As I was packing for my trip to Long Beach this morning (I pack best under pressure), I thought it would be fun to post about some of my traveling rituals. Eating healthy while you’re traveling is tricky and expensive! I’m sorry, but I just can’t pay $2 for a banana or $8 for a bag of almonds and sleep at night. It’s against my religion or something like that. I don’t know about you, but I feel violated paying $5 for a bottle of water at the airport too. Just because you can charge me an arm and a leg, doesn’t mean you should! Am I right?

Besides the obvious expense, traveling can be hard on the body. Especially if you’re sensitive to changes like I am. For me, nurturing myself while traveling is hugely important.  Let’s get real. I’ve never seen a green juice bar in an airport. This is why I plan for nourishment when I’m traveling. It all goes back to the age old saying; fail to prepare and be prepared to fail.

Through trial and error, I have snack packing and money saving while flying down to an art form. Here is my list of go-to snacks while traveling:

Water Bottle

One of the most important unwritten rules of flying is to stay hydrated. I have a water bottle that I bring on every flight with me. It even has a built in filter. (Hold your excitement.) I don’t even know which brand it is but I bought it at Target for $11.Keep it filled throughout your trip. If you’re really sweet and charming, (like I can be) the flight attendants will fill it with bottled water for you. No more giving up your first born for a bottled water at the airport.

Whole Food Bars

Contrary to popular advertising campaigns, when hunger strikes, you don’t want to grab a Snicker’s bar. If there’s a hunger inside you, I suggest grabbing a whole food bar instead. No, not the crappy highly processed “protein” bars you see in the gym or isle 4 of the grocery store. I love Amazing Grass Raw Food Bars. They are my favorite and loaded with tons of raw veggies. The gorgeous chocolate coating makes you forget this fact. We have them on autoship and get 20% off plus free shipping. Amazing! Even my husband likes them! Some other good bars to try are Macrobars, Raw Revolution and Lara Bars. Surprisingly simple ingredients coupled with great taste makes my heart sing!

Tea Bags

Get your mind out of the gutter. I love stocking up on my favorite teas right before a trip. You can find hot water just about anywhere and paying Starbucks 50 cents for a cup is much cheaper than paying them $6 for a coffee in the airport. Better yet, if you have room, bring your own! I love Yogi Teas and Yerba Mate’. Small and portable! 

Mary’s Gone Crackers

I still remember the first time I tried these crackers. I had to do a double take on the ingredients; organic quinoa, brown rice and flaxseeds? Fiber and healthy fats? Really? I buy these bad boys in bulk. Seriously. Costco carries them now and you an get a huge box for $6.99. I had a coupon for $2 off a week ago and bought 6 boxes. That’s not a joke. They are vegan, gluten-free and super tasty! Since I’m not a shoe girl, purse girl or jewelry girl (I’m dead serious), I have extra room in my suitcase for a box of these. I bring Zip-lock snack bags along so these decadent snacks become easily portable.

Individual Nut Butters

Two years ago, I made the mistake of believing TSA would let me get by security with my favorite jar of black bean dip and a small jar of almond butter. Just like getting out of a speeding ticket, I figured I could use my wit and charm to maneuver my beloved bean dip and nut butter back into my backpack. Wrong-o friends. Wrong-o. They confiscated both of my jars! (Apparently blonde girls with bean dips from Montana are high risk?) To this day, I’m unsure if they were simply doing their jobs OR if they secretly wanted to try my bean dip. I’m guessing the later. All I know is they had one hell of a snack break on my dime. Your blessings are hidden in your burdens because shortly after, I discovered individual nut butter packs from Jason’s. Some of them are even swirled with honey or maple syrup. Take that TSA! They also go great with the crackers I mentioned above! Another great option is individual hummus packs. These are perishable though, so plan accordingly.

Raw Almonds

Raw almonds + Ziplock Snack Bags = Sheer. Snacking. Brilliance. You can never go wrong with healthy fats and protein.

I’ve just been informed that my plane is about 20 minutes from landing in LONG BEACH. I’ll soon be embarking on my VIP blogging gig at the Institute For Integrative Nutrition. It’s almost time to trade my snow boots and sweatshirt for flip-flops and a tan! This weekend is going to be jam-packed with amazing speakers, beautiful friendships and more positive energy than my heart can handle!  I can’t wait to share the awesome life-changing experience with you all!