Healthy Travel Day Tips & Snacks

Jun 12

You’ve got this! Don’t let summer travel derail your health goals.

I’ve heard it so many times — “Oh it’s too crazy over the summer to focus on my nutrition goals. I’ll circle back with you in the fall.”

Don’t be that person!

Yes, summer usually means more meals out, more glasses of crisp rosé, and multiple on-the-go travel or poolside snacks. But there’s also a lot you can do to mitigate the damage and make healthier choices. Especially when it comes to travel days. Because quite frankly, I’d rather indulge in the poolside chips + guac and skip the crappy airport snacks.

So let this be your reminder — your health doesn’t wait until school’s back in session.

Here are my tips for being prepared with healthy eats Wherever summer takes you.

Do they take a bit more work? Yep. But I promise it’s worth the effort when you get to your destination feeling fueled and energized (and your kids aren’t on the verge of a major sugar crash either).

Healthy Travel Tips & Snacks

What & How to Eat on Travel Days

I’m sure you’re not surprised, but we have a dedicated food bag filled to the brim with healthy snacks and meals to keep us from entering “snack purgatory” at the airport.

This shouldn’t count as one of your carry on items as it’s the same as bringing a bag of food purchased at the airport onto the plane. If they give you any flack, just tell them you have special dietary needs, which you do! To feel good and have balanced blood sugar + energy levels all day.

I try to stay on our regular eating schedule as best I can on travel days. It’s never perfect, but the goal is to avoid an all-day graze-fest and eat actual meals to keep you fueled and satisfied. (This includes my 3 year old daughter too. I always pack what I call “meal snacks” for her.)

Typically, I bring breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner depending on what time of day we’re traveling and then supplement with filling, snacky items to fill any gaps or unplanned delays.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Breakfast: Hard-boiled eggs x3 or Frittata Cups, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese (3.4 oz portions) and berries, protein bar + nut butter, overnight oats, or a smoothie if not flying. I’ll also bring collagen and a small container of almond milk to mix into an airport coffee.
Lunch/Dinner: I love emptying our fridge before a trip and coming up with the most random (but always surprisingly delicious) combinations for salads, bowls, or wraps. Don’t be afraid to be “that person” — no one is judging you, they’re secretly wishing they were you. 😄
For the journey home: I usually order hard boiled eggs from room service or a salad to-go depending on where we are staying. If it’s an Airbnb rental or visiting family then I’ll use it as an opportunity to clean out the fridge again, being sure to save any takeout containers or cartons to reuse on travel day.

Packing Tips: You can take a frozen ice-pack through security to keep your food fresh for longer. And any liquid items like salad dressing, yogurt, chia pudding, etc. can pass through security as long as it’s in a 3.4 ounce container.

Something else to consider is fasting during a travel day. Not for the entire time based on your schedule, but your body will digest a lot better if you eat before or after a flight rather than up in the air. Just as with being home, you should be able to go 4-5 hours between a meal if you ate a filling, blood sugar balancing meal beforehand.

Favorite Travel Snacks

You never know if you’re going to be delayed, so it’s always good to be prepared with extras. And if you have kids, then you know infinite snacks are essential to your sanity. These are my favorites for avoiding all of the gas station or in-flight/airport options which we know do absolutely noting for your health or your wallet.

You can find most of the products on my Amazon page under Favorite Snacks & Leena Approved.

Something Salty:

Dry roasted edamame or chickpeas
Brami beans
Ella’s Flats or Flackers
PaleoValley or Chomps beef sticks
Lesser Evil popcorn
Nut butter packets
Olive packets
Thrive Market paleo snack mix
Kroma 24k bone broth packets
Poshi marinated vegetables
Hummus packets
Avocado or guacamole packets

Something Sweet:

Protein bars (adult + kid versions)
Hu Kitchen chocolate covered cashews or almonds
Eating Evolved Keto Cups
UNREAL dark chocolate gems (I keep these as an emergency treat for Leena)

From Home:

Fresh fruit with nut butter
Hard-boiled eggs
Crudités and hummus
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit
DYI Trail Mix
Grass-fed string cheese
Applegate turkey roll-ups

Supplements I Don't Leave Home Without
To be honest, travel is when you need the most supplemental support, but it’s also when I tend to get busy and forget to take them. So, I usually travel with a somewhat paired down supplement routine, but there are certain ones I never leave home without.
✓ Liposomal Vitamin C (immune support)
✓ Magnesium Citrate (to help with BMs)
✓ Digestive Enzymes (digestion)
✓ Digestive Bitters (digestion)
✓ L-theanine (sleep)
✓ Greens powder (nutrient boost)
✓ Collagen packets (protein boost)
✓ Electrolytes (hydration, stress)
All of these can be found on my Fullscript account here. Or on my Amazon page here.