I spent a week this month visiting family and friends on the East Coast. My trip included plane rides from the Los Angeles International Airport to Newark Airport, a five and a half hour car ride to and from upstate New York for a family reunion, time spent in my hometown in New Jersey and a few train rides into and around New York City. Needless to say, I was out of my element, away from my kitchen and often in need of healthy, paleo-friendly snacks. While there are many snacks to choose from, some options don’t travel as well as others. I compiled a list of some of the easiest snacks to pack that don’t require refrigeration or utensils.
Here are some of my favorites:
1.) Lara Bars
Lara Bars are simply fruit and nuts with no added ingredients or preservatives and many Lara Bar flavors are paleo-Friendly. My favorites include Apple Pie, Cherry Pie and Cashew Cookie.
2.) Apples
I like packing apples because they last a long time and don’t need as much special handling as other fruits. I simply wash a couple and pack them with a paper towel.
3.) Homemade Trail Mix
Homemade trail mix is simple to pack and can be a very filling snack. I mix together a few types of nuts, such as almonds, cashews and pecans. I also add in raisins and seeds, typically. You could even add high-grade dark chocolate, if you wanted.
4.) Turkey Jerky
This one and #5 are what I like to call “half cheats.” They are basically paleo and minimally processed but they do have ingredients, such as added sugar, in them that paleo eaters try to avoid. I found myself at a rest stop during the five and a half hour drive back home to New Jersey from Upstate New York and the only food option at the rest stop was a vending machine. The vending machine had candy bars, chips, cookies…and turkey jerky. When faced with other snacks, I will happily take a low fat, high protein option like jerky.
5.) Banana Chips
I typically pick up banana chips when I need to pack a snack or if I’m going to a party or event where I know there will be lots of salsa, guacamole and chips. Instead of reaching for tortillas or potato chips, I’d rather snack on these. They also are minimally processed but the kind I buy at Trader Joe’s have organic evaporated cane juice added. You may be to find other types of dried banana chips that don’t have that ingredient!
So there you have it! It’s not that hard to pack healthy snacks and stay away from processed foods, even while traveling by car, train, plane or automobile! And don’t forget to always pack water! As a treat, I like to pack lemon or lime flavored sparkling water.
[addtoany] Yum