Healthy Travel Snacks

November 25, 2014

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and for the majority of us, some form of travel is involved. Whether it be by car, bus, train or airplane, travelling isn’t the kindest on our health as it can be hard to find healthy options on the road or in the sky. I wanted to compile a little list (cute graphic included) of some easily portable and healthy travel snacks and foods that can be easily found, to help prevent any nasty episodes involving greasy burgers and snacks with little nutritional content.

Healthy Travel SNacks

1. Fruit

Fruit is a great choice as it can be bought from a variety of different places, and is a great source of carbohydrates and various minerals and vitamins. Some good choices are apples and pears (lots of fiber to fill you up), bananas and dates (for an energy rich fruit for those long journeys) and strawberries and blueberries (low in calories, and high in fiber and antioxidants).

2. Nuts

Nuts are light and last for ages, so make a great travel snack buddy. Some good options are unsalted almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Pair it with some fruit for a snack which will keep you full and satisfied due to the great combination of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates.

3. Quest Bars

I LOVE quest bars! I do not normally go for protein bars, as most are essentially just a repackaged candy bar, but quest protein bars have a stellar nutritional profile. Cookies and Cream is my favorite flavor and per bar, it is 180 calories, 21g of protein, 17g of fiber (!!!) and only 1g of sugar. Keep a pack with you and I guarantee it will keep you full and satisfied on your travel journeys.

4. Coconut water

You can’t take in liquids (unless they’re under 100ml which is nothing) on airplanes, so stock up on coconut water if you are travelling on land. I absolutely love coconut water, and particularly Harmless Harvest coconut water. Click here to read why coconut water is such a great drink and all about Harmless Harvest.

5. Grain-free, refined sugar-free fudge brownies

Hehe, okay, shameless self recipe promotion. But hey, they would make great travel snacks! Not only can you pack them into a tupperware box, they are low in sugar, low in carbohydrates, high in protein and healthy fats. And they are gluten-free; gluten-free healthy options will probably be difficult to come across. Click here for the recipe (it’s easy to make, don’t worry).

6. Latte

Latte’s; they are on the list because you can get a latte anywhere and it is a great way to stay alert if you are on a long road trip. Again, you can’t really take a latte with you on a plane, although most airports will have a coffee shop where you can enjoy a latte before your flight. If you ask for a non-fat and no whip latte, this is a good way to get some protein in and some calcium. Plus as a graduate student, I am just really addicted to latte’s … stop judging me 😛

These are my 6 picks for healthy travel snacks which you can bring anywhere, with some snack options which should be easy to find no matter where you travel. I hope they prove useful and help make your travels a little easier 🙂

What do you usually bring to snack on when you go for road trips or plane trips?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Friday Fare, Health

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam

September 6, 2014

Sounds cool right? I have been eating this blueberry honey chia jam for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it! I adapted My Whole Food Life’s recipe and used honey instead of maple syrup, although at first I did test it out with sugar-free maple syrup (from Nature’s Hollow). I personally did not find it as sweet as I would like it to be so I used honey the next time round and it came out perfectly to my taste 🙂

Blueberry Honey chia jam

So what makes this blueberry honey chia jam special? Most commercial varieties, such as Smuckers, tend to use sugar sources such as high fructose corn syrup or just plain old white sugar. I love using honey as a sweetener because not only does it have a fantastic and thick texture, it also contains a variety of minerals and chemicals.

This jam also contains chia seeds (my loves) which are a rich source of fiber, protein, healthy fats (omega-3s), vitamins and minerals. Because of their high fiber and protein content, I have found that chia seeds help keep me fuller for longer. Another bonus (like we need more) is that they are low in calories; 1 tablespoon is roughly around 60 calories!

Anyway, point being is that I loooove this jam! It is yummy, filling and super healthy. Plus, it is a fantastic way to use up any fruit which you think may go off soon. I had a BUNCH of blueberries and was panicking about how I was going to finish them, and so the discovery of chia jam was a blessing.

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam Recipe

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam

Alice Williams

A delicious and healthy way to make jam that is full of fiber!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups bluberries
2-3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup chia seeds

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor
Transfer to a jam jar or equivalent container and then leave in the fridge overnight to thicken and set

Notes

Adapted from My Whole Food Life

Feel free to substitute in different fruits, and if you do let me know how they turn out!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Friday Fare! Please remember to subscribe to Honestly Fitness if you enjoy my blog posts and please share the posts and recipes with your friends and families. This chia jam is sure to be a winner with everyone!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Health

Why I love juices & smoothies

July 9, 2014

Ahh, summertime. All you wanna do is be at the beach or by a pool and sipping something cool and refreshing.

A simple green smoothie

My go to for hot weather is definitely juices and smoothies! Sadly I do not have a juicer and cannot make my own juices (one day I will own a juicer!) but I do have an awesome blender and love experimenting with different smoothie combos. Smoothies and juices are wonderful as you can pack them full of nutrient dense fruit and veg. As much as I love salads and chomping away on fresh fruit, it’s really nice to have a small snack which is full of goodness and also easy to take on the road with me if I have a particularly busy day.

Healthy Juices and Smoothies

Suja ‘Glow’ juice – my fave on the go companion!

‘The Hulk’ juice from Vive Juicery, Salt Lake City – contains blue-green algae!

Although I love both juices and smoothies, there is a slight difference to the two. Juices do not contain the fiber of the fruit which can make it easier on your digestive system, but you obviously do not get the benefits of fiber (which include keeping you full, keeping your bowels moving hehe and lots of other good stuff). Smoothies on the other hand do contain the fiber of the fruit and veg, but they are a little bit heavier on the stomach, but not by much as the fruits and veggies are still easily digestible since they have been blended up. It really depends on your preference whether or not to choose a smoothie over a juice or vice versa, but both are great options. The best way to enjoy a juice or a smoothie is to of course make your own, but time does not always allow! When choosing a smoothie or a juice, the most important thing to look at is the ingredients list. Make sure that the smoothie or juice contains nothing but a dairy or non dairy base, fruits and veg. If you see something like ‘sugar, cane sugar’ or etc, run!! Many juices and smoothies are already so naturally sweet from the fruit in it that there is simply no need to add any more sugar. So avoid brands that do. My juice brands are definitely Suja Juice and Project Juice as they do not have any added sugar in them.

Greenhopping is a fabulous app that lets you locate green juice bars, so definitely make sure to download it when you can.

Turmeric Mylk is so yummy and unique!

Mmm, my fave Project Juice drink

The juice that made me loves beets again 😀

Okay soooo if you want to make your own smoothie, I can definitely help with that. Sadly, I do not have my own juicer but I have found that a lot of juice places let you choose your own blend of juice and what to put in which is really cool.

Anyway, the basics of making a smoothie are:

the base liquid (this could be water, coconut water, brewed green tea, milk, coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk or another of your choice)
fruit (I prefer to use frozen fruit in a smoothies; choose away from any fruit such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries. Dates are a yummy addition too)
vegetables (optional, but makes the smoothie so much better; choose from cucumber, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce and etc)
healthy fats (optional; choose from natural peanut butter, coconut oil, avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds and etc)
protein powder (optional for those looking for a more filling smoothie, I use vanilla whey protein powder)
citrus (lemon juice, lime juice, oranges and etc)

So there you have it! Feel free to add anything else your heart desires. I have seen some pretty unique additions to smoothies such as spirulina, chlorella and maca powder. The world is your oyster when it comes to smoothies. My favorite smoothie is pictured below and is made up of frozen bananas, unsweetened almond milk, lime juice, spinach, and vanilla whey protein powder topped with fresh mango.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I love making, drinking and buying these healthy juices and smoothies, and I just wanted to share with you all why I loved them as much as I do. If you already make juices or smoothies, what is your fave combination?

Honestly yours,
Alice

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