How to Eat Healthy on the Road: Snacks That Travel Well
Which color of bright, artificially-flavored, high-sugar slushy drink would you like as a pick-me-up while on the road this summer? Neon orange? Glow-in-the-dark alien green? Just kidding. We know you're not going to choose a drink that can contain over 150 grams of sugar, sure to bring on a sugar high and then a deep sugar crash.
It's not easy to eat well on road trips. From the gas station slushy and sketchy sushi to greasy fast food and rushed days trying to fit in all the sights, road trip eating can be hard.
Fortunately, bringing healthy snacks along with you can help smooth out the bumps in your travel nutrition plans. You can find healthy snacks to manage your energy, calories and nutrition while traveling.
Why Healthy Snacking Matters When You’re Traveling
Our bodies know when we've left home, and sometimes they respond with bloating, stomach pain, and other digestive difficulties. Any change in our eating routines can cause digestive upset, and according to Dr. Kyle Staller of Massachusetts General Hospital, "Your colon will sleep when you sleep and wake up when you do. If those times are shifted by travel and changing time zones, digestion can get thrown off."
Add in the negative impact of unhealthy snacks on our energy levels, and the benefits of planning and bringing along healthy road trip snacks become clear. Not to mention, eating healthy snacks on vacation can help us stay on track with our weight and wellness goals.
What Makes a Snack Travel-Friendly?
Some snacks are more travel-friendly than others. Foods that can spoil aren't the best choices for traveling. You'll find it much easier to choose snacks that are shelf-stable, and also save time for the things you really want to do on your trip by eliminating food prep.
No one wants a sticky mess in their car, so it's a good idea to choose foods that are portion-controlled and easy to eat and carry along. Pack a bag with high-protein, high-fiber, nutrient, not calorie-dense, foods.
Best Healthy Snacks That Travel Well
Staying healthy and active on a trip means being mindful about what you're eating, but that doesn't need to be hard. There are many choices of healthy snacks for travel.
High-Protein Snacks for Long-Lasting Energy
If you bring along a shaker, you can choose powdered protein shake mixes, or bring along ready-to-drink beverages.
Protein bars are an example of good high protein travel snacks. Meal replacement bars for travel can also fuel days at amusement parks, scenic drives, historic locales, and more.
Protein helps to level out blood sugar and provide lasting energy, and meat-based snacks like jerky or meat sticks, are other good choices of protein snacks for road trips.
Low-Carb & Weight Loss-Friendly Snacks
If you're counting carbs, you already know that finding healthy snacks on the go needs to focus on options that don't have a lot of sugar. Calorie-controlled nut and seed packages are a good choice, as long as the portions aren't too large and you end up consuming more calories than intended.
Snack bars come in many low-carb options, including ones that taste delicious, sweet, and salty, yet offer good nutrition. Chips, pretzels, and cheese crisps can all fit in a low-carb travel diet plan.
Sweet but Healthy Travel Snacks
Can on-the-go snacks be like sweet treats? Yes, they can. You'll find protein cookies and brownies that offer plenty of protein and low-carb nutrition along with sweet taste.
You've probably heard that chocolate can be heart-healthy. It can also be low in sugar if you choose 70% or greater dark chocolate and watch portion size as well as the amount of sugar and fat per bar.
There are also many choices in low-sugar snack bars, and when combined with fiber, these snack bars can definitely fuel active days of travel and fun.
Light & Crunchy Options
Sometimes you just want something light to munch on, and rice cakes can often meet this need, along with popular protein chips that come in many flavors and textures.
Other choices to suit your taste for crunchy, savory snacks include air popped popcorn, a great choice for munching on the go. Finally, you've probably seen veggie chips and if you limit the amount of fat, salt, and calories, these snacks are another way to get some nutrition and crunch on the road.
Snacks to Avoid While Traveling
In addition to gas station sushi, some other snacks to say "no" to while traveling are highly-processed snacks that often fill the racks at convenience stores. While it might be tempting to try a soft cake version of popular sandwich cookies, or a chocolate coated rice crispy square as big as a toddler's head, these snacks are just going to derail your weight loss journey and probably won't even taste as good as you might expect.
It's a no-brainer, but planning ahead will help you to avoid foods that are going to melt in your bag or vehicle. That rules out ice cream cones in the car, and a lot more. Empty calorie foods that seem tempting while on a trip are likely to lead to disappointment, and can even start cravings for other similar foods.
Shop Convenient, Healthy Travel Snacks at Nutmeg State Nutrition
Find snacks for any trip you're set to take at Nutmeg State Nutrition. From protein shakes to meal replacement bars, you'll find many convenient, nutritious, and delicious options.
It's easy to pack these snacks and have them at hand while you're on the road. You can have peace of mind knowing these snacks are available and you won't have to worry about keeping up your energy or throwing your wellness journey off track.
Conclusion
Eating well while traveling isn't just doable, it can be easy, especially with the help of the wide variety of healthy, low calorie travel snacks available from Nutmeg State Nutrition. Check out the products that can help you stay on track with your diet and keep your healthy energy up on any road trip, near and far.