Holiday travel – or travel in general – can wreak havoc on a healthy diet.
Whether you’re stuck with airport food, a gas station, or a fast-food drive-through, nutritious options are often hard to come by. After a long day of travel, when choosing between a fast-food cheeseburger or a bag of trail mix, the unhealthy choice often wins.
However, with a bit of planning and knowing what to look for, it is possible to choose a healthy treat when you’re on the road.
This article will list some tasty treat options that you’ll actually want to eat during travel. What’s even better? These snacks won’t sabotage your nutrition goals.
Continue reading for a list of healthy snack options:
1. Naked Cookie
Picture this: you’re halfway through a long holiday road trip and you’re craving a sweet treat. You want something delicious and satisfying that’s not going to pack on the calories, sugar, or fat. Look no further than Naked Cookie.
Naked Cookie is a tasty, gluten-free treat that contains less than 5g of sugar but tastes like a cookie!
With 7g of fiber, 10g of protein, and less than 250 calories, the nutritional profile of this treat beats any standard cookie on the market when it comes to health.
Plus, there are no artificial sweeteners, additives, or trans-fats, and it's made with quality ingredients like almond flour, grass-fed whey protein, and monk fruit juice concentrate.
2. Yogurt and Toppings
While at first thought yogurt may not seem very exciting, it’s possible to take this snack to the next level. There are a variety of exciting toppings and textures that can make your yogurt anything but ordinary.
Consider swirling in spoonfuls of peanut butter and jelly to your yogurt for a classic flavor combination. Perhaps you stir in cinnamon, honey, and vanilla extract for another tasty option.
You can even mix in mini chocolate chips or crumbled pieces of Naked Cookie for an option that tastes more like dessert than yogurt.
Although chocolate chips contain some sugar, by combining it with a high-protein food like yogurt, there is less of an impact on your blood sugar levels. Just be sure to portion out your chocolate chips so you’re sticking to the less than 10g of sugar per serving rule of thumb.
Why else is yogurt a good choice? For one, it’s pretty easy to find whether you’re at a rest stop or an airport. It’s also bound to satisfy your hunger since it’s high in protein. In fact, many Greek yogurts have upwards of 15g of protein per serving.
Plus, yogurt is a great source of probiotics which are essential to nourish the lining of your gut to improve not only digestion but your overall health as well (2).
3. Crispy spiced chickpeas
Let’s face it, you’re hours into a long day of travel, and the salty and crunchy snack cravings kick in.
Reaching for a bag of chips loaded with saturated fat and sodium would likely leave you feeling sluggish. Plus, chips tend to be quite high in calories and an easy snack to overeat, likely to knock you off track with your health goals.
Instead, try something like crispy chickpeas. They’re salty and crunchy and make for a great chip replacement.
There are several brands that make crispy dried chickpeas with a variety of flavors from plain to parmesan to barbeque.
You can also very easily make a batch of your own crispy chickpeas. Simply rinse and strain a can of chickpeas, making sure to dry them well. Toss with oil, salt, pepper, and seasonings of your choice. Then, bake in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes.
Not only are crispy chickpeas delicious, but they provide some good nutrition, too. Chickpeas are high in fiber which is key for digestive health, reducing cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugars (3).
They’re also a good source of plant-based protein, which will help keep you full and energized during a long day of travel.
Key Takeaways
There are a variety of options when it comes to tasty and healthy treats that are great for holiday travel.
It’s best to look for options that contain protein and fiber to help keep you satisfied. When it comes to sugar, aim to choose treats that have less than 10g of sugar per serving.
With a bit of planning and knowing what to look for, the healthy choice can be the easy choice when you’re on the road this holiday season.
Whether you choose a tasty treat like Naked Cookie, get creative with yogurt toppings, or choose roasted chickpeas, you now have a list of great go-to options that you can feel confident will keep you on track with your nutrition.
