It’s tough when traveling to find gluten free, dairy free, sugar free options, so I always travel with snacks or food I could have for meals if necessary, but this time, I didn’t take enough.
The night before my trip this past week, I packed some left over roasted turkey and a hardboiled egg to put in my bag to have in the morning before boarding a 9:00 flight. I also packed about a ½ cup of raw unsalted almonds, thinking that would be plenty to get me through as a snack for the two days I’d be away. I drank about 18 ounces of water before leaving the house at 5:30 am and chose not to bring my glass water bottle because it would be heavy and could leak if not upright. Note to self, invest in a lighter Swell bottle.
While waiting to board around 8:30 am, I started getting hungry, so munched on the roasted turkey slices. Feeling good. Boarded, sat, mechanical difficulty, deplane, wait for information for an hour, plane cancelled, stand on line to find another flight, ate the hard boiled egg on line. Found a flight with two legs. First leg will leave at 5:00 pm. Went to the “diner” in the airport and had a veggie omelet. Transferred terminals to prepare for the first leg, sat, waited, walked around, went to another diner for Greek salad and lots of water. Sat, waited, bought a big bottle of water. First leg delayed. Finally boarded the plane for the first leg. Flight attendant passed out pretzels, skipped that, (not gluten free). Landed. Walk to gate for next leg. Sat. Starting to get hungry for dinner. Walked around but nothing appealing. Flight delayed. Sat, waited. Boarded plane for second leg. Ordered bloody Mary mix on the plane for dinner with a side of water. High in sodium, but filled my belly. Snacked on a few more almonds. Uber to hotel. Head on pillow at 1:00 am.
Next day, looking forward to breakfast at the training – fruit – only option. Ate some fruit. Lunch at training was actually good. Leafy greens, chicken, and grilled veggies. Had two plates, just in case there was no more food around later. Slow Uber to airport. No time for dinner before boarding, and honestly no choices except a chicken sandwich (not gluten free) or a chicken Caesar salad loaded with cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing. $1.12 for a banana at Dunkin Donuts. Bloody Mary Mix on the plane again for dinner. Out of almonds. Home by 10:30 pm. Yeah!
I’ve written about healthy living while traveling on vacation, or for business, but this last trip I went on threw me, and I decided to investigate healthy processed food – yes processed and packaged – that I will take ICE – In Case of Emergency – next time I travel. It’s tough finding healthy snacks that travel well. Certainly apples and almonds, but now I have some other options as well.
Here are a few options to add to my travel bag for next time.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oatmeal –no sugar added; just add water. There are several varieties including Classic with Flax & Chia, Fruit & Seed with Flax & Chia, Pineapple Coconut with Flax & Chia, and Cranberry Orange with Flax & Chia.
Enjoy Life Crispy Grain & Seed Bars – Non GMO, allergen free, plant-based protein (4 g), palm oil free, again with several varieties including maple sweet potato, banana caramel, chocolate marshmallow, and cranberry orange.
Made In Nature brand Figgy Pops Supersnacks – These little energy balls are all organic and non GMO. They come in several varieties such as Mocha Almond, Nutter & Jelly, Tart Cherry Pie, Banana Rama, Apricot Cashew, Mangoberry, Cranberry Pistachio, Apple Cinnamon, Ch-Ch-Cherry, and Choco Crunch with cocoa, cherries, dates, figs, seeds, coconut, cacao nibs.
HiFiBar Crunchy snack bar – vegan and gluten free with no added sugar. It’s low sugar, low glycemic index, high fiber. These come in a variety of flavors too, such as pumpkin spice orange, matcha tea ginger, coconut cranberry, lemon zest blueberry, and smoked paprika.
Wild Planet Skip Jack Wild Tuna – sustainably pole & line caught, 100% pure tuna and sea salt all in a pouch. It doesn’t need refrigeration and has 21 g protein, with lots of EPA and DHA Omega 3’s.
Seabear Ready to eat Wild Sockeye Salmon – again fully cooked, boneless, and skinless seafood in a pouch.
While these might not be your go-to’s while at home, they can certainly sustain you while on a trip. Delays are inevitable when traveling by air. And even if you are on the road, packing food from home will keep you on track with your quality nutrition goals. Be prepared for good health. I also got lots of steps in the airport. Keep moving and enjoy your travels!