Eating on the Road or on the Go: 11 Healthy Ideas and Portable Snacks

Whether you are hitting the open road, flying the skies for business or driving kids from soccer practice to music lessons, it can be hard to eat healthy when you are on the move. This can be especially hard for those of us who know our food allergies. If you don’t know what you are allergic to you should get tested because your “healthy” food could be messing with all your wellness efforts. You can eat healthy on the go.

We have some healthy ideas for you that are gluten-free and allergen-friendly while being healthy. You want to make sure you can easily keep your stomach full so that when you are faced with unhealthy options you don’t feel so hungry that your will breaks down. Because let’s face it, whether you are traveling across state lines or down the main drag in your hometown the healthy options are pretty scarce.

If eating healthy only happened when everything was perfect – it wouldn’t happen for anybody. Life is messy. It’s full of travel and activities. Don’t wait for when you aren’t on the go because that might be when you have no go left. Check out these easy portable ideas for eating on the move.

11 Healthy and Portable Ideas For Eating on the Road

1-A Sea of Nutrients: Seaweed

This is a great travel snack that fills your craving for something savory. Seaweed is full of nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and here’s one the vegans will love- B12. There aren’t many plant based sources of B12. Seaweed is also one of the best sources of iodine which is so good to feed your thyroid and other glands plus its great for breast health. Look for a brand that has few ingredients and has sea salt like this one.

2- Beet the Unhealthy Chips: Beet Chips

Beet chips with sea salt are a perfect snack. A lot of people don’t like beets, but beets are just misunderstood. They have so many amazing properties that everyone should love them for. They are packed with Vitamin C and have lots of fiber which will help fill you up. Make sure the ones you get are not fried in any oil. Get the gluten free ones and you will be healthy with this gluten-free, vegan snack. Trust us they are delicious. Give beets a chance!

3- Health Beef: Beef Jerky

The key is to find snacks that fill you up and beef jerky is a good for that. It’s easy and portable. So portable its hard to believe how filling it is. Plus, it has lots of great protein. You want to find organic, grass fed beef to avoid the hormones and toxins that come with many farmed meats.

4- Go Nuts! Raw Nuts

We love to be nutty! Nuts are a portable snack that are full of protein, fiber and omega-3s. You want to avoid the nuts roasted in vegetable oils which are inflammatory and carcinogenic. Nuts should be very anti-inflammatory but the oil they are cooked in can change all that. Get raw nuts to avoid inflammatory oils. Macadamia nuts and almonds with sea salt are good anti-inflammatory choices. Try this recipe at home for glazed nuts.

5-Happy Trails with Granola and Trail Mix

You can make your own. Check out the goji berry granola Doc made with his daughter in the quick tip below. You can also buy your own in the bulk section of many grocery stores. Avoid the prepackaged versions that have too much sugar and not enough fiber.

6-Energy Balls Keep You Rolling

So easy to make on your own with organic ingredients like nut butters, seeds, dates, and honey. These will keep you going until your next stop. If you don’t have time to make your own grab some Figgy Pops and feel good about the ingredients.

7- Set the Bar High

Granola bars can be unhealthy by adding a lot of sugar and empty calories to your diet so be on the watch for bars with healthy ingredients. Watch out for ones that contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, and the dreaded “natural flavor.” Don’t worry there are some healthy swaps for this portable snack. The Primal Kitchen Bars are a gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. It has collagen, which is great for tendons and ligaments. RX Bars are great if you don’t have an egg allergy. They have limited ingredients and “no BS.”  Larabars are also a great limited ingredient option. Makes avoiding your allergies simple.

8- Plan Ahead

Make your own healthy recipes in advance when you plan ahead. You can store them in your freezer and just take out what you will need for the day. Prepackage your smoothie ingredients to make life easy. Try this healthy grain free zucchini muffins or chocolate cherry bites recipe. You can slice up this banana bread recipe too. So many options when you plan ahead.

9- Grabbing Food Doesn’t Have to Mean a Restaurant

So, we don’t always plan ahead but you don’t have to throw your health out the window. How long have you waited in line at the drive-thru and at sit-down restaurants only to get an unhealthy, soggy meal? It doesn’t have to be that way. When you are traveling or on the go you don’t have to give up your health. A grocery store is a great place to stop for eats if you know what you are looking for. Many grocery stores are upping their salad bar and deli game. Shop the salad bar or grab some hummus with veggies. Many grocery stores have a picnic table or bench outside. It’s such an easy change- you just have to change your habits.

10- Stay Hydrated

Sometimes you think you are hungry, but you are just thirsty. Stay hydrated! We recommend investing in a reusable glass bottle to avoid the plastics contaminating your water. Kombucha is a good choice to replenish your gut flora when you are on the move.

11- Healthy Gas Station Food?

In a pinch we all have had to grab gas station food. Go in looking for healthy options so you don’t just grab a bag of potato chips. The food at gas stations is varied so try to stop at a gas station that is larger with more options. Go in with an open mind for health.

Some good finds we rely on are:

• Oh Snap Pickles
• Local, Grass Fed Beef Jerky
• Nuts
• Fruits -bananas are very filling
• Hummus and Veggies
• Coconut Water
• Bai Energy Drink
• Kind Bars
• Hard Boiled Eggs

Healthy Eating on the Go is Possible!

Make room in your busy life for eating healthy. It is possible, and you deserve it. What ideas have you found to make staying healthy on the move easier? Leave them in the comments.

Learn more from the docs in this Quick Tip on Eating on the Road: