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No matter where your travels are taking you this summer, you most definitely don’t want to get caught hungry and in search of healthy cleaner snack options. After all, nothing kills a good mood or positive attitude quite like a snack craving! Homemade treats tend to be cleaner, but I understand that making your own isn’t always possible in the rush of getting ready for a trip, so I’ve compiled 15 of my favorite travel-friendly clean eating snacks that are available for purchase. They’re all tasty, portable, relatively healthy, and kid-approved. Safe travels!
Store-Bought Portable Clean Eating Snacks
For better (and healthy) travel treats.
Here are 15 clean eating snacks to shop before your next trip:
1. RXBARs: There are a lot of protein bars out there, but these are some of my favorite to recommend (they were even in our wedding hotel welcome bags!). They come in delicious flavors from Chocolate Cherry and Blueberry to Chocolate Sea Salt and Mango Pineapple (and that’s just the start!)… and if you’re looking for something a little extra kid-friendly, there are four RXBAR varieties targeted especially for littles. This company is open about their ingredients, which include simple, clean items like egg whites, dates, and almonds. Throw a few of these in your tote for plenty of protein on the go.
2. Meat Sticks: While we’re talking protein, we’ve gotta talk about meat sticks. There are few sources of protein better than lean dried meat, and there are few things that can serve you better while you’re traveling than protein! There are plenty of brands and varieties out there producing meat sticks for you to try, but The New Primal, Chomps, Epic Bars are three of my faves.
3. Simple Mills Crackers: The Simple Mills company prides themselves on providing consumers with “nothing artificial, ever” — and if you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you know that’s a motto that I can get behind. Every Simple Mills product is gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and paleo friendly, including their wide variety of cracker options. Choose from Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour crackers (perfect with a bowl of classic chicken soup FYI), Farmhouse Cheddar Almond Flour crackers, Smoky BBQ Cheddar Almond Flour crackers, and more. Bring a box along for the perfect bite on a long car trip, beach day, or extended plane ride.
4. YumEarth: I’ve given you a lot of good savory options here, but sometimes, you just need to satisfy a sweet tooth! Enter YumEarth. This company uses super simple ingredients and has eliminated commonly problematic items like eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soy, and wheat from all of its products. They’re also certified USDA organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan across the board. What’s your favorite candy treat? Lollipops, gummy bears, licorice, fruit snacks, sours, hard candies… YumEarth has you covered!
5. Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate: Hu Kitchen is well-known for its lack of “weird ingredients” — but it may be even better known for how good it is! Hu’s 70% house ground dark chocolate is free of refined sugar, cane sugar, sugar alcohols, and dairy, but will still fulfill your chocolate craving in a pinch. Stock your suitcase with these so you’re ready for the inevitable chocolate fixation at any moment.
6. Freeze-Dried Cheese: If you have yet to get on the freeze-dried cheese train, allow me to extend an official invitation to jump on board! Nutristore, Moon Cheese, and Augason Farms are readily-available brands that offer different varieties of cheese based on your family’s preference. Satisfy that craving for something cheesy while in transit without risking the icky, old cheese smell.
7. Granola: I’m pretty partial to my own granola recipes (my gluten-free version with crunchy clusters and my Cherry, Coconut, and Chocolate Granola are both delish), but if you don’t have time to DIY pre-travel, there are a few clean varieties out there that you can buy easily.
8. Plantain Chips: These little beauties are rich in Vitamins A and C, as well as potassium and high-quality fats, which makes them an extremely well-balanced snack for travel of all kinds. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and can help support your immune system, which can help you stay healthy while you’re on the move. Amazi plantain chips are clean, simple, and just good.
9. Healthy Chips: There’s nothing like the satisfying crunch of a chip to uplevel your snack game, and thanks to companies like Siete Foods and Jackson’s Honest, you can get that crunch without feeling like you’re filling your body with excess salt and icky additives. Some of my favorite healthy chip options are Siete Brand Tortilla Chips (I love the Fuego) and Jackson’s Honest Chips.
Store Bought Clean Snacks
10. Nut butter packets: There’s nothing like a few perfect bites of nut butter when you feel yourself getting hangry, and thanks to brands like RXBAR and Justin’s, the snack is now available in a portable pouch for easy travel. You, your friends, your kids, and your partner are all bound to approve of this on-the-go snack. It’s a real crowd pleaser!
11. Trail Mix: Trail mix can make a great travel companion for your hungrier moments, as long as you remember that not all trail mix is created equal! Steer clear of anything with unnecessary added sugars and lots of candy pieces (though I’ll sign off on a few dark chocolate chunks and dried fruit here and there, because… yum). Nuts and seeds are really the best route if you’re trying to stick to a fairly clean eating routine while you’re on the go. I like making my own and stocking up on nuts and dried fruit from Trader Joe’s for affordability, but you can find plenty of great pre-packaged options at stores like BJ’s, Costco, Whole Foods, or online, too!
12. Crispy Chickpeas: This is another snack that I typically make in my own kitchen, but it’s also available pre-packaged from brands like Biena! Chickpeas are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, and when you make them crispy, they give you the perfect crunch. You’ll never crave a potato chip or cheese curl again!
13. Simple Mills Cookies: You already know how I feel about Simple Mills crackers, and I’m an equally big fan of their cookie selection. This brand — again, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and paleo friendly — has quite a selection of cookies. You’ve got your crunchy cookies (Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon, Toasted Pecan) and your soft-baked cookies (a chewier take on Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter, and Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut). The gang’s all here, and ready to tag along with your family no matter where your travels take you.
14. Emmy’s Organics Coconut Cookies: While we’re on the subject of cookies, I’d also like to recommend the Emmy’s Organics brand. Their coconut cookies and chocolate-covered coconut cookie bites are ideal when you want a taste of something decadent, but don’t want to get too off-track with your clean eating. Emmy’s Organic uses non-GMO, organic, and gluten-free ingredients.
15. Freeze-Dried Apple Chips: Get all the health benefits of apples in an easier-to-transport form with freeze-dried apple chips from Whole Foods 365 Brand or online (make sure the only ingredient is apples!). I guarantee that these will be especially popular with your kiddos!
P.S. Don’t forget some fresh fruit that won’t go bad super easily, and can hang out of the fridge — like apples, oranges, and bananas.
Starving while traveling, is surely the last thing I would like to face. assuming that I wouldn’t be able to find suitable snacks while I am traveling, I always have a kind of emergency kit with me. Long-lasting healthy and tasty snacks can worth much more than Its market value on a trip. Nut butter packets are my must take a snack on a trip.
I think you forgot to replace your space holder for granola brands. Great tips though!