How to Eat Healthy When Traveling (even with food sensitivities)

Whether you travel for work or vacation, it can be tricky business to eat healthy whole foods when you’re running through airports, hopping between airplanes or driving cross-country. It’s especially true when you have food sensitivities like I do.

My food sensitivity challenge: no gluten, dairy, soy, tree nuts, corn, oatmeal, or white potatoes. Those are just the more prominent foods I have to avoid in order to feel healthy. Maybe you have similar challenges or maybe you just feel challenged to continue eating healthy so you can stay energized and at the top of your game while you travel.

Plan ahead to eat healthy while traveling

With a little planning, you can do this. I promise. During a recent work trip to Miami, this month, here’s what my healthy food kit looked like (packed in my carry-on bag):

My healthy food travel pack

Trail Mix: I make this tasty trail mix frequently and for sure when I travel. It’s filled with raw cashews, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, raisins, and a few Enjoy Life allergy-free dark chocolate chips for a little sweetness. This snack is high in protein and good fats to keep give you plenty of energy and keep you satisfied. Try this recipe for my savory toasted seeds trail mix.

Cave Man Chicken Jerky: I brought along the Chipotle Honey flavor and it was awesome! Just a little spicy kick. This snack is gluten free, all natural chicken. There’s no nitrates, MSG or hormones. 12g protein. 1g sugar.

Organic apple slices: I just sliced up an apple and drizzled it with lemon to keep it fresh. Of course, I like to dip my apple slices…

Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend: You can buy individual servings of various kinds of nut butters that are really convenient for travel. Oops, my bad. I chose this hazelnut blend and discovered it has almonds in it. Scratch that. See what I mean? We need to read labels carefully, and next time I’ll get simple cashew butter packets instead.

gomacro Macrobar: Love these. I chose the Sweet Rejuvenation Cashew Butter bar because its clear of all the foods I have to avoid, but there are a lot of flavors to choose from. It has 34g carb, 9g sugar, 4g protein. Again, protein and good fats. It’s a little high in sugar. I try to choose bars with 5-6 grams of sugar, but those are a bit hard to find. Do the best you can when you’re traveling.

Organic Mama Chia Chia Squeeze Vitality Snack: This is a fruit puree and chia seed snack in Blackberry Bliss flavor. Just squeeze the packet for a little fruit and protein boost. One packet has 10g carb, 7g sugar (from fruit and veggies) and 2g protein (from the chia seeds).

Organic baby carrots: Pop some of these in a zip-loc baggie and you always have an easy, convenient on-the-go snack. You could add other veggies, too, like celery, peppers or radish. Look for single-serve packets of hummus and guacamole too. Great for dipping!

I popped all these into a one gallon-sized zip-loc bag and slipped them inside my carry-on bag. No need to buy any airport food that I’d pay for by feeling bad later on.

Even if you don’t have food sensitivities, but you just want to eat healthy on the run, it’s pretty easy to find simple whole foods even in an airport or on the road at truck stops or fast food places. Look for salads, apples, oranges, bananas, nuts and seeds, Greek yogurt, etc. You can always find something even in a pinch, but it’s always better to plan ahead when you can.

Here are a few other ideas for your travel-healthy food package:

Green drink packets: A fresh green smoothie is part of my breakfast everyday. But while smoothie and fresh juice bars are becoming more popular, they aren’t everywhere yet. Pick up some green drink packets Like Fruits ‘n Veggies packets from Nutri-Dyn or Amazing Grass Green Superfood packets. Mix one of these with a glass of water and you have an instant green drink full of antioxidant-rich fruits, veggies, herbs and even probiotics, depending on the kind you choose.

Instant Oatmeal packets: Pick up some packets of heart-healthy oatmeal like Nature’s Path Flax Plus or variety pack flavors. You’ll never have an excuse to go without a hearty breakfast or skip a meal. Heat up some water in your hotel microwave or coffee pot and stir up a cup of oatmeal.

Now It’s Your Turn

How do you eat healthy when traveling? If you have food sensitivities, what convenient foods do you take along to keep you nourished and energized? Share your ideas and tips in the comments below or over at the Inspired Life and Wellness Facebook page!