoy hydrating snacks like watermelon, celery, cucumber, strawberries, and cantaloupe can help with hydration.
At Evidation, we're here to support your health no matter where you go
From sleep patterns to nutrition habits to stress levels, travel can take a toll on your body, and having support in place before you hit the road (or the sky) can help you feel your best from one destination to the next. Using wearable health tracking devices or inputting your health data into apps can help you keep unhealthy habits in check, even when you're rushing from one terminal to the next.
Consistent tracking of health data can show patterns and trends that might be hard to put together on your own. At Evidation, we take it a step further. Once you start tracking your health data, the Evidation team can put your hard work to good use. We aggregate the data you choose to share from multiple apps, allowing us to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that can propel your health forward.
At Evidation, we're here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life, no matter where your travels take you. Whether you're just getting started on your healthy lifestyle journey or you've been dedicated to feeling your best for decades, we're here to help you take your wellness to the next level. Click here to learn more about how Evidation works and download our app today.
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