by guest blogger Maya Rodale, writer of historical tales of true love and adventure
It’s relatively easy to eat organically at home when one has access to farmers markets, supermarkets, gardens and a kitchen. Eating organically when traveling is hard and for better or for worse, it often requires packing your own snacks. Frankly, given the airplane food these days, I’d bring my own lunch whether it’s organic or not. Being a devotee of organic food, a picky eater and a grouchy bear if I’m not fed, I’ve developed some travel snacking strategies that keep me healthy and happy on the road.
- “Just add water” snacks: It’s fairly easy (and free!) to score a cup of hot water from an airport restaurant or a flight attendant. I love oatmeal packets and miso soup packets because they take up almost no room in my bag, but any cup o’ soup would work.
- Chocolate: Let’s face it, as soon as I see all those candy bars at the newsstand, I’m going to want one. I pack my own dark organic chocolate for my cravings. Right now, I am in love with Green & Blacks 85% Dark.
- Fruit: Pack fresh for the way out (clementines are ideal!) and dried fruit for the flight home.
- Homemade popcorn with butter: This is my go-to fix when I’m craving junk food. I get the salty, fatty, crunchy deliciousness…but without a ton of mystery ingredients or guilt. Tip: Mix the popcorn and melted butter in a bowl and then transfer to a Ziploc bag; otherwise, you’ll melt the plastic. Yeah, I learned that the hard way.
Other great go-to snacks: beef jerky, unsalted nuts (boring but filling), and granola bars.
On the return flight, when I’m tired and my clothes are dirty and vacation is over and I just want to go home, then I indulge in junk food. It’s a rare treat.
What’s your travel snacking strategy?
Maya Rodale is the author of numerous historical romance novels. She lives in New York City with a rogue of her own and their dog, Penelope. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.mayarodale.com. Her most recent book is Dangerous Books for Girls.
Walnuts, freeze dried apple chips, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Mom’s Best organic chai spiced multigrain hot cereal (like oatmeal but 10 times better!).
Walnuts, freeze-dried apple chips, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Mom’s Best organic chai spiced multigrain hot cereal (like oatmeal only better!).
From Hawaii, you can’t take fresh fruit on the plane – I know because I live here, tried & was denied. I had fresh organic Fuji apple slices in a ziploc – no seeds – and was told they weren’t allowed even though they shipped here from the Mainland. Go figure. The TSA agent at least let me eat some of them before they were confiscated. 🙂
My favs:
-hot chocolate (yeah it’s not health food, but goes good in coffee)
–dark chocolate bar
– healthy trail mix: w/dark chocolate bits, mixed nuts, dried apricots, and candied ginger = THE BEST EVER!
– instant oatmeal, unsweetened w/a slice of cheese w/pepper & salt. Get some pepper in those little paper packets to take & add – salt, too if the salt in the cheese isn’t enough. (Don’t knock it until you try it!)
– instant cup-o-soup – my fav is organic split pea
– Lara bars, or some type protein bars
– Fresh salad in a ziplock w/nuts, seeds, and avocado – surprisingly filling & allowed from Hawaii
– Cheese (dairy or non) & Tofurkey slices sandwich on rye
Agree re the healthy chocolate, dried fruit, oatmeal, etc.
My best go-to is Mom’s Best naturals Toasted Wheat-fuls (little shredded wheat squares). The advantage is that they are quite filling, you can eat them as is (have a bottle of water nearby), and because they are so filling you are not consuming as many calories as with the other tasty treats. I pack a whole box in my luggage (and in my carry on, a sm plastic container with one serving). Great way to avoid the unhealthy and expensive hotel breakfast. (I also have 2-3 small plastic containers already packed in my pantry, ready for grab and go, so I won’t be tempted by other things when I go do errands, etc.)
Of course, I always pack a serving or two of plain whole oats, with my little baggies of dried fruit and chopped nuts, for when I find a good source of hot water.
Excellent article, many thanks.
Great ideas! One that I have used is soaked almonds and raisins, or soaked almonds with chocolate chips.
Soaked how? In what? Sounds interesting.