In the span of two months, I’ve traveled on 8 airplanes (the longest flight being 16 straight hours), 2 six hour bus rides, 3 four hour car rides (two of which were overseas in the Philippines), plenty of shorter taxis and bus rides in between and almost enough Ubers to start a mini franchise.
And during this whirlwind span of two months, I was surprised to see how many healthy options are available on the road these days. In fact, I didn’t have to settle for one fast food joint and, as a result, I felt better than ever instead of too damn tired after the long trips.
Now, I know I’m not the only one traveling these days so I thought I’d spend time with today’s article and show you some of my favorite ways to eat on the road or in the air. After reading this, you’ll have no excuses not to eat healthy.
What to Pack Ahead of Time
I’m not saying you have to spend an hour meal prepping for your next trip, but, it won’t hurt to pre-pack a few things.
Nuts + Seeds
This healthy combination takes a few seconds to create yet it’s one of the most satisfying snacks around. I’ll even carry nuts and seeds with me when I’m not traveling; they’re just that good for you (protein + fiber, need I say more?).
And with this simple formula, you can make a ton of different flavor combinations.
Choose roasted or raw seeds and nuts and combine them in a small tupperware or a Ziploc baggy. You don’t want to overfill your containers here since these are still high fat foods. Yes, they’re high in good fats, but, it’s still high fat (and high calorie).
My favorite combo is a mix of raw almonds and lightly salted pumpkin seeds.
Homemade Granola Bars
Sometimes I feel ambitious and tackle these tasty homemade granola bars from Elana’s Pantry.
They saved us when we hiked Machu Picchu (they traveled perfectly internationally) and everyone who has tried them has loved them.
I have to warn you though that these bars can be a bit crumbly which can get messy, but, they’re still worth it.
Plus, they don’t take much time to make and they use healthy ingredients which are both a win in my book.
Prepackaged Nut Butters
If putting together a nut and seed snack pack is too much work, you can always grab and go with prepackaged nut butters.
Companies like Justin’s sells individual nut butter packets and these adorable pretzel + almond butter snacks for on the go. The flavors range from vanilla almond butter to chocolate hazelnut butter and every normal flavor in between.
You can eat these bad boys right out of the packet which means they’re perfect for traveling on the road or in the air.
And if that wasn’t enough, thanks to their individual portions, you won’t have to worry about overdoing it like your homemade snack packs.
What to Do When You’re Already On the Road
Let’s get real for a sec. You may not always have time to prepack snacks let alone healthy ones. Sometimes you get stuck on the road or you don’t have a chance to grab a full meal for a while and you just need something to hold you over.
For those times, keep these tips in mind.
Look for the Biggest Gas Stations
This may sound obvious, but, the bigger the station is—and I’m not talking about number of gas pumps here, the more likely it is that the selection of healthy options is decent.
So anytime you’re stuck on the road, keep an eye out for the stations that have the biggest convenience stores since they’re packed with options.
7 Eleven is Not so Bad
7 Eleven has come a long way since their slurpee days. Yes, you can still get a mega slurpee on that one day, but, there’s way more to the brand than most realize.
At some point, they came out with a 7 Select brand that offers surprisingly healthy options. I’ve had an amazing (and fresh!) kale and quinoa salad (+ blueberries, apples, and a tiny sprinkle of cheese) from them and love their bottled white teas which are surprisingly not loaded with sugars. They even have healthy brands competing with their generic one.
The point is, if you can find a 7 Eleven on the road, check them out and don’t get lured by the unhealthy snacks and Homer Simpson-esque donuts.
And one more thing: not all of the 7 Select products are healthy so be smart when you check this brand out. Potato chips are generally not healthy even if they’re baked.
Grab these options instead:
Head for the Jerky
As a former vegetarian/vegan, this choice is hard to recommend but it’s one I’m a firm believer in now that I’ve switched back to my meat eating ways.
Jerky is low in calories, high in protein and good for you as long as you choose the right brands (slim jims are out).
Plus, because it takes so long to chew, you’ll have a harder time overeating and you’ll feel full much faster than if you had a Big Mac.
Keep an eye out for Krave’s jerky or Lorissa’s Kitchen (thanks mom!) which have a ton of enticing flavors. Both options are antibiotic and hormone free. I know 7 Eleven carries these and I’m starting to see more and more smaller gas stations doing the same so they shouldn’t be too hard to find. You can also stock up on them at places like Target.
