Most of us plan to travel somewhere during this season, whether it’s by plane, train, or automobile. While vacations are fun, the travel part can put a damper on your healthy eating and that’s NOT fun. So, here are a few tips so you can be more intentional during travel days. My number one “go to tip” – Pack Your Bags….with snacks – lots of healthy snacks. Here are a few of my favorite things to pack.
  1. Trail mix – make your own with raw nuts, seeds, and dried fruit – I personally like to mix raw almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, dried apricots, blueberries or cranberries.
  2. Make individual baggies of sugar snap peas, baby carrots, celery, and cucumber slices.
  3. ALWAYS have a BPA-free water bottle with you. You may find that your hunger is actually thirst. So, drink and drink often.
  4. Take sliced apples, strawberries, blueberries, and cherries.
  5. A banana – is always a good grab-n’-go, out-the-door and eat in the car kind of item
  6. Take 3-4 small individual jars pre-made with dried oatmeal, dried fruit, cinnamon, chia seeds and walnuts. This is a great way to ensure a healthy breakfast is readily available. Just add hot water and steep for a few minutes.
  7. Make homemade plant-based protein bars a day or two before travel. These will be a hit for the entire family. One of my favorite recipes:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 scoop plant-based protein powder
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or blueberries
  • 1/2 cup flax meal
  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 2 T chia seeds
  • 2 T maca powder
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • In a food processor, grind the almonds into a course consistency.
  • Add them to a bowl with the sunflower seeds, maca powder, flax meal, pepitas, chia seeds, dried fruit and sea salt.
  • In a saucepan, combine the honey, almond butter and coconut oil.
  • Mix until all are well combined.
  • Add it to the bowl with the dried ingredients.
  • Tear a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Line a square pan with the paper.
  • Spread in the mixture and pack down tight.
  • Place in the fridge to set.  About 1 hour.

Store them in the fridge or even freeze them for longer storage. Eat and Enjoy!

Those are just a few ideas…but if you plan ahead then you won’t be tempted to pull into a gas station or go to a fast food restaurant to grab something that you’d regret later. Preparation is the name of the game. Prepare to win the battle over those sneaky extra vacation calories.

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