Ahh, vacation. I am so ready for a little break from everyday life. This stay-at-home, home-schooling, nutritional consulting, blogging mom needs a change in her scenery and I think that Disney is just the place! However, how many moms out there cringe at the idea of a vacation? I have to admit, sometime the thought of planning and packing is a slight deterrent to getting me out of the house. So, I thought I would tackle one of the most important part of any trip– snacks! I have been Paleo/Primal for about 5 or so years (it’s been so long, I have lost count) and this creates its own unique challenges when we travel. It can be hard to find places to eat that provide Paleo or Primal meals that are affordable and of good quality. Gone are the days of grabbing a Happy Meal at the airport or stocking up on candy and pretzels at Wal-Mart on our way out of town. Don’t despair though! Eating healthy and satisfying snacks can be just as easy, with a little bit of preparation and a well stocked pantry, you will be ready for a getaway at a moments notice. Below are some of my MUST haves for any trip. These are all items that you can find at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocer, or other health foods store. (Note: Since we are flying, these are all shelf stable-type foods. I will also post my shopping list for when I touchdown in Florida.)
1. Larabars
These are pretty much a necessity for my whole family. They are portable and everyone can choose their favorite flavor. With very few ingredients, these bars are made of mostly nuts, dates, and sometimes dried coconut or other dried fruit. Word of caution: These are pretty high in sugar so I wouldn’t recommend using as a meal replacement on a consistent basis. But, when you are sitting at the airport, waiting for your flight, these are certainly a better option than a king size bag of peanut M&M’s. I purchase a box of Larabars at Costco but you can also find them at most health food stores.
Protein! This can be such a hard part of the diet to go portable with. I am all about bringing hard boiled eggs and a tuna pouch with me on the airplane but I don’t think the other passengers would appreciate it. Enter Tanka Bars. I am usually not a huge beef jerky fan because I always worry about pulling out a filling. However, Tanka bars are completely different. Since they are made with buffalo meat they are so tender and easy to chew, I am betting even the little kiddos will be able to nosh happily. They contain dried cranberries in most varieties which adds a little pop of freshness and a hint of sweet. The bars have around 6 grams of sugar for the whole thing. They come in sticks, bars, and bags of “little bites”. A must have when you turn caveman and “must eat meat”! Here are the ingredients for the Spicy Pepper Variety, (my favorite): Buffalo, Dried Cranberries, (cranberries, sugar), Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Habanero, Jalapeno, Spice, Red Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Lactic Acid Starter Culture. Nothing scary, no weird preservatives or chemicals. (The other wonderful option for jerky is Primal Pacs but since they are only available online, they didn’t make this list.)
3. Go Raw Cookies
These are a personal favorite of my sons. He likes the Original Cookie flavor but they come in tons of different flavors like Ginger Snaps and Chocolate Super Cookie. The Original flavor contains organic coconut, unsulphured sesame seeds, and organic dates. They are pretty tasty! I like to dip mine in a pouch of nut butter like Justin’s Almond Butter (see below) to get more protein and fat in my snack. If you have little people with little hands, these are the perfect size for them to happily munch on and get a great dose of healthy fats for energy.
4. Nut Butter
I am never without a pouch of nut butter in my purse. However, when traveling through security you will have to put them in your ziplock bag for liquids since they are “somewhat” liquidy. FAA states that each container has to be less than 2 oz. and the Classic Almond Butter by Justin’s come in at 1.15 oz. each. These are such a great source of protein and fat. You can also pack a couple of apples in your bag to squirt on the apple as you eat. Since it is next to impossible to find a plastic knife in the airport I would give up on trying to cut it up. It’s awesome on bananas too!
5. Dried Fruit
I like to use dried fruit mixed in with my nuts. Since, it is high in sugar I use it very sparingly. Also, make sure you that you read those ingredient lists and find out if there is any added sugar (a seemingly daunting task, I know). Sugar can go by many names, so do your research and keep away from them. Sometimes they add fruit juice to sweeten the dried fruit and I find this usually to be an acceptable amount of natural sugar. My favorite dried fruit to take on a trip? PRUNES! Yes, they help with digestion and since traveling seems to bring on the tummy troubles in some, it’s always a good dried fruit to keep on hand.
6. Plantain and Taro Root Chips
Trader Joe’s carries a plantain chip that is made of plantains and sunflower seed oil–that’s all. Now there is debate on the Paleo blogosphere as to whether sunflower seed oil is acceptable since we don’t know exactly how the oil is processed in these chips. That being said, plantains are a safe starch and don’t cause digestive issues like your typical corn tortilla chip can. The other option that I have been known to pack in my purse are the Terra brand Taro Root Chips. These are great when you need a delivery method for your guacamole or salsa and they really satisfy that chip craving when you are watching everyone else go to town at the local Tex-Mex restaurant. Bonus, you won’t feel bloated or foggy brained after eating these chips! I can’t guarantee that same feeling if you indulge in the margarita though…
7. Avocados and Coconut Butter
It is so important to keep as much fat with you as possible (and I’m not talking about that annoyingly stubborn belly fat) . Healthy sources of fat will keep you satiated and also curb those sugar cravings that are inevitable during vacation. No, I am not talking about fat from a Big Mac or Krispy Creme doughnut, that is an UNHEALTHY fat! A good example of a portable, healthy fat is an avocado,macadamia nuts, olives, or shredded coconut flakes. If you can’t find a knife at the airport, you can cut it in half before you leave and put it back together and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from going brown. My other favorite portable fat is Artisans brand small pouches of Coconut Butter or Coconut Manna, yummy!
8. Dark Chocolate
Yes, I know. You are thinking, chocolate bars aren’t very Paleo are they? Well, it depends on what type of chocolate you are looking at. If you are eyeing those Hershey bars at Walgreens, look away! No, what we are looking for is a very, very dark chocolate with a very low sugar content. My two favorites are the the Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar that is 85% Cacao and the Dagoba Eclipse Bar that only has 8 grams of sugar for the entire bar! The good thing about dark chocolate is that a little goes a long way and I double dog dare you to eat an entire bar of dark chocolate! Usually one small square of chocolate and a few macadamia nuts keeps me from attacking that junk food and I am completely satisfied.
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