Healthy Travel Snacks

Airport food can be a NIGHTMARE. It's come a long way in the last several years, with great restaurants like Lemonade in LAX or the amazing salad bar from CIBO in La Guardia, but if you're flying to major metropolitan airports like Ithaca, NY, Chattanooga, TN or Rapid City, SD, you aren't left with a ton of options. I cringe when I see one sad kiosk with packaged pastries and a huge pot of 5 hour old coffee as the only food or beverage option. You never want to eat something that will make you feel sick or gross before you get on a 3 hour flight, amiright?

I almost never travel without at least one snack (a girl's gotta eat!), and here are some of my favorites that travel well.

DIY TRAIL MIX
Mix anything you have on hand - almonds, cashews, dried mangos, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, whatever! The dried fruit is a sweet treat, the nuts are filling and crunchy, and a winner in my book. Here's a great chart to help you build a great mix! The best part is you can make a bunch and snack on it for months. Make up little baggies that are ready to grab & go! 

CUT UP FRUIT AND VEGGIES
Fruits and veggies grow outside... so they don't need to be refrigerated for short periods of time. My favorite trick is to buy carrots and apples the night before and cut them up before I leave, never putting them in the fridge. That way they don't get clammy or brown mid-flight. Carrots, celery, apples, bell pepper, cucumbers, oranges, grapes.... whatever strikes your fancy.

RICE CAKES + ______________
Take two rice cakes. Top with nut butter, guacamole, hummus or any other topping. Add salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper, garlic... or whatever you want. I just found this Pinterest board with a ton of great ideas.

POPCORN
Air pop and top with anything you want (I use coconut oil in lieu of butter to make the seasoning stick). It's crunchy and flavorful and fills the salty snack fix!

ONE TIME USE PACKETS
These bad boys are ready to go and can be picked up at any grocery store.
- Sabra makes single serving hummus cups
- Justin's Almond Butter makes 1.5oz packs in several flavors
- Blue Diamond makes 100 calorie packs of whole almonds
- KIND or Lara Bars are the least processed of the granola bar world
- String cheese is always a winner.

If you're worried about what counts as "liquid" food, try the TSA app to search for the item in question. For example, type in 'yogurt' and it reminds you of the 3.4oz rule, and most yogurt comes in 5-6oz tubs. Decant into smaller containers (remember, the container itself needs to be within the size regulation) or choose a different snack.

By packing healthy snacks, you'll save a ton of money and feel better for your flight! Do you ever bring snacks with you when you travel? Any other great healthy snacks I'm forgetting?
xo