Travelling can help enrich your life, expand your horizons, and even help you build your confidence and increase your ability to handle stress, but it can also be a stressful experience. What makes traveling so beneficial (change of pace, lack of familiarity) can also make it equally daunting. When we’re traveling— especially when we’re on route to our destination—our sleep patterns and eating habits can be massively disrupted.
Whether it’s road trips, airports, or train rides, we all dread having to rely on mass-produced, single-serving food to get us through our journey. Not only is the food unappetizing, but low blood sugar from lack of eating can increase your stress levels, making your trip even more unnerving.
To avoid this, we recommend having some easy-to-carry snacks with you while you travel. Essential if you have kids and still hugely beneficial if you’re on your own, having a selection of simple, nutritious snacks will make your trip run that much smoother.
Here are seven travel-friendly snacks that you can carry in your pocket for when you get peckish on the road:
- Nuts
Nuts are a high-protein, high-energy snack that is packed with fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, and “good” fats. Easy to transport and tasty to consume, nuts are a go-to travel snack for us. However, be wary of the coatings on the nuts. Salt, sugar, or other flavorings can quickly make nuts unhealthy calorie bombs.
- Jerky
If you’re a meat eater, jerky is an excellent way to have an on-the-go source of protein. That being said, not all jerky is created equal. Nitrites, sodium, and other nasty flavoring additions can make this treat unhealthy—so be sure to check the package first!
- Coconut date balls
This tasty mix of cocoa, shredded, unsweetened coconut, chia seeds, and dates are not only incredibly delicious, but it’s also satisfying and filled with healthy energy sources. All you need is a food processor and your hands to roll these out.
- Energy Bites
Energy bites or balls are sweet, simple treats that are balls of granola you can carry with you. Recipes abound for these, and you can include almost anything you would like, including peanut butter, coconut oil, chocolate chips, protein powder and more.
- Homemade protein bars
Many people prefer to avoid store bought protein bars since they are often packed with artificial sweeteners and chemical ingredients. Luckily, it’s dead simple to make protein bars with your favorite protein powder. Making your own protein bars means you can also make them high-fat, gluten-free, low-salt, or whatever you prefer.
- Banana or plantain chips
We all know the issues around carrying bananas with us. What was once a perfectly ripe banana will be transformed into a soft, blackened tube within a couple of hours of being carried around in any bag—no matter how careful you are. To avoid this, we recommend carrying banana or plantain chips. These oven baked snacks are just as healthy and filling but will satisfy any crunch-cravings and stay edible even after being jostled around.
- DIY party mix
DIY party mix or hiker’s trail mix will let you create your own, perfect trail mix can you can dip your hand into at any point on your travels to get an energy boost. Make it savory or sweet, add nuts, fruits, wasabi peas, or toasted cereal—the options are endless!
