John Autry | Cooking Light
In a moment of desperation, I once paid four dollars for a Greek yogurt at an airport shop–about the same price as a double cheeseburger and fries from the food court. It tasted great and the protein kept me satisfied but I will admit, that yogurt was a little hard to swallow.
When hunger strikes while you’re on the go, there never seems to be a shortage of fast food, candy bars, sodas and cinnamon rolls. And when they’re the same price as one Greek yogurt or a small bag of nuts, those yummy, high fat, high calorie foods seem to get exponentially more tempting, don’t they?
Because of that one yogurt, I now rarely enter an airport without a stash of 2-3 healthy snacks in my handbag. With the holidays right around the corner and travel arrangements being made, I wanted to share a few delicious, homemade travel-friendly snack ideas. They’re all quick, most contain ingredients you likely already have at home and they’re already in the MyFitnessPal food database, ready to be logged.
One thing I really enjoy when I travel are nuts. They pack lots of  fiber, protein and healthy unsaturated fats, and they take up hardly any space in my already overstuffed bag. An ounce or two of these Honey Glazed Almonds would be perfect for your next trip.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raw, unblanched almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
DirectionsÂ
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the almonds in a medium nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted, shaking pan frequently. Combine the remaining ingredients in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds. Add honey mixture to pan, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Arrange almond mixture on prepared baking sheet in a single layer; let stand 10 minutes. Break apart any clusters.
Speaking of perfect, how about a healthy snack with chocolate? These Chewy Oat Squares (also shown above) are made with oats, dates and chocolate chips, which will satisfy both your tummy and your sweet tooth.
A few other quick & easy, travel-friendly bites to try:
No time for these homemade bites? Rather than spend money on unhealthy, high-fat, salty or sugary snacks, stop by a grocery store or simply pack up some of these items that may already be in your fridge before you go. I personally like the challenge of using up leftovers or raiding my pantry for healthy snack items before heading out of town. Any of these make great travel-friendly snacks as well:
- Bite-size veggies like baby carrots, broccoli florets, bell pepper slices
- High-fiber cereal in single-serving baggies
- Cheese, such as string cheese or cut up some 1-ounce bites
- Dried fruit
- Fresh fruit
- Granola bars
- Instant oatmeal packets – simply ask for hot water once you’re in flight
- Nuts or seeds
- Trail mix – just choose ones with less chocolate than nuts
Eating healthfully on the go can be challenging, and expensive–but it doesn’t have to be. Just remember, the Transportation Security Administration has rules for carry-on foods and beverages that are liquids or liquid-like–so leave your yogurt at home.
To find the full nutrition info and log these foods in MyFitnessPal, simply search Cooking Light and the recipe name in our food database. Logging on the go can’t get much easier than that!
For more healthy travel eats, check out these links from our friends at Cooking Light:
