Pack-able Snacks for Holiday Travel

Holiday travel is notorious for breaking healthy habits, but packing a few quick and easy items to munch on in the air or on the road will help you stay true to your routine on the go. Plus, the journey will be that much tastier!

Here is a collection of road-tested, pack-able snacks to enjoy during the holidays.

Veggies – the food group that drops from the plate most quickly when we’re on the road! But there are plenty of convenience foods that can help change that. Pre-packaged baby carrots and snap peas are perfect if you have a cooler or will only be traveling for a few hours. On long trips, stock up on non-perishable freeze-dried veggies (peas, corn, and edamame are my favorite), seaweed snacks, and kale chips.

Fruit – this is an easy one. Fall and winter provide us with a wide variety of ready-to-travel fruits, like apples, pears, persimmons, grapes, and clementines. Once you’ve eaten through the fresh versions, try dried fruits like raisins, cherries, figs, mangoes, and berries.

Protein – Finding sources of portable protein can be tricky, but with a little planning it’s certainly possible. Hard-boiled eggs, cheese slices or string cheese, yogurt (eat it before you get to airport security), nuts and nut butter (look for the no-mess single-serving pouches), and cooked edamame pods are your best bets.

Grains – Since most on-the-go packaged snacks are carbohydrate-rich, it’s easy to bring grains along when you travel. The trick is to find healthy, whole grain products that give you the most nutritional bang for your buck. Look for granola bars that meet this criteria, whole grain dry cereal (mix with nuts, chocolate chips, and dried fruit for a homemade trail mix), or multi-grain crackers. And when you need a more substantial meal, you can’t go wrong with a classic PB&J.

Treats – Because what good is a long day of travel without a few treats? Just remember to stick with natural versions of treats, so you avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. My family members are suckers for organic cheddar crackers, chocolate covered nuts or raisins, and fruit leather or organic fruit snacks. Check the bulk bins of your local natural market for more ideas and items you may not have tried before.

Bon voyage!