Travel and Snack Tips
Here is a pic of my travel snacks! There are a few additional products not listed above like Trader Joe's salad toppers, hemp hearts (great source of healthy fat and protein on salads), Hu chocolate and Vital Proteins Collagen Coffee Creamers as well as Four Sigmatic Mushroom Hot Cacao.
As we head into the upcoming holiday week I know that many of you will be traveling to see family and friends and wanted to share the snacks/food I pack whenever I leave town and a couple other tips to staying relatively "on track".
While this way of living has become a regular habit for me, I realize that this is not easy for most people who are trying to eat healthy. When a recent cleanse client asked how to stay on track during an upcoming family vacation, I decided to create a travel snack box for her (and just did it again today for her upcoming trip). I may start offering this service locally in Minneapolis so please reach outif you're interested!
My first piece of advice is to never go to the airport or on a road trip without any food. Even if you have a short flight you never know if you’ll be delayed and typically most airports (and gas stations) are food deserts.
Here is a list of the foods you’ll find in my carry-on and/or suitcase:
Veggies: Raw cut-up veggies in Ziploc bags (or Stasher Reusable Silicon Bags). Pack individual size hummus and/or guacamole. You can also pack a salad to be eaten within a couple hours and carry a small ice pack to keep it cool.
Nuts and seeds: Individual snack size packets from Trader Joe’s are great (opt for raw or dry roasted…not salted). Make your own trail mix with nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut chips and cacao nibs (a little dried fruit without any added sugar is ok too).
Nutbutter: Justin’s sells individual packets and available at most stores now, great for short trips and I really like Yum Butter which is a large reusable pouch and contains superfoods and yummy flavors (perfect for longer trips).
Clean Protein Bars:My favorites are Dales Raw Foods, Rawr Organics, Mammouth, Health Warrior Pumpkin or Chia seed, and Perfect Keto.
Dales Raw Foods is having their 8-year anniversary sale and all boxes of bars are BOGO through January 31st. They have many delicious flavors but my favorites are: lemon, pumpkin, carrot cake, mint chocolate chip and blueberry macadamia. If you like cafe mocha then you will like this flavor too!
Fruit: cuties, bananas and apples travel well on flights. Use disposable containers for berries. Add nut butter to apples/bananas. Bring avocados
Hard boiled eggs
Overnight Oats: Great for road trips but could also be packed in a suitcase with an ice pack on a short flight.
Lemons: I always start my day with warm water and lemon so I either bring a couple with me or use my essential oil (which is high quality and made to be taken internally).
Shakes: Make a simple protein shake using protein powder and shaker bottle. Add Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder to get more nutrients and a collagen based or MCT oil powder for healthy fat.
Crunchy snacks: Make your own trail mix, The Good Bean roasted chic peas, roasted fava beans, plantain chips.
Meat/fish: Canned wild tuna or salmon (boneless) and high quality beef sticks (grass fed/organic). I often make a medley of roasted vegetables and grilled chicken to bring on road trips. Bring mixed greens, cooked grains, avocados and salad dressing too.
Depending on your ultimate destination, I recommend ordering groceries to be delivered upon your arrival. Even if you only have a small refrigerator and microwave you can purchase food for breakfast, snacks and even a light lunch. I just placed an order for our upcoming trip to Park City so that we have food for breakfast and for snacks when we are all hungry after a day of skiing.
In addition to eating as close to your normal diet, I also recommend movement to keep your mood and energy up and maintain a healthy immune system. There are so many gyms available throughout the country now but I love to mix it up and get outside more when I'm traveling. Aim to get at least 10K steps a day by running, walking or playing at the park with your kids. Use apps and workout videos to create your own exercise routine that can be done in a small hotel room or workout studio.
Finally, with so many Americans in a state of sleep deprivation, I encourage everyone to get their zzz's. Use this opportunity to wake up without setting an alarm and determine how much sleep your body really needs. Allow your body the chance to rest and repair itself from the busy holiday season when you may have been a little short on sleep. I recently listened to an excellent podcast on sleep and how it affects your overall health including your ability to lose weight. Check it out on The Doctor's Farmacy series by Dr. Mark Hyman.
Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a Happy & Health New Year!