Travel friendly plant based food

Coming from a family of travelers, I travel a lot. A surprise trip is never a surprise trip because making last minute travel plans is a big part of our lifestyle. Therefore, I know better than most that if there are certain things you are keeping out of your diet, whether it be medical or by choice, food while travelling can be a nightmare. I also know better than most that accommodating your dietary needs is completely possible but it requires some planning. I can not ever remember going to a rest stop that did not have a McDonald's, and sometimes that is the only food there. Airports usually have more than McDonald's but exactly what your other options are depends on the airport but it's mostly fast food. Fast food is often a fancy word for trouble if you are vegan which is why I'm here today. Sticking to your normal diet will help immensely in many ways and you will feel so much better en route and throughout your trip if you don't let your goal of eating healthier fly out the window.

There are special things to consider when it comes to travel food that are not as much of an issue at home. Among these are:

1. What can you bring through security? If you are taking a road trip, security is not a problem but if you are flying, there are restrictions regarding what you can and cannot bring with you past the security checkpoint. TSA officers take these rules very seriously and if you try to bring a noncompliant item with you, it could get taken away. My brother once didn't know he had a water bottle in his suitcase and when it appeared on the Xray, the officer took it away and searched his whole suitcase, which held us up and everyone who was behind us. I will further explain these rules later in the post but if you have any question of what you may and may not bring through security, do not even try to bring it. Some officers will be more lenient than others about items like peanut butter but it is best not to mess around with that. These items may be available past security. 

2. Practicality. There is more potential for mess when eating in a moving vehicle and when not eating at a table. Anything that is likely to make a big mess or stain your clothes if it spills may be worth thinking twice about bringing. Anything that requires refrigeration every second until consumed may also be impractical. Try to bring foods that can handle being out of the fridge for a couple of days. Even plenty of fresh produce can be left out of the fridge for a couple days.

3. Variety. While a bag of apples and a jar of peanut butter may be the easiest healthy snack because it's so practical, it will quickly get boring eating the same thing all day.

4. Don't bring anything that will stink up the vehicle. You and everyone around you will be in closed quarters so any stink will quickly diffuse and irritate those around you. In many cases, one irritated traveler means a disaster for everybody else and trust me when I say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Many problems with travel companion behavior are worth avoiding (to the maximum extent possible) if you can.

5. Consider what types of facilities you're working with. If you are staying at a hotel, know if your room will be equipped with a microwave, mini fridge, an outlet, or even a full kitchen (some rooms are but that's not the norm). If your car is easy to clean and equipped with an outlet, you may be able to plug in a small blender (such as a magic bullet) to make a smoothie. If you have no such conveniences, do not depend on bringing food items that rely on them.

I mentioned above that there are unique rules to near in mind when travelling by air. As a disclaimer, these are rules outlined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) about what can and cannot be brought through security checkpoints at USA airports. In my experience, the rules have been similar in other countries but I do not know what the rules are in other countries. Without further ado, here are the rules you will need to know if you are travelling within the US:

1. The 311 rule. No passenger may carry liquids that are more than 3.4oz. All liquids must fit in a quart sized Ziploc bag  and each passenger is limited to 1 1-quart bag for their liquids. Foods such as applesauce, hummus, and peanut butter count. Even water counts. This means that you can't bring a water bottle or a full jar of peanut butter with you. The exceptions are medicines and infant formula or breast milk. Bring as much as you will need for the flight but these items should be declared prior to screening.

2. Tools with blades. I have a magic bullet, handheld spiralizer, and a grater that are all small, convenient, and practical enough that I wouldn't hesitate to bring them on road trips. However, items with blades are a gray area when it comes to your carry on luggage. The TSA website can provide you with a lot of good information about specific items that are and are not allowed, including specific conditions for which items are allowed.

3. Last time I flew, I was asked to remove food from my carry on luggage and have it screened in one of the bins they gladly provide for your items to be scanned outside of your main luggage (like your electronics, shoes, outerwear, etc). I don't know if this was a random check, a new rule there was no sign for, or just something this particular officer asks people to do but knowing that you may be asked to remove your food and have it screened separately, it would be a good idea to store it all in one place at the top of your bags and in an easily accessible location. This will save you a lot of time at security.

4. Rules about bringing food through customs. If travelling internationally, you will need to clear customs, which is an additional security check they do once you land, before you are allowed to do anything else. Customs will be different in each country and some rules that may be different could be about food and it is good to know what those rules will be when it's time to clear customs. While travelling domestically in the US with fresh produce is allowed and will not be an issue, trying to bring fresh produce across the Mexican border is not allowed. Anything that has been opened or that is homemade will also not be allowed. It is best not to bring such items if travelling to Mexico unless you intend to eat them on the way there and be done with them by the time you land.

5. Any solid food may go through the security checkpoint, including fresh produce, items that have already been opened, items not in their original containers, and homemade items.

Here are some ideas of travel friendly snacks that have worked for me. Adjust to meet your needs. 

Some of the following items won't be airplane travel friendly but I will try to have most of these be both road and plane trip friendly.

1. Apples and nut butter. These are both shelf stable items that together also pack protein, fiber, healthy fats, and micronutrients.

2. Raw veggies with hummus. If you tend to like savory foods, this combo is nutritionally comparable to apples and nut butter.

3. Baked kale chips. I have talked about how to make baked kale chips in another post about how to use greens. As a dark leafy green, kale is a superfood with excellent plant based protein, iron, magnesium, and lots of vitamins. When baked with olive oil and Himalayan salt, that adds more minerals and healthy fats.

4. Crackers. Generally, these tend to be more processed but if you can find a less processed cracker that has few ingredients, I am all for that.

5. Seaweed chips. Seaweed is similar to kale in terms of nutrition and has been one of my favorites since I first experienced it.

6. Nuts and seeds. Nuts have a lot of protein and healthy fats, as well as micronutrients that will differ slightly depending on which one you choose. All of them are amazing for you so just bring your favorite.

7. Dried fruit. If one should know anything about my food philosophy, it's that fruits and vegetables are non negotiable. Dried fruit is shelf stable and, besides water, it does not lose its wonderful nutrients as it's being dried. There are plenty of dried fruits on the market but if you have a dehydrator, you can also DIY it.

8. Muffins. I love muffins because they're the perfect grab and go snack and the perfect time saver. I recommend making them from scratch because you don't know what could be in mixes or what's in already made ones. If you DIY them, you know exactly what is in them and that they are healthy and meet your diet needs.

9. Dark chocolate. If you can find dairy free chocolate, bring it. While travel is absolutely wonderful and I would never want to take it out of my lifestyle, it is stressful sometimes. Chocolate helps with stress and is also high in magnesium and antioxidant vitamins.

10. Don't overlook hydration. If on the road, bring as much water as you can. If flying, what you can do instead is bring an empty refillable water bottle and fill it up once you are past security. I have yet to find an airport without a water fountain so this trick is the best and (as far as I know) it's foolproof. You will save so much money on water this way. If you want flavor in your water, you can put in a tea bag of your choosing. I would recommend staying away from drink mixes that could have a lot of questionable ingredients but the exception is Amazing Grass brand greens powders. They make individual packs that you can get at Target and they are just as practical as crystal light and koolaid drink mixes but are so much healthier. They're an easy way to get your greens in while travelling and I highly recommend them.

I hope this post helps you and if you have any questions, you are more than welcome to ask me in the comments here or on the Instagram. Also, feel free to share other ideas with me and the community so we can all help each other.