Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds.
As a flight attendant, I am on the road (aka clouds) a lot. I don’t have the convenience of a refrigerator or a stove. I have to be very aware when packing my food bag in order to stay healthy when traveling. And I do, fairly easily!
Many people find it too difficult to stay healthy when flying. *Heads Nod*
People who are ordinarily healthy, just throw in the healthy towel for a few days, because they say it is ‘just too hard’ or ‘inconvenient.’
Well I am here to tell you that is a poor excuse!
NO MORE POOR EXCUSES!
You don’t need to rely on Mcdonalds or Subway. Airport food can be avoided! You don’t need to give up your healthy eating habits just because you are away from home – I do it every week!
Here are some important rules to keeping healthy when traveling by airplane:
1. Water
Dehydration is the worst part about traveling. It is so hard to get enough water intake when you are running through airports and then stuck in middle seats with people sleeping on both sides of you.
I swear that my jetlag is 90% better when I stay hydrated. When I am dehydrated it takes me days to recover. When I’ve had at least 8 ounces of water per hour of flight time, I am less zombie-like!
Bring your own water bottle. Fill it up in the airport before your flight boards. When the flight attendants come by, always take them up on a water service. Ask for no ice, and pour the water into your water bottle. Better yet – by a bottle or two in the airport concession stand as well!
2. Sanitize
Those seats you are sitting on are filled with germs. I’ve seen baby diapers being changed on them, people clipping their toenails and sweaty buttcracks sinking into them. Before you start snacking on the plane, just wipe down the tray table and the arm rest with a sanitary wipe. These wipes are easy to find in a drug store or mass market with all the other travel size items.
3. Fresh Food
You may not be comfortable bringing fresh food to the airport because you don’t want it taken away by TSA. So here is the deal – you can’t bring soups or stews, but you can bring so many other healthy foods through TSA (assuming you are not traveling international or through agriculture (ex: Hawaii))
Fresh Foods to Bring on Airplanes – fruits, carrot sticks, celery, cooked chicken breast, cooked steak, baked potato, salad, cheese sticks, tuna sandwich, hard boiled eggs, olives, rice and vegetables.
Bring these foods in plastic baggies or containers you don’t mind tossing out. Keep them cold with solid ice packs (TSA might have you toss the ice pack) or baggies of ice (throw out before TSA and get more after TSA).
3. Snack Items
Load up on seaweed, nuts, crackers, protein bars, individual packs of nut butter, rice cakes, wafers, jerky and dried fruit and seed bars. These items take little space or weight in a bag and they are great for staying focused on healthy food options!
Insider Secret: The BOLD Sriracha Blue Diamond Almonds are AMAZING!
Airport Healthy Resources –
1. Ice – You can always ask for ice from a restaurant. It is nice to order something when you do. Use the ice to fill up a plastic bag to use in your cooler.
2. Water – There are plenty of stands that sell water bottles. There are also water fountains to refill your cup, plastic bottle or reusable containers.
3. Smart Food Choices – There are apps that have lists of airport restaurants. That way you can do some research and eat at the healthier options, rather than the (insert fast food chain here). Coffee shops usually have fresh fruit or salads. If choices are limited ask a restaurant for just a side order of seasonal vegetables or a breakfast place for scrambled eggs. I do both of these often.
4. Utencils – Luckily a lot of places have stations for utensils, napkins, condiments and sometimes even self-service soda fountains (these are my favorite – free ice!). When I am traveling, I stop by these stations if I forget to pack a fork or napkins.
Insider Secret: You are allowed THREE carry on items if one is a food bag! That’s right, this whole time you’ve been tricked that it was only two huh? I am here to tell you that airlines cannot deny you your right to fresh food! 