Fresh Fruit or Veggies Cups
I stopped at a true trucker stop gas station and managed to find healthy jerky options, fresh fruit and a cup of raw veggies. Granted, the cashier did encourage me that the ranch dip comes with (I’m more of a blue cheese gal personally), but, it was still cool to see they had this as an option.
I plopped the veggies right into my cup holder and ate them like I would chips, except, for a fraction of the calories.
Fruit is also a good choice here too. Pair a fresh piece with some unsalted nuts and you’ll have a healthy snack to keep you going.
Nuts
Nuts can be a bit trickier.
See, there’s a ton of options at gas stations when it comes to nuts. The problem is that 90% of them are unhealthy for you.
This means you’ll need to do a bit more searching through the nut end cap to find one worth your waistline.
Ideally, you should choose raw and unsalted varieties.
If you get them roasted, they’ll have a bit more crunch as opposed to being on the chewier side with raw. If you’re craving salty, go for the crunch. If you like it sweet, opt for raw (cashews are perfect here).
And if your gas station doesn’t have these healthy options, try to choose a variety that’s at least reduced salt.
Lastly, if you can, avoid the peanuts and choose mixed nuts, almonds, cashews, or pistachios instead. And you definitely don’t want honey roasted anything since it’s all just sugar at that point.
Eat Salads the Smart Way
7 Eleven’s 7 Select kale and quinoa salad is so good that I crave it sometimes. But, it’s also high in sugar and calories if I’m not careful.
So, to be smart, I only use less than half of the dressing packet.
For starters, it’s only a half salad so it doesn’t even need a full packet of dressing.
And, on top of that, the dressing mixes really well and coats everything nicely so you won’t even notice the reduction.
By cutting the dressing, you’ll keep excess calories and sugar from creeping into your healthy choice and you won’t sacrifice the flavor.
Airplanes are No Excuse
With flights, you usually have a heads up when your trip is coming which means you have no excuse not to pack ahead of time.
I’ve traveled with everything I’ve listed on the pre-pack section and have had no problems traveling internationally with them.
I’ve even brought homemade granola bars to Machu Picchu/Peru and almonds all the way to Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The point is, as long as your food is not of the liquid variety, you won’t have any troubles passing through security.
With that said, I’ll travel with nuts and seeds, nut butter packets, or homemade granola bars whenever I’m flying.
And if you’re stuck at the airport without your trusty snacks, keep these tips in mind:
What to Look for at Airports
Most restaurants at the airport are not exactly healthy.
So instead of wasting my time or money trying to make something work, I look for the convenience store options instead.
First, I’ll look to see if any of the stores have a refrigerated section that offers more than just beverages. If they do, I’ll look for things like Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, or even a healthy salad.
Of course, you can always search for healthy nuts too which are great paired with a fresh piece of fruit as I mentioned earlier.
Some airports are even selling healthy green juices too which are always a great option.
When it comes to juices, reach for the green ones instead of the bright beet flavored ones. The ones with more fruit than veggies are going to have way too much sugar for one person to enjoy in a sitting. And without refrigeration, you won’t have too many options for keeping it with you.
Avoid This Sh!t Whenever You’re Traveling
And whatever you do, please avoid these items when you’re traveling. Not only will they make you feel and look like crap initially but they’ll also set you up for feeling worse once you arrive and this is just something you don’t need.
With that said, I’ll avoid anything that’s too high in:
- Sugar: Whatever you find should have less than 5 g of sugar per serving
- Salt: Most of us don’t drink enough water when we travel (me included!) so by adding anything too salty, you’ll be setting yourself up for bloat city and a potential headache. So avoid the salty options whenever possible.
- Carbs: I’m the type that cannot overdo it when it comes to carbs. If I do, I’m left sleepy and wiped out energywise. So for me, I try to take it easy on the carbs and look for high protein and healthy fat choices (nuts/avocados in salads) instead. As tasty as the potato chips look, they’ll only make you feel worse which traveling already has a habit of doing.
As you can see, eating healthy on the road has never been easier. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll feel so much better once you arrive at your destination.
And just because you’re traveling, doesn’t mean you have an excuse to eat like crap. Again, if you choose this route, you’ll be setting yourself up for having no energy, a bad mood and probably a few headaches too.
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