Food for Travel!

It’s that time of year when we escape the endless grey skies here in the UK and head off to sunnier climes to get a year’s worth of vitamin D in one or two weeks! Hence the need for supplementation, but that’s a whole other blog post in itself!

With often long journeys to airports, lots of waiting around, and then the flight itself, even a short-haul flight can take a whole day from start to finish. Our food and water intake before, during, and after can play a huge role in how we handle any stress from delays (there is nothing worse than being hangry at an airport!), how we feel once we’ve landed, and how easy it is for us to switch off and actually relax once we are there.

To help with the process, I always pack an array of snacks for the journey, which I want to share with you below. You want to opt for foods that aren’t loaded with sugar and won’t send you into a sugar crash, or worse, leave you with wired but overtired children!

As tempting as it is to go for the Wetherspoons breakfast, this will generally leave you feeling sluggish and tired later on, so it’s much better to eat little and often. The selection of airport food is also pretty poor and always twice the price of what you’d find on the high street (Pret anyone?!).

My suggestion is to pack a variety of high-protein snacks and lunch bits, such as:

– Nuts

– Seeds

– High-protein lentil cakes

– Nut butters decanted into mini pots

– Edamame beans

– Dried chickpeas

– Homemade energy balls with protein powder*

– Fresh fruit with hard skins like apples and pears

– Wholefood concentrates – these are a must for me when traveling as the altitude of air travel in particular affects my gut. So, 30 varieties in a capsule do the trick.

– Granola Bars: Look for options that are high in protein and fibre but low in added sugars or better still make your own

– Babybel cheeses

– Popcorn

– Dried Fruit such as dried apricots, mango, or apple slices.

– Protein Bars*: Similar to granola bars but with a higher protein content to keep you fuller longer – message me for my weblink.

– Tuna Pouches: Single-serve tuna pouches can be a convenient source of protein.

– Whole-Grain Crackers: These can be paired with nut butters for a filling snack.

– Pack a mixed salad pot with a good source of protein (cheese, meat, tuna etc) if it’s not too long between fridge and consumption!

If I’m traveling early, I’ll usually take a thermos flask or disposable lunchbox filled with oats, nuts, seeds, and chocolate protein powder*, which I’ll then top with milk once I’m through security.

Don’t forget to drink as much as you can before, during and after your flights. Most airports now have stations to refill your water and I always ask the cabin crew to top mine up free of charge too.

I hope this helps and you have a lovely summer!

Jeanette