As you probably know by now, I am at the Dietitian’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Washington, DC. While you might be thinking why would I care about snacking while going to an Expo, I get it, it sounds weird and excessive.

WEEEEL I’m a dietitian, love food, and sometimes am excessive as it comes to my health, food, and fitness. So, we’re going to roll with it. While others may be prioritizing where they are staying and what they are doing while traveling, I am prioritizing what I am eating always. It’s not just about the restaurants we are going to be eating at (very important) but it’s also about what to eat when food may not be readily available. If you have used an rv rental Philadelphia then you will have the opportunity to stock up.

When you are traveling there are times when you may not have access to food and/or you may not have access to the best foods. While fasting unintentionally won’t be harmful to most of you, it’s not always ideal for your health, well-being, and mental capacity.

Just Eat Real Food

While I could stop right there and tell you to just eat real food, no matter what, it doesn’t end there. Real food doesn’t really have a definition and it differs from person to person. While I would LOVE for everyone to eat as unprocessed, low sugar, and organic as possible, it’s not always possible AND sometimes defeats the point. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good, especially when you are traveling.

While, yes, you do need to be mindful if you have sensitivities or allergies, it’s okay to make compromises as long as they don’t affect your health in a negative manner. Aka sometimes you need to drink that glass of wine and square of chocolate and let it go. The macros of such a thing are not what you should be concerned about. Focus on real food as able and feed yourself as needed. End of story.

How to Snack Healthy While Traveling

I always ALWAYS think about snacks to eat. It doesn’t matter if I’m traveling or not, I love having fun & delicious snacks to pack. Maybe it’s just some carrots and hummus or maybe it’s some beef jerky. Food is fun and should remain as so. SO when you are traveling, here are some ways to snack healthy while you do so.

Here’s to snack healthy while traveling:

Pack like a champ

So many people tell me they don’t bring any snacks with them a. because they don’t plan ahead and/or b. because they don’t think they’re allowed. Well, it certainly depends where you’re going and how you’re getting there BUT do your research before going and know what you can and can’t bring. Usually most domestic travel you can bring food with you on your checked bag as long as there’s no liquid. Not to mention you can pack more food if you are not flying and/or checking a bag while flying.

Make a go-to list

Also, have a plan, not just a plan that’s done the day of travel (you know how that always goes), have a go-to plan for travel. I have a packing list (that now all my friends use- you interested?) that is my go-to list. I don’t make it every time I go somewhere, I just instead, reuse it. Same with snacks, I have a list and leave the guesswork out of it. Check out some snack ideas here.

Know where to go

Aside from just knowing what foods to pack/look out for, know where to go to FIND these snacks. That means knowing where to find them before you leave and also knowing where to find them once you’ve arrived. Places to look include: grocery stores, online markets (i.e. Amazon, thrive, etc.), convenience stores, airline hubs, Starbucks, etc.

Not sure where to go? Check out Google or Yelp and look for grocery stores, convenience stores, and/or coffee shops near you. You’d be surprised what you can find wherever you go.

Bring a reusable water bottle

I know I’ve mentioned this before but man oh man never EVER feel weird about bringing your own water bottle. I know at first you might get comments like “oh look at you being all prepared” or “why do you have that” but here’s the thing, they’ll most likely be jealous they didn’t think of the same idea. Staying hydrated while traveli is so important to feeling your best and staying healthy. Drink up buttercup.

Make compromises

Try something knew IF you are comfortable with it and you know it won’t cause digestive distress. Know that not all of your options will be 100% perfect and guess what?!? THAT’S OKAY. What’s not okay is putting yourself down and/or feeling guilty about it, OR opting to not eat at all. You’re human and it happens. IF you travel often and you find you are not making choices to support your goals, see the tips above and get to work 😉

What tips and tricks work for you when traveling and snacking?! What are your favorite brands?

xoxo,

Sassy

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ps. follow along on Instagram to see what’s going down this week at FNCE 🙂