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

Health, Products I love

Nikki’s Coconut Butter

January 23, 2014

Yes, you heard me right. Not peanut butter, not almond or cashew butter …. COCONUT BUTTER!!!

Nikki’s Coconut Butter

I first heard about Nikki’s coconut butter a few months ago whilst casually surfing the ‘net, and have wanted to try it ever since. I am a huge fan of everything coconut, so I was pretty sure I would like the product. Their coconut butter is also soy free, gluten free, dairy free and egg free, making it perfect for someone with these intolerances. The hard part was actually deciding what flavor to get.

They have 5 flavors:

-Pumpkin Spiced Donut
-Macadamia Nut Cookie
-Vanilla Cake Batter
-Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie
-Honey Pecan Pie

Yeah, they all sound amazing right? After hours of arduous decision making (kidding), I finally chose to get the pumpkin spiced donut. And I am glad I did. IT IS AMAZING. The consistency is definitely not what I expected though. I was expecting a creamy and smooth product, sort of like how you would imagine peanut butter. But it is actually quite hard, although honestly that does not bother me much at all. And you could also microwave some of the butter or heat it up in a pan to make it creamier and more spreadable. I have taken to just eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon hehe, but you can use it on bread, crackers, in smoothies, and in a variety of desserts (which is something I really want to test it with!!).

As you can see it didn’t take long for me to start eating …

As with all things though, even though this is a healthy product, it doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want of it. It is relatively high in calories and fat, so make it work for how much food/calories you need a day. Overeating on something healthy is still overeating, so be sensible. I find that eating desserts with wholesome ingredients such as Nikki’s Coconut Butter makes it easier to stop because it does not have all the same nasty chemicals and preservatives in a lot of processed and junk foods which make you crave them. The only bad thing about them is that they only currently ship within the US and to Canada, but hopefully they will be able to ship worldwide soon enough!

Have any of you tried Nikki’s Coconut Butter? Let me know by commenting below!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Disclaimer: I was not paid to advertise this product, I like this product very much and wanted to share it all with you since I am always on the lookout for awesome new and healthy products 🙂

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