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SALT LAKE CITY — You know that moment when you're sitting in your seat on the plane, or in a long car ride, and your stomach starts to rumble? You're stuck between two strangers or you're miles away from civilization and a snack.
Avoid those moments by packing a couple of easy snacks for your trip. It'll save you money, time and will have you covered when hunger strikes.
As a food-loving dietitian, I've found that a variety of different snacks help keep me satisfied and feeling pretty good through a long drive or plane ride. I like packing something with nuts or grains, some crunchy vegetables, travel-friendly fruit, candy and, of course, plain or flavored water to stay hydrated.
Lately, I've been packing some crunchy vegetables like carrots and celery, KIND bars (I've been loving the chocolate peanut butter bars), packable fruits — like grapes, oranges and apples, — fruit snacks and sour candy. I like having a variety of foods that I can look forward to enjoying all day long.
I've compiled a list of dietitians' favorite homemade and store-bought snacks for your upcoming trip. These options are simple and they'll be fine sitting in your bag for hours at a time.
1. DIY Trail Mix via Dixya Bhattarai, registered dietitian of Food Pleasure and Health.
2. Dried fruit paired with Bada Bean Bada Boom crisps via Kelly Jones registered dietitian of Kelly Jones Nutrition.
3. Customizable Fruit, Nut & Seed Energy Bites via Emily Kyle, registered dietitian of Emily Kyle Nutrition.
4. FODY Foods snack bars are a great option for anyone with digestive disorders because they're gluten-free and low-FODMAP, long travel days can be miserable enough without adding digestive issues. —Beth Rosen, registered dietitian from Goodness Gracious Living.
5. Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps are a favorite of Stephanie Van’t Zelfden, registered dietitian nutritionist of Nutrition Hungry. She loves that they're a good source of protein and fiber. Plus, they're crispy and crunchy.
6. Preseasoned tuna packets, peanut butter crackers, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and Smarties or SweeTARTS are a few favorites of registered dietitian Tabitha Odom.
7. Vegan Protein Bars via Sarah Schlichter, registered dietitian nutritionist of Bucket List Tummy.
8. Mixed walnuts and chopped apple with cinnamon, dark chocolate covered almonds and applesauce are a few favorites of registered dietitian nutritionist Chloe Paddison from Cureative Nutrition.
9. Epic Salmon Jerky, RX Nut Butter Packets + Apples, and tea bags that can be added to hot water on the plane (or from a gas station if it's a road trip) are what registered dietitian nutritionist Leanne Ray recommends.
10. Easy Coffee Cake Muffins via registered dietitian Amy Gorin from Amy Gorin Nutrition.
Bonus: Homemade gluten-free beef jerky from Chrissy of Snacking in Sneakers, if you've got time.
These snacks are great for long travel days, but they're also great to pack on a long hike or camping trip. So whether you're traveling or out in nature, snacking can be delicious, nourishing and fun. These few snack ideas will definitely make any long trips a bit more enjoyable (and tasty).
